Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
White Dwarfs and Planetary Nebulae Instructional VideoWhite Dwarfs and Planetary Nebulae Instructional Video
Publisher
Crash Course
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 12th
Subjects
Science
1 more...
Resource Type
Instructional Videos
Media Length
11:10
Audiences
For Teacher Use
1 more...
Duration
15 mins
Instructional Strategy
Direct Instruction
Technology
Video
Internet Access
Year
2015
Usage Permissions
Fine Print
Instructional Video

White Dwarfs and Planetary Nebulae

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Like a phoenix, planetary nebulae rise from the ashes of a star's demise. Young science scholars view stars in the white dwarf phase and the planetaries that sometimes occur in the aftermath. The video explains the composition of planetary nebulae, the conditions under which they form, and the unusual shapes the swirling gases create. 

3 Views 3 Downloads

Concepts

stars, the sun, fusion, behavior of gases, quantum mechanics, planets, exoplanets, mass, electrons

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Use the video as a hook to open a lesson about the life cycle of stars
  • Call on prior knowledge of the Pauli Exclusion Principle in classes that have taken Chemistry; otherwise, distribute a handout that details the rules that govern electrons

Classroom Considerations

  • Provide a recap of star processes and the death of stars before viewing the resource
  • This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

  • Beautiful images of nebulae are captivating and engaging
  • Careful scripting makes even the quantum mechanical aspects of white dwarf stars manageable for viewers

Cons

  • None

See similar resources:

Worksheet

Modeling a Planetary Nebula

Curated OER
In this modeling a planetary nebula instructional activity, students use a diagram to calculate the intensity at different radii from the center of the nebula. Students use the Pythagorean Theorem to determine the distance between two...
12th - Higher Ed Math
Instructional Video

Nebulae

Crash Course
A star is born! Introduce young astronomers to the characteristics of nebulae in a narrated video. Discover what they are made of, why some reflect light and others glow on their own, and the locations of several notable nebulae. The...
12 mins 6th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

Lifecycle of Massive Stars, Stars, Black Holes and Galaxies, Cosmology & Astronomy

Khan Academy
A massive star has a mass greater than nine times that of our sun. Sal focuses on the fusion and chemical reactions that take place during the lifecycle of a massive star. He clearly explains the gravitational pull to the chemical...
7 mins 11th - Higher Ed Science
Instructional Video

What Are White Dwarfs?

Socratica
White dwarfs are stars that refuse to die. A video begins with an explanation of the three fates of dying stars. The presentation explains the composition and life expectancy of a typical white dwarf.
6 mins 6th - 12th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Instructional Video

Pbs Learning Media: Crash Course Astronomy: White Dwarfs & Planetary Nebulae

PBS
Today Phil follows up last week's look at the death of low mass stars with what comes next: a white dwarf. White dwarfs are incredibly hot and dense objects roughly the size of Earth. They also can form planetary nebulae: huge,...
9th - 10th Science
Instructional Video

Crash Course Astronomy #30 White Dwarfs & Planetary Nebulae

Crash Course
White dwarfs are incredibly hot and dense objects roughly the size of Earth. They also can form planetary nebulae: huge, intricately detailed objects created when the wind blown from the dying stars is lit up by the central white dwarf....
9th - 10th Science
Instructional Video

The Beauty Of Stars Being Born

Curated OER
Deep in the Orion Nebula, stars are forming all the time. Not only that, but proplets or proto-planetary disks are forming as well. Some of the stars could become warm enough and large enough to cause the protoplanets to become new...
5 mins 7th - 12th Science
Instructional Video

The Life & Death of Stars

Curated OER
This video takes up where the other video in this series leaves off. Discussing what the color of stars mean and where they come from, the narrator describes the nature of red giants, white dwarfs, blues, and stars like our warm, yellow...
9 mins 4th - 8th Science
Website

University of Illinois: Stars and Constellations: Planetary Nebulae

University of Illinois
This resource contains information about planetary nebulae and their characteristics.
9th - 10th Science
Website

National Optical Astronomy Observatory: A Planetary Nebula Sampler

Other
A planetary nebula forms when a star can no longer support itself by fusion reactions in its center. This NOAO site is also illustrated.
9th - 10th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use