On August 21, 2017, the shadow of the Moon will sweep across the Earth, producing the first total solar eclipse visible from the continental United States since 1979. The partial phases of the eclipse will be visible throughout Virginia and are well worth watching.

To prepare teachers for the eclipse, the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia, with support from the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, will offer a half day workshop for teachers to learn about the eclipse, to learn how to view it safely, and to learn about the phases of the Moon.

The workshop is open to all K-12 teachers in Virginia. It will be about 4.5 hours long and will include the following topics:

1. A description of the 2017 total solar eclipse,
2. A summary of what to see during the eclipse,
3. A hands-on, outside session on safely viewing the Sun and solar eclipses, and
4. A hands-on session on the phases of the Moon (why eclipses occur) to tie into the Standards of Learning.

For participating in the workshop, each teacher will receive a classroom set of 10 safe solar viewing glasses. In addition, we will provide each teacher with a $50 honorarium to offset the cost of their travel to the workshop and to help them purchase additional eclipse viewing materials.

Grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. and will run from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The program will admit the first 40 teachers who register, with a waiting list to include replacements for any who cancel.