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Fort Hays State University
Emporia State University
Earth and Space Science Modeling
Workshop
Title Page
for
Implementation & Evaluation Project
Teacher(s): Gary Pinkall and Jaimi Burke
Date Submitted: 2008
Content Area(s) of your project: Star Characteristics
Grade Level: Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth
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Contextual Information and Learning Environment Adaptations
GROUP 7B TEAM MEMBER #1 Gary Pinkall GRADE 7th
Environment (Rural/Suburban/Urban community & District/School/Classroom): I teach in a
rural district. The city and schools are declining slightly in population. There has been an increase
in the number of Hispanic students in the last few years.
Great Bend Middle School USD 428
Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Make-up: District: Male 48%- Female 52% White 73%, African
American 3%, Hispanic 23%, Other 1%.
School: Male 46% - Female 54%, White 75%, Hispanic 19%, African American 3%, Other 2%
Socio-Economic Status (SES) Make-up: %Free or Reduced Lunch
School: Disadvantaged 47%, Non-disadvantaged 53%
Students with Special Needs: %Students with Disabilities, %English Language Learners,
%Migrant We will need to get these values after school starts.
GROUP 7B TEAM MEMBER #2 Jaimi Burke GRADE 7th
Environment (Rural/Suburban/Urban community & District/School/Classroom):
Hanston is a rural agricultural community. The majority of the population either earns income
directly from agriculture or from agriculture indirectly. According to the internet site
http://www.city-data.com 46% of adults have education beyond high school. The median
household income is $38,125 according to the same internet site as stated above. The population of
the district is decreasing. In 2006-2007 the Hanston and Pawnee Heights school districts combined
their students and the middle school, 6-8th grade, had approximately 56 students. My class size
ranged from 15-22 students. The average class size for 6-8th grade would have been 18.6 students.
For the 2007-2008 school the enrollment at the middle school, 6-8th grade, will be 43 students. My
©Physical Science with Mathematical Modeling Workshop 2007
A NCLB-ITQ Professional Development Funded Program
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class size will range from 9 to 19 with an average class size of 14.3 students. The sixth grade class
has 9 students, seventh grade has 16 students, and eighth grade has 19 students. The population of
both districts is declining.
Hanston High School and USD 228
Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Make-up:
Ethnicity
Building
District
State
White
93.33%
94.62%
74.45%
Hispanic
1.67%
1.08%
11.17%
African American
0.00%
0.00%
8.48%
Other
5.00%
4.30%
5.90%
Building
District
State
Male
61.67%
51.61%
51.67%
Female
38.33%
48.39%
48.31%
Building
District
State
Econ. Disadvantaged
28.33%
36.56%
38.25%
Non-Econ Disadvantaged
71.67%
63.44%
61.75%
Building
District
State
Gender Make-up
Socio-Economic Status (SES) Make-up:
Students with Special Needs:
Students with Disabilities
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Students with disabilities
6.67%
9.78%
13.78%
Students without disabilities
93.33%
90.22%
86.22%
Building
District
State
LEP Students
0.00%
0.00%
5.52%
Non-LEP Students
100%
100%
94.48%
Building
District
State
Migrant Students
0%
0%
1.21%
Non-Migrant Students
100%
100%
98.78%
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Migrant Students
Environment (Rural/Suburban/Urban community & District/School/Classroom):
Pawnee Heights is composed of two towns, Burdett and Rozel. Pawnee Heights also draws students
from the Larned area. Burdett and Rozel are both rural towns based on agriculture. The majority of
the population either earns income directly from agriculture or from agriculture indirectly.
According to the internet site http://www.city-data.com 41% of adults in Burdett have education
beyond high school. The median household income is $37,000 according to the same internet site as
stated above. 43
According to the internet site http://www.epodunk.com 44% of adults in Rozel have education
beyond high school. The median household income is $33,750 according to the same internet site as
stated above.
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Total enrollment at the grade school, grades K-5, is 82 students. The average class size is 14
students. Total enrollment at the high school, grades 9-12, is 90 students. The average class size is
23 students. The population of both districts is declining.
Pawnee Heights High School and USD 496
Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Make-up:
Ethnicity
Building
District
State
White
97.26%
95.08%
74.45%
Hispanic
1.37%
1.09%
11.17%
African American
1.37%
1.64%
8.48%
Other
0.00%
2.19%
5.90%
Building
District
State
Male
39.73%
41.53%
51.67%
Female
60.27 %
58.47%
48.31%
Gender Make-up
Socio-Economic Status (SES) Make-up:
Building
District
State
Econ. Disadvantaged
42.47%
44.26%
38.25%
Non-Econ Disadvantaged
57.53%
55.74%
61.75%
Building
District
State
Students with Special Needs:
Students with Disabilities
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Students with disabilities
9.59%
10.93%
13.78%
Students without disabilities
90.41%
89.07%
86.22%
Building
District
State
LEP Students
0.00%
0.00%
5.52%
Non-LEP Students
100%
100%
94.48%
Building
District
State
Migrant Students
0%
0%
1.21%
Non-Migrant Students
100%
100%
98.78%
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Migrant Students
Learning Goal and Objectives
Instructional Goal: Students will understand how stars are classified, the
characteristics of the sun, and the beginnings of stellar evolution.
State Standards:
STANDARD 1: SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
Grades 5-7
SCIENCE AS INQUIRY – The student will develop the abilities to do scientific inquiry, be
able to demonstrate how scientific inquiry is applied, and develop understandings about
scientific inquiry.
STANDARD 4: EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE
Grades 5-7
EARTH and SPACE SCIENCE – The student will apply process skills to explore and
develop an understanding of the structure of the earth system, earth’s history, and earth
in the solar system.
Benchmark 3: The student will identify and classify stars, planets, and other solar
system components.
Indicator
1. ▲ compares and contrasts the characteristics of stars, planets, moons,
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comets, and asteroids.
STANDARD 4: EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
Grades 8-12
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE – The student will develop an understanding of energy
in the earth system, geochemical cycles, the formation and organization of the earth
system, the dynamics of the earth/moon/sun system, and the organization and
development of the universe.
Benchmark 4: The student will develop an understanding of the organization of
the universe, and its development
Indicator
1. ▲understands stellar evolution.
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Instructional Design and Implementation
Characteristics, Classification, and Life Cycle of Stars
Modeling Unit
Group 7 B
Gary Pinkall, Cari Rohleder, Jaimi Burke
Introduction
This unit classifies stars by color, age, apparent brightness, and distance from earth. It also
identifies the sun as a star and compares its characteristics to other stars. Stellar evolution is
introduced in this unit as well.
Essential Understandings
All stars are different.
Characteristics of a star with the sun as one example.
A star has a life cycle.
Essential Questions
How do you classify stars?
What are the characteristics of the sun?
Does a star last forever?
Standards
1) Grade 5-7. Standard 4, Benchmark 3, Indicator 1
2) Grade 8-12. Standard 4, Benchmark 4, Indicator 1
Background Knowledge Needed
This unit would come after comparing and contrasting planets, asteroids, moons, comets, and
such. Through this unit there is information about both waves and spectrum. It may be
necessary for the students to know more than what is given in this unit about waves and
spectrum.
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Sequence
*all prepared documents are included
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Pre-test and discussion
Color and Temperature of Stars
Color and Temperature of Stars
Star Characteristic Card Match
The Stars - Types of Stars (internet
activity)
f)
g)
h)
i)
Sun video and discussion
Diagramming the Stars - H-R Diagram
Life Cycle (Stellar evolution)
Post-test
Suggested Time Line (for 45 minute class period)
Day 1 – Pre-test and pre discussion
Day 2 – Color and Temperature of Stars - Wavelength discussion and activity
Day 3 – Color and Temperature of Stars – Spectroscope activity
Day 4 – Star Characteristic Card Match and The Stars - Types of Stars
Day 5 – Sun video, discussion, and Diagramming the Stars - H-R Diagram
Day 6 – Life Cycle (Stellar evolution)
Day 7 – Conclusion and post-test
Important teacher notes
Color and Temperature of Stars
Wavelength activity – students will become familiar with properties of waves, such as wavelength,
frequency, and amplitude.
Spectroscope activity - facilitates developing the relationship between temperature and color of stars.
Star Characteristic Card Match and discussion of characteristics
This activity is purely a way to introduce concepts and terms to the students without having
them read out of the textbook.
Hand out the cards – set “A” has the beginning of the statement, set “B” has the ending of the
statement. The students will have to find their match. After finding their match – they will present
their statement to the class. If they did not make a correct match – try again later!! This will lead to
discussion about each statement. The students will need to write down the terms and concepts to
have for reference and study.
The Stars - Types of stars
Ask students how they think astronomers group the stars. After they give their ideas discuss stars
are classified by their size, mass, brightness, color, temperature, spectrum, and age. Stars can be
classified as one type of star early in its life and then be classified as another star when it gets older.
You could ask the students - Suppose you walk into the gym during a basketball game? What do you
see? Babies, toddlers, young children, high school students, parents, and grandparents? How could
you figure out which came first and which came last? What would you use? (Size, appearance, etc.)
How could astronomers figure out the relation between these different types of stars? What could
they use?
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There is a star song at www.kidsastronomy.com/stars.htm you may find useful.
To familiarize students with different types of stars have them visit
www.kidsastronomy.com/stars.htm and complete the worksheet provided. As they read through the
descriptions they will not only become familiar with star types but also the organization of the H-R
diagram, and the life cycle of stars. Through this web page students could also go on to learn about
black holes and super novas.
There may be a better way to develop student understanding of the different types of stars; however,
at this time we don’t know what it is.
Sun video and discussion
Sun video from teachersdomain.org. (The video is saved with this document.)
After discussing the characteristics and types of stars discuss everything the students know about the
sun. Then show the students the characteristics of the sun video on teachersdomain.org. The video
lasts approximately 1 min. 30 sec. Following the video discuss what the students now know about
the sun.
You could definitely have the students whiteboard their thoughts or answers to the following
questions.
Teachers Domain had the following questions listed. These would be great encompassing questions
to ask your students.
1. Compare our Sun with other stars in terms of size and temperature.
2. What is the Sun’s role in the solar system?
3. What does the narrator mean when she says that the sunlight you see actually left the Sun 8.5
minutes ago?
4. The Sun is about 150 million kilometers away from Earth. How does that compare to the
distance of other stars?
Information you may want to discuss about the sun might include the following (some facts may be
more than you want to discuss with stars):
 The sun is a star
 Closest star to Earth
 It is a main sequence, yellow,
 Primary energy source for
average sized star
Earth
 It is approximately mid-way
through its life cycle – about 5
billion years old
 Hydrogen turns to helium
through fusion
 It is a big ball of burning gas
and is very hot
 Takes 8 minutes for light to
reach the Earth
 It is 93 million miles away
 The diameter is approximately
110 times the Earth’s diameter
 One million Earth’s fit in the
sun (volume)
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Diagramming the Stars - H-R diagram – worksheet/activity
Have students complete the diagramming the stars worksheet to help them see where
different stars are located on the H-R diagram.
Students could complete the worksheet as groups or assign each group a question and
have them complete the worksheet as a class. Students could individually complete the
worksheet; join a group, and whiteboard an answer to a particular question.
Students may not achieve one hundred percent accuracy on this activity because of lack of
background knowledge. This is to allow them to try to come up with the classification diagram
themselves, look at their results and compare and learn from the true diagram.
After completion of the worksheet show the students the true H-R diagram and familiarize them
with how to use the chart.
As an assessment tool the students could draw a blank H-R diagram on their whiteboards then as
you tell them a star’s characteristics they could plot the star on the diagram.
Life cycle/Stellar Evolution – The students now know how stars are classified and have delved
a bit into how they change types over their life time. Now students will be given images to place
in order from birth to death representing a mid-sized star. Students whiteboard their conclusions.
This activity lets students use problem solving and reasoning skills to develop an answer which
leads into discussions about the stages in the life cycle of a star.
Discuss what they come up with and conclude the correct order. After the students complete this
activity, have them draw each phase with labels.
To assess student understanding of the life cycle of a star have the students act out the life cycle
of a star. Have students work in teams. Students may create props to make their role play more
interesting (and accurate). Ask students to create a script and have a narrator read the script to
describe what is happening during their play.
This activity only touches on a sector of what a teacher could delve into.
To show the life cycle of a star both nasa.gov and chandra.harvard.edu have great graphics.
Sources:
Holt, Rinehart, and Winston Astronomy short course text and materials Copyright 2005
www.teachersdomain.org
www.kidsastronomy.com
http://chandra.harvard.edu/
http://www.dmns.org/main/minisites/spaceOdyssey/teachersGuide/grades48/pdf/stellarEvol
ution.pdf
-great questions – could be made into a game
www3.nsta.org/main/news/stories/science_teacher.php?news_story_ID=50175
Astronomy Modeling- Activity 4B
NASA Amazing Space Activity- “Star Light, Star Bright”.
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
There is a galaxy song by Clint Black and Monte Python that might be fun at the beginning
or end of the unit. There are worksheets at the end of the unit that correlate with the song.
This is not to be used as a factual teaching resource, just for engaging properties.
Teacher Notes – intentionally left blank for your thoughts
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Name _______________________
Date ________________
Stars Pre/Post Test
_____ 1. The majority of stars in our galaxy are
a. blue stars b. white dwarfs
c. main-sequence stars
_____ 2. Which star is a cool star?
a. a red star b. a white star
c. a blue star d. a purple star
_____ 3. Which star is a warm star?
a. a red star b. a yellow star
c. a blue star d. an orange star
_____ 4. What is a star made of?
a. many kinds of gases
c. both gases and solids
d. red giants
b. many kinds of solids
d. gases, solids, and liquids
_____ 5. What is a star’s magnitude?
a. its temperature
b. its brightness
c. its size
_____ 6. Our sun is a
a. planet
b. galaxy
d. star
c. asteroid
d. its age
_____ 7. Which of the following shows the sequence of a star’s life cycle from its earliest stage
to its latest stage?
a. white dwarf, main sequence, red giant
b. main sequence, red giant, white dwarf
c. red giant, white dwarf, main sequence
d. main sequence, white dwarf, red giant
_____ 8. All of the following characteristics are used to classify stars EXCEPT
a. age b. name
c. brightness d. temperature
_____ 9. Which one of the following is NOT true about stars?
a. a star goes through many changes during its life cycle.
b. a star can become a different type of star as it gets older.
c. A star can be classified as more than one type of star during its life cycle.
d. A star does not change during its life cycle.
_____ 10. Which one of the following statements is true about a star?
a. A star’s outer layers are hot and thin.
b. A star’s outer layers are hot and dense.
c. A star’s inner layers are cool and dense.
d. A star’s inner layers are hot and dense.
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
_____ 11. Some of the light that radiates from a star
a. is absorbed by elements in a star’s atmosphere.
b. is absorbed by the star’s inner layers.
c. is absorbed by other stars.
d. is emitted through the universe.
_____ 12. A scientist can identify a star’s composition by looking at
a. the star’s prism.
b. the star’s continuous spectrum
c. the star’s absorption spectrum
d. the star’s color
_____ 13. What unit of measurement do astronomers use to determine distances from Earth to
the stars?
a. mile
b. yard
c. light-year
d. year
_____ 14. When stars are different colors, we can conclude they have different
a. sizes
b. layers
c. temperatures
d. gases
_____ 15. The H-R diagram shows the relationship of a star’s surface temperature and its
a. color
b. size
c. apparent magnitude
d. absolute magnitude
_____ 16. What type of star is our sun?
a. main sequence
b. super nova
_____ 17. Is a star born?
a. yes
b. no
_____ 18. Does a star die?
a. yes
b. no
_____ 19. What is a wavelength?
a. how high a wave rises or falls
c. how fast a wave travels
c. giant star
b. the distance from one crest to another crest
d. the distance from the crest to the trough
_____ 20. The higher the frequency the ____________ the star.
a. hotter
b. cooler
c. larger
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
d. red dwarf
d. closer
Teacher Key
Date ________________
Stars Pre/Post Test
__C_ 1. The majority of stars in our galaxy are
a. blue stars b. white dwarfs
c. main-sequence stars
__A_ 2. Which star is a cool star?
a. a red star b. a white star
c. a blue star d. a purple star
__C__ 3. Which star is a warm star?
a. a red star b. a yellow star
c. a blue star d. an orange star
__A__ 4. What is a star made of?
a. many kinds of gases
c. both gases and solids
d. red giants
b. many kinds of solids
d. gases, solids, and liquids
__B__ 5. What is a star’s magnitude?
a. its temperature
b. its brightness
c. its size
__D__ 6. Our sun is a
a. planet
b. galaxy
d. star
c. asteroid
d. its age
__B__ 7. Which of the following shows the sequence of a star’s life cycle from its earliest stage
to its latest stage?
a. white dwarf, main sequence, red giant
b. main sequence, red giant, white dwarf
c. red giant, white dwarf, main sequence
d. main sequence, white dwarf, red giant
__B__ 8. All of the following characteristics are used to classify stars EXCEPT
a. age
b. name
c. brightness
d. temperature
__D__ 9. Which one of the following is NOT true about stars?
a. a star goes through many changes during its life cycle.
b. a star can become a different type of star as it gets older.
c. A star can be classified as more than one type of star during its life cycle.
d. A star does not change during its life cycle.
__D__ 10. Which one of the following statements is true about a star?
a. A star’s outer layers are hot and thin.
b. A star’s outer layers are hot and dense.
c. A star’s inner layers are cool and dense.
d. A star’s inner layers are hot and dense.
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
__A__ 11. Some of the light that radiates from a star
a. is absorbed by elements in a star’s atmosphere.
b. is absorbed by the star’s inner layers.
c. is absorbed by other stars.
d. is emitted through the universe.
__C__ 12. A scientist can identify a star’s composition by looking at
a. the star’s prism.
b. the star’s continuous spectrum
c. the star’s absorption spectrum
d. the star’s color
__C__ 13. What unit of measurement do astronomers use to determine distances from Earth to
the stars?
a. mile
b. yard
c. light-year
d. year
__C__ 14. When stars are different colors, we can conclude they have different
a. sizes
b. layers
c. temperatures
d. gases
__D__ 15. The H-R diagram shows the relationship of a star’s surface temperature and its
a. color
b. size
c. apparent magnitude
d. absolute magnitude
__A__ 16. What type of star is our sun?
a. main sequence
b. super nova
__A__ 17. Is a star born?
a. yes
b. no
__A__ 18. Does a star die?
a. yes
b. no
__B__ 19. What is a wavelength?
a. how high a wave rises or falls
c. how fast a wave travels
c. giant star
b. the distance from one crest to another crest
d. the distance from the crest to the trough
__A__ 20. The higher the frequency the ____________ the star.
a. hotter
b. cooler
c. larger
d. closer
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
d. red dwarf
Teacher Notes
Color and Temperature of Stars Activities
Materials:
Rope or spring wave demonstrator
Incandescent light bulb controlled by a rheostat - (to make a crude version – wire a dimmer
switch into an extension cord to plug the light bulb apparatus into)
Student Spectroscope
Infrared Thermometers
Captured Images from Spectrometer
Images of various Stars
**If do not have a rheostat controlled light bulb, you could possibly use different
wattages of light bulbs
Wavelength activity:
1. Using background knowledge and class discussion, review terms related to
Electromagnetic Waves: Wavelength, frequency, amplitude.
2. Using a long rope or spring wave demonstrator, have kids produce transverse waves with:
Different wavelengths and different frequency, trying to keep the amplitude the same as
much as possible.
3. Have students whiteboard their findings/observations of the amount of “energy” it takes
to produce different frequencies of waves. Emphasize that the higher the frequency, the
more energy it takes to produce the waves if the amplitude is kept the same.
Spectroscope Activity:
1. Have students look at an incandescent light bulb controlled by a rheostat. As the setting
is changed from low to high, have students observe how the color of the bulb is affected.
Ask “What color is the light when the setting is on low? High?” Ask what they think is
happening to the temperature of the bulb as the settings are changed.
2. Using infrared thermometers have students record the temperature of the bulb at different
settings.
3. Have students use the spectroscopes to look at the same bulb as the settings are changed.
Ask the students “What colors are the most intense when the setting is low? High?” Help
students realize that at the lower settings, the red shades are more intense. As the setting
is increased, the yellow and blues become more intense. Note: This may be difficult for
students to see on their own. Once pointed out, most should notice the difference.
4. Show captured images of the different light settings made on a Vernier Spectrometer.
These images will show the color shift from the low to high settings.
5. Next show captured spectrometer readings of different colored stars. Ask students to
guess which are hotter. Again, the higher the peak frequency, the hotter the star. Note:
White and blue stars have the highest frequency, thus the hotter temperature.
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Actual image captured from spectrometer of incandescent bulb.
Red line is dimmer light, blue line is brightest light.
Compare the peaks of each line. The higher the frequency (color) of the wave, the more
energy, and the higher the temperature.
6. Leave the spectrometer image up so students can see it. Have students whiteboard. Ask
students where they would put a might brighter light on the graph. Ask students how
temperature compares to color. This should lead into a discussion about the correlation
between color and temperature. Emphasize that the higher wavelengths (Yellows) have a
higher temperature than the lower wavelengths (Reds). Remind them to think back to the
rope waves activity as well. Could also discuss magnitude and brightness. If you would
move the light bulb far away, the light would appear dimmer, but actually it is the same
brightness.
7. Show students pictures of actual star’s visual spectrum and have them correlate the stars
based on color and temperature. Ask students what they think our star’s visual spectrum
would look like. Star pictures from NASA Amazing Space Activity- “Star Light, Star
Bright”.
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Rigel
Intensity
Vega
Intensity
Pollux
Intensity
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Polaris
Intensity
Betelgeuse
Intensity
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
8. Show students images of stars and discuss how they appear different colors and why.
Resources:
Astronomy Modeling- Activity 4B
NASA Amazing Space Activity- “Star Light, Star Bright”.
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2005/orion/orion.jpg
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Student copy
Star Characteristic Card Match
Students will match the “A” cards with the “B” cards to make a complete CORRECT statement.
Set A
A star is made of
A star’s absorption
spectrum shows
Temperature differences
between stars result in
Apparent magnitude is
Absolute magnitude is
Light year is
Parallax is
Hot stars are
Cool stars are
Scientists classify stars by
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Set B
temperature and brightness.
red.
blue.
an apparent shift in the
position of an object when
viewed from different
locations.
the distance light travels in
one year; about 9.5 trillion
kilometers.
the brightness a star would
have at a distance of 32.6
light-years from Earth.
the brightness of a star as
seen from the Earth.
color differences you can
see.
the colors of light that a
star’s atmosphere absorbs
different elements as gases.
instead of emitting. This
The inner layers are hot and
indicates some of the
very dense. The outer layers
elements that are in the star’s
are cool gases.
atmosphere.
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Teacher information
Star Characteristic Card Match
Students will match the “A” cards with the “B” cards to make a complete CORRECT
statement. (You may want to make the “A” cards one color and the “B” cards another color.)
The teacher will need to discuss the information after the students match up and present their
statement.
Important information (taken from HRW Astronomy book)
1. Elements in a star’s atmosphere absorb some of the light that radiates from the star.
Because different elements absorb different wavelengths of light, astronomers can tell
what elements a star is made of from the light they observe from the star.
2. Spectrum – when you look at white light through a glass prism, the rainbow of colors
seen. Astronomers use a spectrograph to break a star’s light into a spectrum. This gives
astronomers information about the composition and temperature of a star. An electrically
charged element is made of bright emission lines; a star’s spectrum is made of dark
emission lines. A star’s atmosphere absorbs certain colors of light in the spectrum, which
causes black lines to appear. The spectrum of a star is called an absorption spectrum
which is produced when light from a hot solid or dense gas passes through a cooler gas.
(A star’s atmosphere is cooler than the inner layers of a star.) The pattern of lines in a
star’s absorption spectrum shows some of the elements in the star’s atmosphere.
3. The temperature of star result in the color of the star.
Hot – Blue
Blue-white
Yellow-white
Yellow
Orange
Cool – Red
Magnitude is shown in numbers – positive numbers represent dimmer stars and
negative numbers represent brighter stars.
4. Apparent magnitude is the brightness of a star. Some stars are brighter than other stars
because of their size or energy output, not because of their distance from Earth
5. Astronomers use a star’s apparent magnitude and its distance from Earth to calculate its
absolute magnitude. Absolute magnitude is the actual brightness of a star. If all stars
were the same distance away, their absolute magnitudes would be the same as their
apparent magnitudes. The sun, for example, has an absolute magnitude of +4.8, which is
ordinary for a star. But because the sun is so close to Earth, the sun’s apparent magnitude
is -26.8, which makes it the brightest object in the sky.
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
6. Stars are far away so astronomers use light-years to measure the distances from Earth to
the stars. A light-year is the distance that light travels in one year.
7. Stars near the Earth seem to move, while more distant stars seem to stay in one place as
Earth revolves around the sun. A star’s apparent shift in position is called parallax.
Astronomers use parallax and simple trigonometry to find the actual distance to stars that
are close to Earth.
Extra topic to discuss – During each season, the Earth faces a different part of the sky at night
(because of Earth’s tilt and revolution around the sun which causes seasons). This is why
different constellations may be seen at different times of the year. The apparent motion of the
sun and stars in our sky is due to Earth’s rotation. Each star is also moving in space. Because
stars are so distant, however, their actual motion is hard to see. Stars also move extremely
slowly.
Key
1. A star is made of
1. different elements as gases. The inner layers are hot and
very dense. The outer layers are cool gases.
2. A star’s absorption spectrum shows
2. the colors of light that a star’s atmosphere absorbs instead
of emitting. This indicates some of the elements that are in
the star’s atmosphere.
3. Temperature differences between
stars result in
3. color differences you can see.
4. Apparent magnitude is
4. the brightness of a star as seen from the Earth.
5. Absolute magnitude is
5. the brightness a star would have at a distance of 32.6 lightyears from Earth.
6. Light year is
6. the distance light travels in one year; about 9.5 trillion
kilometers.
7. Parallax is
7. an apparent shift in the position of an object when viewed
from different locations.
8. Hot stars are
8. blue.
9. Cool stars are
9. red.
10. by
Scientists
classify
stars by
Revised
bwalizer
7-18-06
10. temperature and brightness.
Name ________________________
Date ________________
The Stars
Instructions: Write a description of each of the following types of stars in complete
sentences, and in your own words. Use colored pencils to illustrate each type of
star.
Hint: Visit http://www.kidsastronomy.com/stars.htm to find help.
1. Red Dwarf
.
.
.
.
.
2. Yellow Star
.
.
.
.
.
3. Blue Giant
.
.
.
.
.
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4. Giant Star
.
.
.
.
.
5. Super Giant Star
.
.
.
.
.
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Name __________________
Diagramming the Stars
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Bright
Relative Brightness
Dim
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Teacher Key
Diagramming the Stars
Changed
y-axis scale to
read dim on
bottom, bright
on top – as
relative
brightness
Lesson from HRW
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Student Copy
Life Cycle of a star activity
Pictures to be cut out and put in correct order from birth to death
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Teacher Key
Life Cycle of a Star Activity
Have the students put the images numbered 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 20, and 23 in order from birth to
death. This will represent a mid-sized star. The students could then whiteboard their ideas and
explain why they put them in such an order.
Students may not get these in the correct order – that is okay. This activity lets students use
problem solving and reasoning skills to develop an answer which leads into discussions about the
stages in the life cycle of a star.
If the images are arranged in a straight line, the result would be as shown below:
A stellar nursery (8) from which a proto-planetary system is formed (10) contains a Sun-like star
(7), which evolves to the red giant stage (23), becomes unstable when fusion stops in the core
(6), develops into a planetary nebula (13), and eventually becomes so spread out and tenuous that
the structure of the nebula is no longer visible in optical light, leaving behind the white dwarf
stellar core (20).
The images can be used to represent several scenarios of stellar evolution and can be arranged in
many different ways. A lot of flexibility exists in the arrangements and different sequences are
fine as long as students can reasonably describe and defend their choices. The image set includes
sequences for massive stars and two different types of supernova events. The website contains a
variety of visual answer keys that are equally valid.
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Lesson adapted from http://chandra.harvard.edu as well as Our Cosmic Connection article by
Donna L. Young, Feb 2005, p29-31 in The Science Teacher by NSTA
www3.nsta.org/main/news/stories/science_teacher.php?news_story_ID=50175
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Name ________________
The Galaxy Song
1. Our planet is revolving at what speed? ______________________
2. We are orbiting the sun at what speed? _____________________
3. What is the source of all our power? ________________________
4. The sun and you and me and all the stars that you can see are moving
at what rate? _____________________
5. The earth is a part of what galaxy?
________________________
6. Our galaxy contains how many stars? _______________________
7. How big is our galaxy from one side to the other? ______________
8. How thick is our galaxy? __________________________________
9. Out by earth, our galaxy is how wide? ________________________
10. How far is earth from the center of the galaxy? _________________
11. The galaxy goes around once every how many years? ___________
12. Our galaxy is one of how many? ________________________
13. Our universe keeps doing what? ____________________________
14. What is the speed of light? _________________________________
15. What is the fastest speed there is? ___________________________
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
16 .Why should we hope there is intelligent life somewhere out in
space? ___________________________________________________
Teacher Key
The Galaxy Song
1. Our planet is revolving at what speed? 900 mph
2. We are orbiting the sun at what speed? 19 miles per sec
3. What is the source of all our power? Sun
4. The sun and you and me and all the stars that you can see are moving
at what rate? A million miles a day
5. The earth is a part of what galaxy?
Milky Way
6. Our galaxy contains how many stars? 100 billion
7. How big is our galaxy from one side to the other? 100,000 light years
8. How thick is our galaxy? 16,000 light years
9. Out by earth, our galaxy is how wide? 3,000 light years
10. How far is earth from the center of the galaxy? 30,000 light years
11. The galaxy goes around once every how many years? 200 million
years
12. Our galaxy is one of how many? Millions of billions
13. Our universe keeps doing what? Expanding
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
14. What is the speed of light? 12 million miles/min.
15. What is the fastest speed there is? Speed of light
16 .Why should we hope there is intelligent life somewhere out in
space? I’m afraid that we’ve been cheated here on earth.
Team Member #1 Gary Pinkall will be teaching the unit in mid to late January.
Team Member #2 Jaimi Burke will be teaching the unit in mid to late February.
Assessment Plan Table
Type of Assessment
Format of Assessment
1. Diagnostic (pre-assessment)
Multiple choice
2. Formative (worksheets, activities, and
discussions)
3. Summative (post-assessment)
Problem solving, interpret diagrams,
whiteboarding
Multiple choice
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Analysis of Assessment Procedures - For the Unit YOU Developed
UNIT 7B TEAM MEMBER #1 Gary Pinkall GRADE 7th
Graphic Representation-For the Unit You Developed
Leaning Gains-For the Unit You Developed
Formula:
Student #
(Post Assessment % - Pre Assessment %)
(100% - Pre Assessment %)
Pre assessment
% score
Post assessment
% score
=
Actual Gain
Potential Gain
Learning Gain
Score
1 (M )
2 (F)
3 (M)
4 (M)
5 (M)
6 (M)
7 (M)
8 (M)
9 (F)
10 (F)
11 (M)
12 (F)
13 (F)
14 (M)
15 (F)
16 (F)
17 (M)
Group Average
Reflection and Self-Evaluation - For the Unit YOU Developed
Effects of Decisions on Student Learning (successful activities):
Implications For Future Teaching Of This Unit (include a focus on unsuccessful activities):
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06
Knowledge Of Your Students’ Performance In The State Assessments:
Implications For Professional Development/Continuous Learning (personal goals):
Analysis of Assessment Procedures - For the Unit YOU Developed
UNIT 7B TEAM MEMBER #3 Jaimi Burke GRADE 7TH
Graphic Representation-For the Unit You Developed
Learning Gain Scores by Gender
1
0.75
Learning Gain Score
0.72
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Females
Males
Gender
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Leaning Gains-For the Unit You Developed
Formula:
Student #
(Post Assessment % - Pre Assessment %)
(100% - Pre Assessment %)
Pre assessment
% score
1 (M)
2 (M)
3 (F)
4 (M)
5 (M)
6 (F)
7 (F)
8 (F)
9 (F)
10 (F)
11 (F)
12 (F)
13 (F)
14 (F)
15 (F)
16 (F)
17 (F)
18 (M)
19 (F)
20 (F)
21 (M)
22 (F)
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Post assessment
% score
42
42
33
75
67
67
58
50
75
42
33
42
83
50
67
50
67
92
75
33
75
67
100
100
75
100
83
100
92
92
100
92
88
83
100
75
100
58
67
92
92
83
100
92
Group Average
=
Actual Gain
Potential Gain
Learning Gain
Score
1.00
1.00
0.62
1.00
0.48
1.00
0.81
0.84
1.00
0.86
0.82
0.71
1.00
0.50
1.00
0.16
0.00
0.00
0.68
0.75
1.00
0.76
0.73
Diagnostic and Summative Assessment
22
22
22
22
21
21
20
20
19
18
22
Number of Correct Responses
21
19
18
16
16
16
15
17.6
12
12
Diagnostic
Assessment
13.2
Summative
Assessment
8.8
3
2
1
4.4
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Test Item by Number
Reflection and Self-Evaluation - For the Unit YOU Developed
Effects of Decisions on Student Learning (successful activities):
Implications For Future Teaching Of This Unit (include a focus on unsuccessful activities):
Knowledge Of Your Students’ Performance In The State Assessments:
Implications For Professional Development/Continuous Learning (personal goals):
Revised by bwalizer 7-18-06