The Sun

Grade 1245 min

aligned to Earth’s Place In The Universe develop And Use Models To Illustrate The Lifespan Of The Sun, Including Energy Released During Nuclear Fusion That Eventually Reaches Earth Through Radiation. apply Mathematics And Computational Thinking To Kepler’s Laws, Newton’s Laws Of Motion, And Newton’s Law Of Universal Gravitation To Predict The Orbital Motion Of Natural And Man-made Objects In The Solar System. construct Explanations For The Scale And Structure Of The Universe Based On Astronomical Evidence.

Learning Objective

I can model the Sun's lifecycle, explaining how nuclear fusion releases energy that reaches Earth as radiation.

Lesson Flow

Watch Video

6 min

Sun 101 | National Geographic

National Geographic

Practice

14 min

12 questions • Short answer

Exit Ticket

5 min

Describe the process of nuclear fusion in the Sun's core and explain how the energy released eventually reaches Earth as radiation. Explain how the Sun's lifecycle will eventually lead to it becoming a white dwarf, and briefly describe what will happen to its energy output during this process.

Teacher Guide

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  • Answer keys for all questions
  • Differentiation strategies
  • Extension activities
  • Printable student handouts