Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Oct. 5-9: Stellar Evolution & Heavey Elements

This week we will finish talking about the star cycle with a PowerPoint and some notes. Then students will do some reading from the textbook about the stages and will teach each other about what they read. On Thursday we will play a board game that teaches students about how the heavier elements (the ones found here on Earth) are made from the simple elements formed in the Big Bang (hydrogen and helium). It all has to do with nuclear fusion in stars! Very cool if you ask me.... 

The big project for this unit will be to trace an atom of Hydrogen from the Big Bang to a carbon atom found in their own bodies. To do this, students will need to trace the hydrogen through fusion in the star cycle, to a supernova, to more fusion in new stars, to more supernovas, to the formation of Earth, to the growth of plants, to eating it, to incorporating the carbon into their own bodies (I think this is fascinating, can you tell?). They can complete this assignment any way they want to - write a poem, a short story, make a drawing, painting, video, etc. So long as they can trace that Hydrogen they will get full credit in whatever form they choose to present it in. We will be talking about this on Friday and it will be due on Tuesday of next week.

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