Content Outline for Teaching - Potosi School District - Home

15
Section 3
Content Outline
for Teaching
Stars and Galaxies
The Solar System
and Beyond
Underlined words and
phrases are to be filled
in by students on the
Note-taking Worksheet.
A. Constellations—groups of stars that form a pattern in the sky
B. A star has a life cycle that depends on its size.
1. Stars begin as huge clouds of dust and gas that contract and heat up to the
point of fusion.
2. Small stars shine longer than larger stars.
3. A medium-sized star ends up as a black dwarf, while a larger star explodes as a
supernova that could eventually become a black hole.
C. Galaxy—group of stars, gas, and dust held together by gravity
1. Elliptical-shaped galaxies are most common.
2. Spiral galaxies look something like a pinwheel.
3. Irregular galaxies are smaller and less common than other galaxies.
4. Earth is located in the Milky Way Galaxy.
5. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, approximately 9.5 trillion km.
6. The universe,containing billions of galaxies, seems to be expanding.
Discussion Question
What does a star’s life cycle depend on? its size
The Solar System and Beyond 50