Dr. Mary Urquhart, developed her “Stars and Planets” middle school curriculum, and with NASA funding managed by the Space Telescope Science Institute in the form of an IDEAS grant, provided kits and field-tested the lessons with 10 8th grade teachers in 8 junior high schools in Richardson ISD. Portions of Stars and Planets remain in regular use in local schools, in the MAT program, the UTD Women in Physics Camps, and in the UTeach Dallas Knowing and Learning course. Since its completion in 2007, the curriculum has been distributed on CD and by Web download at state, national and local teacher conferences, and statewide through the TRC.

This site contains all of the curriculum files for Stars and Planets, as well as copies of all image files used in the lessons. A master index below contains links to all images and PDF documents and MS Word files.

Permission is given to modify these files for use in your classroom or other education use with the following provisions: modifications are not for profit, original credits are maintained on any materials so produced, and revisions are noted on materials made available to other educators or members of the public.

As a courtesy to workshop participants, the presentation used in the Stars and Planets workshop is also provided in PDF and PowerPoint formats. However, these files contain copyrighted images taken from Internet sources for illustrative purposes. See the sources for specific images for copyright information.

NOTE: The TEKS correlations mentioned are to the older 2001 TEKS before the latest revisions, so please compare the topics to the most recent TEKS or your state guidelines.

Use this table of contents to navigate through the Stars and Planets teacher guides, student pages, and supporting materials.

Cover Page

Credits and Acknowledgments

Introduction

Lesson Overviews and Content Standards

Materials List

Support Presentation Slides – PowerPoint Version

Support Presentation Slides – PDF Version

Black and White Curriculum PDF Full Curriculum in one PDF (169 Pages)

1. Scale Model Solar System –
   1. SMSS Teacher Guide (color), SMSS TE bw (black and white)
   2. SMSS Student (color), SMSS Student bw (black and white)
   3. Table 1 SS_Size_Key – Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets (TE completed)
   4. Table 2 SS_Distance_Key – Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (TE completed)
   5. Table 3 SS_Size – Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets (student worksheet)
   6. Table 4 SS_Distance – Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (student worksheet)
   7. Sun to Scale – shows the actual scaled size of the Sun

1A. Updated Scale Model Solar System (Includes Pluto as a Dwarf Planet)

1. SMSS Teacher Guide-new (color), SMSS TE-new-bw (black and white)
2. SMSS Student Guide-new (color), SMSS Student-new-bw (black and white)
3. Table 1 SS_Size_Key_new – Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets (TE completed)
4. Table 2 SS_Distance_new_Key – Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (TE completed)
5. Table 3 SS_Size_Dwarf_Key – Real and Scaled Sizes of the Dwarf Planets (TE completed)
6. Table 4 SS_Distance_Dwarf_Key – Real and Scaled Distances of the Dwarf Planets (TE completed)
7. Table 5 SS_Size_new – Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets (student worksheet)
8. Table 6 SS_Distance_new – Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (student worksheet)
9. Table 7 SS_Size_Dwarf – Real and Scaled Sizes the Dwarf Planets (student worksheet)
10. Table 8 SS_Distance_Dwarf – Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (student worksheet)
11. Sun to Scale – shows the actual scaled size of the Sun

• Resources for Scale Model Solar System and Pluto Demotion

• Beyond Mnemonics: Pluto and the Nature of Science (reprinted courtesy of the Texas Science Teacher)
• Meaning of Planet Names
• Demoting Pluto Presentation PDF
• Planet X lyrics
• New Horizons: NASA’s Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission

1B. Scale Model Solar System – 3rd grade Version

1. 3rd Grade Teacher’s Guide 3rd Grade Teacher Guide (doc) 3rd Grade Teacher Guide (PDF)
2. Introducing Models and Scale Toy Models PDF Toy Models JPG
3. Planet Cards-
   1. Large Size Planet Cards: large_planet_cards  
   2. New version with Dwarf Pluto  planet_cards_new 
   3. Original Version planet_cards_text    
4. Sun to Scale – shows the actual scaled size of the Sun
5. 3rd_SMSS_Distance_table Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (student worksheet)
6. 3rd_SMSS_Distance_table_new  Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets – New version with Dwarf Pluto (student worksheet)
7. 3rd_SMSS_Size_table Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets  (student worksheet)
8. 3rd_SMSS_Size_table_new Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets -New version with Dwarf Pluto (student worksheet)

2. Sizes of Stars –

1. Star-S_Teacher_Guide (color), Star-S_Teacher_Guide_bw (black and white)
2. Star-S_Student_Info (color), Star-S_Student_Info_bw (black and white)
3. Star Classes Table_Key – Star Colors, Masses and Sizes  (TE completed)
4. Star Classes Table – Star Colors, Masses and Sizes (student worksheet)

3. Stellar Distances –

1. Star-D_Teacher_Guide (color), Star-D_Teacher_Guide_bw (black and white)
2. Star_Distances (color),Star_Distances_bw (black and white)

4. Star Birth –

1. Teacher’s Guide (color), Teacher’s Guide black and white 
2. Student Pages (color), Student Pages black and white 
3. Table 1 – Relative Numbers of Stars Born by Class
4. Image 1 – The Orion Nebula – Plate (Large PDF File)
5. Image 2 – The Orion Nebula (small version, NASA/HST)
6. Image 3 – Trifid Nebula (NASA/HST)
7. Image 4 – Eagle Nebula (NASA/HST)
8. Image 5 – Protoplanetary Disks in Orion Nebula (NASA/HST)
9. Image 6 – Close up of Protoplanetary Disk (NASA/HST)
10. Image 7 – Reflection Nebula in Orion (NASA/HST)
11. Image 8 – Tarantula Nebula (NASA/HST)
12. Image 9 – 30 Doradus Nebula (NASA/HST)

5. Lifetimes of Stars –

1. Teacher’s Guide (color), Teacher’s Guide black and white 
2. Student Page (color), Student Page black and white
3. Table 1 – Lifetimes of Stars
4. Table 2 – Major Events in Earth’s History
5. Timeline Master (color), print as grey scale for black and white

6. Death of Stars –

1. Teacher’s Guide (color), black and white
2. Student Page (color), black and white
3. Table 1 SS_Size_Key – Real and Scaled Sizes of the Sun and Planets (TE completed)
4. Table 2 SS_Distance_new_Key – Real and Scaled Distances of the Planets (TE completed)
5. Image 1 – Betelgeuse
6. Image 2 – Ring Nebula (planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
7. Image 3 – “Glowing Eye” Nebula (planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
8. Image 4 – Cat’s Eye Nebula (planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
9. Image 5 – Eskimo Nebula (planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
10. Image 6 – Hourglass Nebula (planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
11. Image 7 – Helix Nebula (planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
12. Image 8 – “Rotten Egg” (a forming planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
13. Image 9 – Stingray Nebula (a forming planetary nebula from NASA/HST)
14. Image 10 – A Forming Nebula (dying sun-like star from NASA/HST)
15. Image 11 – Crab Nebula (supernova remnant from NASA/Palomar/HST)
16. Image 12 – Nearby Supernova Remnant (from NASA/HST)
17. Image 13 – Neutron Star (very hot, very dim, and only 28 km across from NASA/HST)
18. Image 14 – Cassiopeia A Supernova Remnant (a combined image from NASA HST/Spitzer/Chandra)

7. Planet Hunting–

1. Part 1: Finding Planets: Teacher’s Guide (color), black and white
2. Part 1 Student Pages (color), black and white
3. Part 2: New Discoveries: Teacher’s Guide (color), black and white
4. Part 2 Student Pages (color), black and white
5. Table 3 – A sampling of Extrasolar Planets (completed)
6. Table 3 – A sampling of Extrasolar Planets (student worksheet)

• Resources for Planet Hunting (External Links):

• NASA/JPL’s PlanetQuest site
• NASA’s Kepler Mission
• NASA’s Terrestrial Planet Finder
• NASA’s SIM PlanetQuest
• Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia
• California & Carnegie Planet Search
• Known Planetary Systems

8. A Gaggle of Galaxies –

1. Teacher’s Guide (color), black and white
2. Student Pages (color), black and white
3. Image 1 – Hubble Deep Field (PDF – NASA/HST)
4. Image 2 – Spiral Galaxy (NASA/HST)
5. Image 3 – Galaxy Mosaic (NASA/HST)
6. Image 4 – Giant Elliptical M87 (SEDS/Anglo-Australian Observatory)
7. Image 5 – Small Magellenic Cloud, a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way (SEDS/Anglo-Australian Observatory)
8. Image 6 – Colliding Spirals (NASA/HST)
9. Image 7 – Large Magellenic Cloud, a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way (SEDS/Anglo-Australian Observatory)
10. Image 8 – Ring Galaxy (NASA/HST)
11. Image 9 – Sombrero Galaxy (NASA/HST)
12. Image 10 – Barred Spiral (NASA/HST)
13. Image 11 – Spiral with Aging Bright Red Star (NASA/HST)
14. Image 12 – Hickson Compact Group 87 (a great mix of galaxies from NASA/HST)
15. Image 13 – Coma Cluster (NASA/HST)

Resources for Additional Images, Information, and Internet Extensions

• SEDS Messier Database: The Messier catalog, compiled in the 18^th century by Charles Messier is a list of 110 diffuse objects visible in the telescopes of his day. Today the catalog is a list of spectacular nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters. The SEDS Messier Database is organized by category and includes information on each object.

NASA’s Great Observatories:

• NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope: Most of HST’s images are taken in the visible part of the light spectrum. To search for a specific category of object, try the Hubble newscenter.
• NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope: Spitzer is an infrared telescope and includes wonderful educational resources on the topic of seeing with invisible light.
• NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory: The Chandra Photo Album has excellent images of galaxies, supernovae remnants, and more all imaged with X-rays. X-Rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum and are a form of energetic, short wavelength invisible light.

Our Solar System:

• NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO): Visit SOHO to learn more about our own star, the Sun.
• Views of the Solar System: This privately run multimedia website created by Calvin J. Hamilton contains excellent information and resources on objects in the solar system.