Star light, star bright ... just how long can you wish on that star? Well, it depends on its mass. The presentation explains the life cycle of stars based on their sizes. Scholars learn about the life expectancy of a star based on the...

Supernova explosions mark the end of a star's life. Guide the class through an investigation that uses data to calculate the age of a supernova remnant. Using provided data and online software, they analyze data to determine the radius...

Stars exist from a few million years to over 10 billion years, depending on their mass. Scholars perform a play acting as stars to learn about their different life cycles. They develop an understanding of many of the fundamental concepts...

Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...

Do stars age gracefully? Young astronomers use colored paper and data on luminosity and temperature to model the changes of a star during its lifetime. They then compare models of stars of different mass and radii. 

High schoolers analyze characteristics that indicate human life cycles, and then apply these observational principles to various NASA pictures of stars to synthesize patterns of stellar life cycles. They observe NASA images of stars at...

Students determine the age of a star cluster by observing, measuring, and plotting astronomical data. They examine the Jewe lbox cluster, located within the southern constellation Crux and determine its age.

What happens to stars as they get older? A simulation takes pupils through the life cycle of stars based on their masses. The resource introduces the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the common relationships and life cycle patterns observed.

There is a specific zone, or distance from a star, that a planet must be in order to have water in a liquid form. The activity demonstrates how flux density depends on its distance from the source. A photovoltaic cell gets power to...

Fifteen detailed pictures and informative captions delve deep into the exploration of stars—their life cycle and importance in the universe. 

Three astronomy activities in one resource! Here you will find one hands-on activity, one demonstration, both with discussion questions, and one activity worksheet. During these lessons young scientists discuss how stars are...

Illuminate the information about stars. Pupils respond to 10 multiple choice questions about stars. The questions cover topics such as the size of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Sun, and the life cycle of a star. The resource works as a...

Why do some stars in a constellation appear brighter than others? Using a get-up-and-move astronomy activity, scholars explore perspective and the appearance of constellations in the sky while developing an understanding of the...

Develop an understanding of the universe. Learners answer 10 multiple choice questions about several topics in astronomy. Questions contain information about the age of the universe, gravitational attraction, galaxies, planets and comets...

Students create a model of the birth of a star and demonstrate the stages of the star's lifecycle.  For this star lifecycle lesson, students mix flour and water in a jar to model the birth of a star, then role-play the entire...

Even light cannot leave the force of a black hole! Learners use a model to explore the gravitational force of a black hole. An elastic bandage and heavy ball serve to create the hole, while marbles become the victims of its strong force.

Students explore star color and size. For this space science lesson, students conduct various inquiry activities to explore how the color of a star affects the amount of heat produced. They also investigate how the color of stars affects...

Young scholars research the life cycle of a star. In this astronomy lesson, students work in groups to research on stage in stellar evolution and report back to the class their findings. They will discuss as a class the order of the...

Students explain in their own words how stars are formed. For this space science lesson, students summarize the life cycle of stars. They draw diagrams and label the step of the cycle they represent.

Get to know our galaxy with an astronomy-themed, hands-on activity. Scholars watch an informative video, answer questions, and construct a model of the Milky Way in order to examine its contents and the distance inside it.  

Learners identify patterns in the stars. In this constellation instructional activity, students simulate constellations using black canisters and patterns. Learners discuss the points on the constellations and how to draw imaginary lines...

Students review the concepts of the branch of science known as astronomy. They discuss stars and constellations and then view the night sky using a portable digital planetarium projector. They identify a variety of constellations using a...

Fifth graders explore the life cycle of stars. They analyze small, medium, and large stars and view a video that compares the life cycles of the various sized stars. They create a flipbook movie detailing the life cycles of a star and...

How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...