Students build Lego models of sun, earth, and moon to learn about the solar eclipse

Angela Gier’s fifth-grade science class at Maple Lawn Elementary has been building their knowledge about the eclipse.

They’re always building something in her Dallas ISD classroom.

“I am a US Lego ambassador,” said Gier. "I do it with my nieces and my nephews. I just love how all the pieces fit together."

So when a total eclipse is supposed to pass right over your school, what better excuse than to take a little curriculum break and learn what’s going to happen that will have us glued to the sky?

The students used Legos to build a model of an eclipse.

The hardest part of building a solar system is finding the right part, but they did it.

"The earth is rotating around the sun then the moon comes in front of the earth and then blocks the sun," said Rosa Abdullah.

This is not the Lego building I did as a kid, they’re taking the scientific knowledge they’ve learned mixed in some engineering and a bit of fun.

JJ showed us how he used motors to simulate the moon spinning around Earth.

The whole lesson is helping them hone skills they’re already learning.

"It does help immensely because it's a tangible activity. And they can manipulate the bricks, they can also problem solve, you know, collaborate with each other and get ideas from each other and say, 'Hey, this is what's going to happen.' And then they can say, 'Yes, that's correct' or, 'No, that's not correct.' A lot of trial and error with this," said Gier.

Student Teeara Walker told us it’s about building bonds, and she doesn’t mean the blocks.

"It helps people communicate better with people as they build. When you like, get to know them. And when you don't know. It can help to come communicate," said Walker.

Come Monday, the students will be ready.

"I've seen a video, you cannot take your glasses off because you’re going to go blind," said JJ Gallegos. "I’m going to put tape on mine."