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Amie Bickert
November 2, 2009 Arnfeldt
November 2, 2009 Bickert
Astronomy-Life Cycle of a Star
1. Standards
 3.4.7.7.D. Describe essential ideas about the composition and structure of the
universe and the earth’s place in it.
2. Objectives
 SWBAT define and use the vocabulary words relating to the life cycle of a star
with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher observation.
 SWBAT make a diagram of the life cycle of a star with 80% accuracy as
measured by the teacher observing the diagram.
3. Materials and Equipment
 Flow map—thinking map
4. Procedures
A. Introduction:
o T. and Ss will quickly review the importance of the tilt in the
Earth. We will then discuss that we are now moving on to stars
and their life cycle.
B. Anticipatory Set/ C. Motivation: T. will explain that just like humans, stars go
through a similar life cycle. Have Ss name the life cycle of a human, conception,
birth, life, death.
D. Sequence of Lesson
 Teacher Models:
 Vocabulary words
 Nebula- a large cloud of gas and dust spread out in an
immense volume.
 Protostar- earliest stage of a stars life
 White dwarf: blue-white core of the star that is left
behind cools forms this.
 Supernovas: an explosion of a suergiant
 Neutron star: the remains of high-mass stars.
 Black holes- an object with gravity so strong that
nothing, not even light, can escape.
 Guided Practice:
 T. and Ss. read section 3 Lives of Stars together as they are
read T. and Ss. will complete a thinking map, flow chart.
 Step 1: Nebula is formed
 Step 2: In the densest part of the nebula gas and dust are
pushed together and when it becomes heavy enough to form a
star it is called a protostar.


Step 3: The dust and gases become so dense and hot that
nuclear fusion starts and a star is born.
 Step 4: How long a star lives depends on its mass. The small
mass star will burn slower and thus last longer, while the larger
mass star will burn quickly and thus burn out faster.
 Step 4: Life span: a star with less mass than the sun lives for
about 200 billion years. Medium stars (sun) live for about 10
billion years. Large massed stars about 10 million years.
 Step 5: Death. After a star runs out of fuel, it becomes a white
dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole. This completes the life
cycle of a star.
 Death of stars
 Ss and T. will draw a diagram of the dying stars.
 Small or medium sized star—red giant, planetary
nebula, white dwarf, black dwarf
 High mass star—supergiant, supernova, black hole, or
neutron star
Independent practice:
 As an assessment Ss will describe in their own words the life
cycle of a star, in a few sentences.
 If a star is smaller than the sun will it burn more or less quickly
then the sun?
E. Closure:
F. Assessment/Evaluation:
 T. will grade the responses to the above questions.