Every year begins with the First Great Lesson, which is the story of the creation of the universe. In this story, we hear about the creation of stars through particle attraction. With lower elementary, we act out this attraction through a game called Nebula Tag (which can be found in Volume I). To build on this idea in upper elementary, we don’t stop at particle attraction but look at how gravity creates heat and pressure, which kick-starts the fusion process in the star’s core. We have a stable star when gravitational force drawing to the center equals the force of radiation going outward.

In this lesson, the students will make a star by playing two mini-games influencing its mass and temperature. The students can use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to see what type of star they created. Will it be a high-mass or low-mass star? Will it be a high-temperature or low-temperature star? Your students will have fun trying to make the biggest, hottest star they can!

This lesson can also be used to teach parts of a star, especially the work of the core. The star’s core is the nuclear furnace that fuses atoms and releases tremendous amounts of energy. In the Radiative Zone, photons bounce off particles on their way to the Convection zone from the core. The Convection Zone is the space where the plasma moves between the core and the photosphere. Heat makes the plasma rise to the surface, and as it cools, it moves back to the core, where it becomes

heated again, and the process is continuous. The photosphere is considered the “surface” of the star. It is the part of the star we perceive light radiation from. The Chromosphere and the Corona are parts of the star’s outer atmosphere. In the case of our Sun, they can be seen the easiest during a solar eclipse.

Materials: 

·      A large playing area

·      A printed chart of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

·      Four Yoga balls (if you have a massive class, you can have more yoga balls if they are increments of four)

·      Four Cones (if you have a massive class, use as many cones as there are yoga balls)

·      Depending on the location:

o   Inside

§  Basketball hoops

§  Basketballs

o   Outdoors

§  Field setting

·      There are lots of variations you could use. The objective is to throw or kick something from varied distances.

o   Large container (55-gallon trashcan) and small sports balls

o   Cornhole or bag sets

o   Little soccer nets and soccer balls

§  Playground

·      Basketball funnel hoop (if available) and small basketballs (so they don’t get stuck inside)

·      Options from above, if applicable.

Minimum Number of Students Needed: This game needs at least five players but is more fun with more.

Age: Upper elementary and middle school