Thursday, March 13, 2014

HS - ESS1.A (B) - The Stars - FINAL (WND 3/14/2014)

Module: The Stars
DCI: ESS1.A (B) The study of stars’ light spectra and brightness is used to identify compositional elements of stars, their movements, and their distances from Earth.
PE: HS-ESS1-2 Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe.

PE: HS-ESS1-3 Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements.

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the astronomical evidence of the red shift of light from galaxies as an indication that the universe is currently expanding, the cosmic microwave background as the remnant radiation from the Big Bang, and the observed composition of ordinary matter of the universe, primarily found in stars and interstellar gases (from the spectra of electromagnetic radiation from stars), which matches that predicted by the Big Bang theory (3/4 hydrogen and 1/4 helium).]

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the way nucleosynthesis, and therefore the different elements created, varies as a function of the mass of a star and the stage of its lifetime.] [Assessment Boundary: Details of the many different nucleosynthesis pathways for stars of differing masses are not assessed.]

The ideas are: 
- we can study stars' spectra and brightness to gain an understanding of their elemental composition, their movement, and their distance from Earth. 

We won't ask about the Big Bang Theory outright on this batch, because there is a separate batch reserved for that topic.  We can though, discuss the various aspects of stars that we study and what information can be gained from studying stars.  

Topics we can cover: red shift, spectral data from stars to determine composition, universal expansion, nuclear fusion, life cycle of stars


No comments:

Post a Comment