1. The Great American Solar Eclipse 2017
August 21, 2:35 pm

2. Great American Solar Eclipse
Millions of people will see one of nature’s most wondrous spectacles, a total eclipse of the sun. The Moon will completely block the sun, daytime will become deep in twilight, and the Sun’s corona will shimmer in the darkened sky.
It will appear as you are looking straight down a billiard shot of the Earth, Moon, and Sun lined up perfectly. The Sun and Moon’s apparent disks in the sky are nearly the same allowing the Sun to be completely covered but exposing its atmosphere, the corona. The corona is hidden from us all our lives except for the special moments during the total solar eclipse.

4. Educational Implications
Unique Things in Nature That Occur During Eclipses:
Wind will slow and might change direction
Weather will cool down slightly
Animals will think it is dusk: birds might stop singing temporarily; crickets might start chirping; nocturnal animals might awaken
Odd shadows, not observed traditionally, will be seen
History, Math/Geometry, Science, and Literature can all be integrated.

5. History of Total Solar Eclipse in Jackson County
We have experienced only partial total eclipses in Jackson County in our lifetimes. The last recorded total solar eclipse in Jackson County was in and the next one will be in (although we could see a partial one in 2078).

6. When...
Path of Totality is marked below, Sylva falls within the two purple lines of the totality boundary. We will experience around 1 minute and 45 seconds of totality at approximately 2:35 pm

8. Expectations of the Day
This will be the first day of school! But this teachable moment only comes along once in a lifetime! We hope that this will be a wonderful catalyst to start a dynamic year. We have purchased 5,000 pairs of solar eclipse glasses (designed specifically for the solar eclipse) for our students, faculty, and staff to enjoy this experience .

9. Expectations of the Day
A curriculum team is in place to design easily deliverable lessons based on grade level spans. Our plan is to have these lessons in place so that teachers will have them before the end of the year. Incorporating information leading to the event will be fun, yet critical for our students’ understanding.

10. For more information
NASA Eclipse Web Site
The Great American Eclipse
Play On Jackson County 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
Night Sky Network