Chapter 5 Lesson 1, "Stars"

Materials:

• Worksheet, "Stars"

Objective:

• Students will explain why stars shine.
• Students will explain why some stars are brighter than others.
• Students will determine a star's temperature by its color.

Anticipatory Set:* Show the students two or three types of flame. Ask how come it is different colors? Ask how the flames are similar to what is going on in stars?

Teacher Input:* Why Stars Shine: Show the students this series of pictures and explain fusion. Fusion 1, fusion2, fusion3. Develop the definition of fusion.

The Brightness of Stars: What is the first thing you notice when you look at stars. What affects how bright a star looks to us? Does anyone know the term for how bright a star is? Use this series of pictures to describe magnitude, Absolute magnitude, Apparent Magnitude. Use these Pictures to compare magnitude of one star with another.Compare1, compare 2 compare 3. Pretend that some of the stars are equal distant from earth and pose questions about apparent and absolute magnitude.

The Color of Stars: If you look at the flame of two different sources of heat what are the difference? What does the color difference tell you? (Teacher will display a torch or propane stove and a candle) Do you think stars act the same way since they are producing heat and light energy? When you first look at stars they appear white but if you look closer and longer you will find that there are all different colors red, yellow, blue, white. The color of the star does tell us how hot it is. Look at the table at the bottom of page 110. How hot is our sun?(yellow) How hot is a red star? What is the hottest star? Use this picture and the pointer. Point to a star and ask how hot it is.

Guided Practice:* Assign each site one of the questions on Page 111 to answer. Then have the sites answer them.

Independent Practice:* Students will complete the worksheet on stars.

Check for Understanding:* Students will take the quiz on Chapter 5 lesson 1 "Stars"

Duration:

30 minutes + 10-15 for Independent Practice (Could be longer if taken for homework).

Alaska Content Standards Addressed in this lesson:

• SCI A-3 Students will understand models describing the composition, age, and size of our universe, galaxy, and solar system and understand that the universe is constantly moving and changing (Universe);
• SCI A-8 Students will understand the scientific principles and models that
  describe the nature of physical, chemical, and nuclear reactions;
  state that whenever energy is reduced in one place, it is increased somewhere else by the same amount; and
  state that whenever there is a transformation of energy, some energy is spent in ways that make it unavailable for use (Energy Transformations);

• SCI A-15 Students will use science to understand and describe the local environment (Local Knowledge); and: