The Killeen ISD Mobile STEM Lab is on mission to prepare students for a rare peek at a total solar eclipse.
Lab teacher Linda Ayala-Hernandez is conducting a lesson for third-graders using a small, rolling robot called Ozobot Evo to help explain the eclipse.
First, though, she explains that the city of Killeen is ideally situated in the center of the path of totality, meaning people in this area will get a perfect view of the moon blocking the sunlight.
The astronomical event becomes visible locally at 1:36 p.m. April 8 and lasts 4 minutes and 16 seconds.
On Monday, when she presented at Cedar Valley Elementary School, the countdown to the eclipse was 161 days.
“I want to get them hyped up,” said Ayala-Hernandez. “I tell them that their job is to tell their friends and family.”
The next opportunity to see a total solar eclipse is 20 years away and Central Texas will be outside the best range for viewing.
Students going through the mobile STEM lab, or STEM in Motion, receive a QR code with access to information from NASA.
Schoology offers a wealth of STEM activities as well, including pictures and video.
Third-graders onboard the STEM bus completed an exploration activity that included programming the miniature Ozo robot and using color coding to guide it along a path from the sun to each of the planets in order.
The KISD mobile lab is also making visits to family math and science and reading nights and provides lessons and activities focused on the solar eclipse and robotics.
The school district launched the rolling STEM lab in 2019.
For more STEM information, go to the following:
https://www.killeenisd.org/domain/7376
