The Great American Total Solar Eclipse (TSE2017) will occur on August 21 this year--the first total solar eclipse in the continental United States since 1979. For many reasons, this is a scientific and educational milestone event of the highest magnitude that should not be missed by any teacher and student whether or not their school is in session on "Eclipse Day" this year. For the teacher who wishes to include TSE2017 instruction in his or her elementary science curriculum, it is important to have an instructional timeline for lessons, remembering that summer vacation will put classroom instruction on hiatus for at least a couple months just prior to the eclipse. Having a timeline for instruction should be a part of every teacher's "modus operandi." The classic model for this is "Understanding by Design" (Wiggins et al. 1998), which states that having clear end-objectives and assessments inherently guides the instruction leading up to them. This article provides an example of how a grade 1 and a grade 5 classroom teacher can implement instruction in different ways while addressing their respective "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") Foundation Boxes. These examples can serve as a guide for other grade levels as well.