South Carolina ETV

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Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Sleuth Rays (Grades 7-10)

Master Teacher

Lemeul Patterson

Overview

Every child is unique just as each star is different. Examining the whorls, arches and loops of fingerprints can easily prove each child's uniqueness. The stars' fingerprints are made of unique atoms with signature characteristics of their own. By a close examination of the atom's electrons, students will learn to theorize the energy levels, observe the brightness of light, classify colors, and measure temperature.

SC Math/Science Standards Met

Science Achievement Standards

Grade 6
Area 2—Earth and Space Systems
Strand 1: C
Area 4—Applications
Strand 2: A
Process Skills: A, B, D, E, F, and G

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

identify varying colors of the visible spectrum of light
analyze the colors of a prism
analyze light sources using a diffraction grating
compare/contrast varying stars by their brightness and temperature

Materials

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
prisms
white light bulb with an unshaded lamp
diffraction grating

Vocabulary

absorption lines
continuous spectrum
diffraction grating
emission lines
prisms
spectroscope

ITV Series

StarFinder, Lesson #25 "Fingerprints of Light"

Previewing Activity

Introduce the lesson by identifying the colors of the rainbow in order from longest to shortest wavelengths of visible light (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet). This will lead to the discussion of the acronym Roy G. Biv as a means to remember the order of visible light in the wavelength patterns from longest to shortest. This is one method of classifying colors.

Focus of Viewing

The teacher will hold a prism and ask students what will happen when the prism is held at a 45-degree angle in alignment with rays from the sun. The teacher will list the students' responses on the chalkboard.

The teacher will hand hold a diffraction grating and ask students to predict what happens as it is held in front of a light source for viewing light too. Allow time for the students' answers and list responses on chart paper or chalkboard. Ask students to view the video segments to find out how the instruments are used by astronomers. (Both instruments are used to identify the characteristics of light such as the separation of white light by color for the prism and the presence of certain atoms that give off the colors in the diffraction grating.)

Discuss with students that the purpose of prisms and diffraction gratings are to analyze light.

Viewing Activities

Start the video at the beginning. Stop when you see scientist Eric Chaisson holding a prism in his hand. Review the list of student generated answers that were listed during the Pre-viewing Activity. Continue to play the video and stop after the explanation of the prism used in the Hubble Space Telescope. Evaluate the list of student answers again. Select several students to state the use of prisms that were highlighted from the segment.

Fast forward the video to the segment where narrator Maggie Litton displays a huge hand held diffraction grating. Question as to whe-ther an incandescent light bulb compared to a fluorescent light will yield the same color pat-tern. Compare the two light sources to different stars. Again, propose the question as to how the diffraction grating is used to help scientists study different stars. Continue playing the video after the discussion is complete.

Stop during the segment in which a model of the atom is being shown. The teacher should give a summary of energy flow within the atom. Electrons of the atom are being moved from one shell to another. When electrons of atoms are being excited and move, what two things are being given off? (Light and heat.)

Continue playing the video. Stop after the inter- view with a scientist. Pose the question: "What are some of the duties of an astronomer?"

Post-Viewing Activities

1. Pronounce the listed vocabulary. Using a dictionary define the terms. Use each word to justify the term "Fingerprints of Light." 2. Explain how the fingerprints of the stars can be put into a descriptive catalogue. Compare the FBI's fingerprint database catalogue to the astronomers' star catalogues.

Action Plan

1. Have students select two stars of interest. Have them research and write a summary paper describing the two stars. They should describe the stars' temperatures and their brightness using comparative statements. Two sources for their papers could be the monthly publication Sky and Telescope Magazine and the book Sky Watching by David Levy.

2. Plan a field trip to a nearby planetarium:

I.P. Stanback Planetarium

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, South Carolina
Roper Mountain Science Center
Roper Mountain Road

Greenville, South Carolina
The Ruth Patrick Science Center
University of South Carolina (Aiken)

Aiken, South Carolina

Extensions

1. Math: Compare and contrast the brightness and temperature of various stars such as red giants (100,2,500K), white dwarfs (0.01,10,000K) and average stars.

Compare/contrast stars by plotting the given list of stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. (See Activity 1.) The diagram of stars are plotted by using the x and y axes. Classify the stars according to their temperatures and their brightness by looking at their plotting positions.

Internet

Complete the activities listed under each Web site.

1. Department of Astronomy , University of Florida; 211 Bryant Science Building; Gainesville, Florida
http://www.astro.ufl.edu/

Name a binary star and describe the revolutions of the binary star system.

2. NASA Picture of the Day
htttp://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/

List the characteristics of the newly discovered pistol star. 3. Hubble Space Telescope
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/hdf/intro.htm

Name five astronomical instruments of the Hubble Space Telescope, and print a picture of the instruments.

Activity Sheets (PDF)

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram