Africa: Teachers Use Spectacle of Solar Eclipse to Teach Students

África/Ruanda/Septiembre 2016/Noticias/http://allafrica.com/

África: Los maestros  usan el  espectáculo  solar  eclipse para enseñar a los estudiantes

Por John Mbaraga

Resumen:

Se presenta una  increíble sesión educativa para los estudiantes de varias escuelas en Kigali , donde se  reunieron maestros y estudiantes en la Universidad de la Facultad de Educación de Ruanda, con el objeto de observar el  eclipse solar parcial. Durante su aparición, el Dr. Phenias Nkundabakura, un especialista en astronomía enseña a los estudiantes sobre el eclipse solar, señalando que era un fenómeno científico.Expresó que : «Los eclipses solares ocurren cuando la luna se mueve entre el sol y la tierra, bloqueando el disco del sol y proyectando una sombra sobre la tierra».

Africa: Teachers Use Spectacle of Solar Eclipse to Teach Students

By John Mbaraga

The display of solar eclipse presented an amazing educative session for students from various schools in Kigali who gathered at the University of Rwanda’s College of Education, yesterday.

The partial solar eclipse was visible in Rwanda, across central Africa, Middle East and some other parts of the world.

During its occurence, Dr Phenias Nkundabakura, a specialist in astronomy taught students about solar eclipse, noting that it was a scientific phenomenon.

«Solar eclipses happen when the moon moves between the sun and earth, blocking the sun’s disk and casting a shadow on earth,» he explained.

He told students that the moon is not a primary source of light and is opaque.

The angular diameter of the moon is almost equal to the angular diameter of the sun, and during the solar eclipse process, the event allows for the viewing of the atmosphere of the sun, according to Nkundabakura.

Speaking to the media, Nkundabakura said the incident offered the perfect opportunity to explain to students the phenomenon of eclipses.

«Explaining scientific facts about eclipses as students watch and follow the succession of changes helps them to know the truth about science and its experiments,» he said.

Diana Kabasinga, a Senior Three student at Saint Paul International School, said she had learned about the solar and moon eclipses, and types of eclipse; partial, annular and total eclipses.

«I’m excited because I have been studying them theoretically, and I had never seen them, so today I have seen it live and I can even explain to those who have not got a chance to witness this incredible incident,» she said.

«I have even got some lectures about the disadvantages of looking at the sun directly which can cause blindness,» she added.

Cedrick Migambi, another student, said the knowledge he acquired by witnessing the occurence of the eclipse will help him understand better what he had been studying in class about eclipses.

Migambi said it was a chance to learn more about the things that happen in the universe.

«I cannot say that it is the beginning of my journey to study astronomy but it was an opportunity that opened my mind to questions on the nature of everything that are not easily seen,» he said.

Jean Pierre Twagirayezu, a Physics teacher at Saint Paul International School, said it was an interesting opportunity for both students and science teachers to view the solar eclipse.

«It is complicated to teach sciences to students who haven’t got some experience about certain things, but when you are telling them what they have seen, it becomes easier, so we are glad this is happening,» he said.

According to Nkundabakura, the solar eclipse occurred at the time it was expected, from 8:45am to 12:22pm.

Nkundabakura said that 2000 eclipse glasses were distributed in different schools with about 10,000 students hoped to have got the opportunity to watch safely the solar eclipse.

People are warned not to look directly into the sun for long time with naked eyes, or use smoked glasses, colour film, sun glasses and polarising filters as they are not safe.

According to Nkundabakura, before yesterday, the previous solar eclipse to have been seen in Rwanda was in November 2013.

Fuente:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201609020038.html

Fuente imagen: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YSztXpqvSqmV7jOneLbT-I0jwWEao5-mN2QsZ91S2KmdooE8L5DwPda4QvRYyv3mJ0on=s138