Stars change

From OER in Education

Astronomy - presentations
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Starschange1.png
About the stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and how supernovae form at the end of a star's life

Lesson idea. Students commonly believe that all stars are the same. They also incorrectly believe that stars become progressively larger and brighter until finally becoming red giants. As one of the final presentations in a series, this looks at the nature and origin of different types of star. The teacher has again provided slides and a commentary to help re-create his approach to this topic.

Teaching approach. The lesson model is that of active note-making. Students must not take notes from the board but instead must use their creativity to develop their own notes. They are encouraged to use colour, image, symbols, humour and metaphor to lead them through a richer learning experience. Students need help in achieving this but soon catch onto the idea. They become more independent with taking notes and more attentive to the subject at hand. The teacher keeps a clear focus to use open rather than closed questioning throughout. (edit)

Resource details
Title Stars change
Topic
Teaching approach
Learning Objectives
  • to explain the variety of stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram: main sequence stars / red giants / super giants / white dwarfs
  • to explain how supernovae form at the end of the stellar lifecycle
Format / structure
Subject
Age of students / grade
Table of contents
Additional Resources/material needed
Useful information
Related ORBIT Wiki Resources
Other (e.g. time frame)
Files and resources to view and download

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Acknowledgement
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