Category: For older students

In this activity, Students will practise plotting Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams using a range of different, yet familiar, items. Once they have plotted their graph they will compare this with other groups.
Next they will see how a real Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is created by using the stars table to plot a true H-R diagram.

Finally, they will compare the range of items by creating a ‘master diagram’, using all the items and stars plotted. Creating an expanded H-R diagram to see how objects really compare.

Age Range: 16-18
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Lesson Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cost per activity: Low (printing costs)
Includes the use of: Graph paper, Excel, internet

Teacher Guide and Model Answers

Student Guide

The Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission is a joint ESA/NASA mission that studies the Sun. Like Earth, SOHO follows an orbit around the Sun, studying its interior, surface, atmosphere and solar wind. SOHO sends continuous images of its observations back to Earth which scientists can use study to understand the nature of the Sun and predict how its activity will affect Earth and its environment.

In this activity, students are introduced to the ESA/NASA joint mission, SOHO and the instruments on board it.

They will look into SOHO’s orbit and its position in the Solar System relative to the Sun and Earth. They perform mathematical calculations and apply scientific concepts within their curriculum to this real-life context. Students are able to develop their understanding of concepts such as speed and distance calculations and gravitational potential energy.

Age Range:
Prep. Time: 0
Lesson Time: 1 hour
Cost per activity: Low (print costs)
Includes the use of: Worksheets

Teacher Guide

Student Guide

Activity Resources

For this activity, students will make a classroom-sized, Hertzsprung-Russell diagram showing the lifecycle of stars. Students will be given a number of different stars of different luminosities and temperatures and they will need to create a graph with appropriate axis to plot the stars on.

Age Range: 11-16
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Lesson Time: 1 hour
Cost per activity: Low
Includes the use of: String, large space (4 x 4 m)

Teacher Guide

Student Guide

Activity Resources

The Sun converts hydrogen to helium in its core, under enormous pressure and temperature. When this core hydrogen runs out, the Sun will swell up into a giant and new fusion sequences will start. In this process, inner planets, like the Earth, will be damaged, even destroyed.

But, how long is it before this happens?

In this activity, students will follow their worksheets to explore stellar lifespan. They will make calculations based around our Sun and its life by looking at mass defect and the use of equations.

Age Range: 16-18
Prep. Time: 0
Lesson Time: 1 hour
Cost per activity: Low (printing costs)
Includes the use of: Calculator

Teacher Guide

Student Guide