In Ms. Barlev’s eighth grade science class, students are taking a hands-on approach to the solar system. She has provided students with an activity pack including foam balls, toothpicks and a flashlight to gain a better understanding of aspects of the solar system. This week students worked in groups to discuss how to use these materials to present the solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, moon phases, transition between day and night, and solar year using props to demonstrate how these natural events occur.  Students used Zoom to meet and discuss these topics during the asynchronous class, and they will be presenting their demonstrations during synchronous time in class. Ms. Barlev, and our science teachers know that a hands-on approach to learning natural phenomena helps kids wrap their bodies and brains around the ideas and commit them to memory. The social interaction of group work is important during distance learning because it allows students to connect and build on each other’s ideas.