Chemistry Name: ____________________________________

Unit 1: Origin of Elements

Period: _______ Date: _________________

Unit 1: Project – Star Life Cycle

We began this unit with a picture of the night sky, and the quote from Carl Sagan
“We are made of star stuff”
OBJECTIVE:
HS-ESS1-3 [1]  Identify the life cycle of stars (low mass vs high mass) 
HS-ESS1-3 [5]  Describe that heavier elements up to Iron produced in the core of stars
HS-ESS1-3 [6]  Describe that elements larger than Iron are produced from mechanisms of
supernova explosions of massive stars

YOUR TASK:
Work with their lab table partners to create a poster illustrating the life cycle of stars

Requirements
Copy the star life cycle flowchart onto your
poster
o (It should take up a lot of space!)
Label each stage with the proper name.
o (ex: white dwarf, supernova….)
Glue or Draw the star pictures where they belong
Match the information provided to the life cycle stage and put it on the poster
Determine which elements (if any) are fusing at each stage
Determine which elements (if any) are being produced at each stage
Include the lifespan/death of the star – how long do these stars live?
Make sure your poster is neat & information is well organized.

Resources:
1. See rubric on back of next page for grading information
2. You can use this click-able image for inspiration:
a. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/image_maps/50-universal-element-
formation
3. Go to google classroom and check out the links under “Project”
Division of Labor:
If there are 4 people in your group, divide up person 5’s responsibilities among you.

Person 1: Planetary Nebula

Low Mass Star
Stellar Nebula
Person 4:
Person 2: White dwarf
Red Giant Red Supergiant
Black Hole
Person 5:
Person 3: High Mass Star
Supernova Neutron Star

Terms and concepts to include in your project:

ALL OF THESE WORDS AND INFORMATION SHOULD BE ON YOUR POSTER!!!
High Mass Star neutron star Oxygen*
Low Mass Star black hole Silicon
stellar nebula Hydrogen* Neutrons
red giant Helium* Iron
red supergiant Carbon* Elements heavier than Iron
planetary nebula Neon* All information in the table
supernova Millions of years below
white dwarf Billions of years * = used more than once

Hydrogen fuses to form helium,
producing heat and light
This process is fast in larger stars –
they burn faster and hotter
Hydrogen atoms are attracted by
gravity and begin to form a star
once the gravity is strong enough
for nuclear fusion to begin
When the core is mostly made of
iron, the core and the star collapse
in a matter of seconds. Falling
layers then explode outward. This
produces elements with atomic
numbers 27-92.
This process is slow in smaller Hydrogen fuses to form helium,
stars – they burn cooler and longer producing heat and light
When the last of the helium fuel is
After a supernova, the remaining
used up, fusion stops and the
core creates a gravitational field
outer layers drift off, creating an
that is so strong, not even light can
element rich nebula, and a small,
escape it.
dense, white star.
After about 10 billion years, the
When the core runs out of
dense white star will no longer be
hydrogen fuel, the outer layers
able to fuse nuclei and will
expand and the core starts fusing
eventually stop emitting light and
helium into carbon and oxygen
appear to be black
When the core runs out of
hydrogen fuel, the outer layers After a supernova the remaining
expand and the core starts fusing core forms a very dense and small
helium into carbon, oxygen, star made up of only neutrons.
silicon, sulfur, and iron.
Chemistry Name: ____________________________________
Unit 1: Origin of Elements
Period: _______ Date: _________________

Unit 1: Project – Star Life Cycle WORKSHEET

Each member of the group must complete this sheet for their assigned responsibilities:

1. Sketch and label the ENTIRE star life cycle below. Circle the stages for which you are responsible.
THEN, complete the table below.

Star Stage
Name

What
information
goes with
your star
stage?

What (if any)

elements are
fusing?
What (if any)
elements are
forming?
What elements
are present?
Chemistry Name: ____________________________________ Name: ____________________________________
Unit 1:Star Cycle Rubric Name: ____________________________________ Name: ____________________________________
Name: ____________________________________
Period: _______ Date: _________________

Unit 1: Project – Star Life Cycle

Information from table is

Scor Order of stars is Name and Picture are Elements fusing & forming
Appearance associated with correct TOTAL
e correct correct are correct for the stage
stage

All writing is neat. Elements fusing and

Stages are in proper All stage names & pictures All information correctly
4 Information is clearly forming at each stage are
order are correctly matched associated with a stage
organized and represented correctly identified

Most of the elements

Writing is mostly neat.
Most stages are in
3 Information is clearly
proper order
organized and represented
Project is complete, but
Stages are out of writing is not neat and
2 pictures are correctly
order Information is not well
organized and represented
Poster is
1 Stages are missing messy/disorganized and
missing major components
Most stage names & Most of the information
fusing and forming at each
pictures are correctly correctly associated with a
stage are correctly
matched stage
identified
Some of the elements Some information is
Few stage names & fusing and forming at each information correctly
stage are correctly associated with a stage.
matched identified. Missing 1 or2 Missing 1 or 2 pieces of
elements information
Elements fusing and
forming at each stage are Majority of the information
Stages are missing
nor correctly identified is missing and/or incorrect
AND many are missing

0 No stages pictured No writing on poster No stages pictured No elements listed No information on poster

TOTAL (out of 20 points)

aaaaaaaaa