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The purpose of this exercise is to help
students understand something that is new to
them (H-R Diagram) by using something they
are very familiar
with (food). Although the H-R Diagram is
an important concept in astronomy, many
students have a difficult time
understanding that it is a tool used to classify
stars. The following simple exercise will help
students understand what it is all about. First I ask each of my students to think of foods. I tell them to list two foods that are good for them (their opinion). I tell them to also list two that are “bad” for them, and two that have average nutritional value. Next, I sketch a rectangle on the board and label it as shown in the diagram below. Then I call on individual students to give me the name of a food and tell me where to place the name of that food on the rectangle. Since there are a wide variety of opinions when it comes to foods, I tell them that the placement is based solely on the opinion of the person who I call upon. As the exercise continues, I ask students to think of foods that might be placed in the areas of the rectangle that are empty. After several minutes I point out that what we have been doing is classifying foods based on two criteria. Now they are ready to understand that the H-R Diagram is simply a way to classify stars based on two criteria . . . brightness and temperature.  |
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Montana Earth Science Pictures of the Week |