ISTAT Astronomy: Stars and Stellar Evolution

Stellar Life Cycles

Each activity or resource is labeled by access mode:

	Requires computer access
	Requires downloading from the Web
	Non-electronic
$$	Order materials and supplies

Many of the stellar types identified are really similar stars at different points in their evolution.
Stars evolve over billions of years, but new stars are constantly being "born" , so there are always stars of all "ages".
The mass of a star determines a great deal about its temperature and life span
Different types of stars reach different end states after burning up their fusion fuel.

Standards

This topic applies to California state standards 2d in 9th grade Earth Science and standard 4b in 8th grade Physical Science.

Science Probe Text

Science Probe I § 16.1 The Life of a Star,15.5 Quasars, Pulsars, and Black Holes.

Activities & Lessons

Activity	Access	Description
Life Cycle of Stars CERES		Study information about the appearance of stars at different stages to make a sequence of pictures analogous to pictures of a human life cycle. Some broken links, esp. to Brian Martin's Lectures: http://www.kingsu.ab.ca/~brian/ astro/course/lectures/intros/ stars_and_nebulae.htm
The Anatomy of Black Holes Imagine the Universe		A grade 9-12 teaching guide with expository material on stellar and galactic black holes, and a number of related activities. Many activities are math-based.
How Old are the Jewels of the Night? National Optical Astronomy Observatory		Students make an H-R diagram of stars in a cluster, and then learn about stages in the lives of stars. Requires printing an image on a color printer
Life Cycles of Stars Information/Activity book NASA/Imagine the Universe!		Use online or download PDF. Activities are brief and math based. Students will need some of the informational sections of the booklet to do each one. Hey Low Mass Star, This is Your Life! Making a physical model of the life stages of a star. Bigger Than a Bread Box? The sizes of supernova remnants. A Teaspoon of Star Stuff The densities of different stellar end states. Crossing the Event Horizon Where is the edge of a black hole? Others referred in other parts of this curriculum.

*Astronomical Society of the Pacific Ordering info $$

Resources

Resources	Access	Description
A Peek Into the Lives of Stars Windows on the Universe		A sequence of short pages, with some interactive features. Many subjects on the life cycles of stars, end states and star color, temperature, and mass.