Solar and Lunar Eclipse Task Cards

Get students up and reasoning with this set of 12 self-checking eclipse task cards for NGSS MS-ESS1-1 and grades 6-8. The deck blends quick solar-or-lunar classification with deeper questions on whose shadow falls, which Moon phase each eclipse needs, the difference between the umbra and the penumbra, and why the Moon turns red.

Two cards include a shadow-cone diagram for students to read, and the keystone cards target the trickiest idea, why a tilted orbit means eclipses do not happen every month. The answer is printed on the back of each card, so the deck works for self-checking, partner quizzing, scoot games, centers, or early finishers.

The set prints six cards per page with a cover card and a matching answer on each back, ready to print double-sided and cut. Everything prints cleanly in black and white. Pair the deck with the rest of the eclipses unit for a full teach, practice, and assess sequence.

• 12 self-checking cards plus cover
• Print double-sided, six per page, then cut
• Aligned to NGSS MS-ESS1-1, grades 6-8