Hands on Activity #1

Science Area:  Space Science

Concept: 4.41 Stars are made up of hot gases that give off light.   

Materials:

·         2 flashlight

·         Aluminum foil

·         pencil

·         2 sheets of blank paper

State Goals:

·         11.A.2d  Use data to produce reasonable explanations.

·         11.A.2e  Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.

·         12.F.2a  Identify and explain natural cycles and patterns in the solar system (e.g., order of the planets; moon phases; seasons as related to Earth’s tilt, one’s latitude, and where Earth is in its yearly orbit around the sun).

·         12.F.2b  Explain the apparent motion of the sun and stars.

Safety Considerations:

·         None

Procedures:

·         Take one of the flashlights and cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.

·         Make a hole in the center of the aluminum foil by using a pencil.  It should be as big around as your index finger.

·         Lay out the paper sheets about 4 inches apart on your table.

·         Turn off the light and hold the flashlight about 6 inches away from your paper.

I

Explanation:

·         The uncovered flashlight produces a larger brighter circle of light on the paper.  A stars size is like a flashlight opening.  The larger the size the brighter the star is and easier for us to see.  A stars brightness is considered its magnitiude and its magnitude depends on three things; size, distance from the Earth, and temperature.

Source:

·         Vancleave, Janice P.  Astronomy for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work.  Pp. 138-139. New York : John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1991.

Hands on Activity #2

Science Area:  Space Science

Concept: 4.41 Stars are made up of hot gases that give off light.  

Materials:

·         flashlight

·         index card

·         white letter envelope

·         paper hole punch

State Goals:

·         11.A.2d  Use data to produce reasonable explanations.

·         11.A.2e  Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.

·         12.F.2a  Identify and explain natural cycles and patterns in the solar system (e.g., order of the planets; moon phases; seasons as related to Earth’s tilt, one’s latitude, and where Earth is in its yearly orbit around the sun).

·         12.F.2b  Explain the apparent motion of the sun and stars.

Safety Considerations:

·         None

Procedures:

·         Cut about 7 or 8 holes in the index card with the hole punch.

·         Insert the index card in the envelope.

·         In a well lit room hold the envelope in front of you with the flashlight about two inches from the front of the envelope and over the index card.

·         Move the flashlight behind the envelope and hold it in the back.

Explanation:

·         The holes in the index card are not visible when the light shines in front of the side of the envelope but it is easily to see when the light shines from behind.  This is because light from the room passes through the holes regardless of the position of the flashlight but it is only when the surrounding area is darker that the light comes from the holes.  This shows that stars shine through daylight hours but the sky is just too bright for them to be visible.  That is also why stars are better to see away from city lights.

Source:

·         Vancleave, Janice P.  Astronomy for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work.  Pp. 138-139. New York : John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1991.