THE LIFE CYCLE OF STARS - Montessori Training

ACTIVITY 2Exploring How a Protostar Becomes a StarPurposeTo understand how a star is formed andbegins to make light and heat.MaterialModel made in Activity 1: Making a ModelShowing the Formation of a Protostar.Ball of modeling or sculpting clay of adifferent color than that used in Activity 1,approximately the same size as four of thesmaller balls from which the modelprotostar is formed.Illustration: The interior of the sun — anaverage star.Whiteboard and marker.Matter and Astronomy Journal and pencils.Presentationmost because they have the most atomspiled on top of them, and that thiscauses them to change.• Gently pry the ball apart into two roughlyequal halves, so the inner core isexposed. Explain that the atoms in thecore get squeezed so much that groupsof four hydrogen atoms join together toform one large, heavy helium atom.• Take four balls from the very center of themodel and squeeze them together into asingle ball. Then ask a student to make aball of the same size, but using thedifferent color of modeling dough.• Invite another student to place the newball (the one of a different color) in thecenter of the protostar. Point out that theatoms at the center of the protostar arenow helium atoms instead of hydrogen.• Most Montessori teachers introduce thisconcept in Year 1 or 2.• Announce to the students that they willbe studying how a protostar becomes astar showing light.PROTOSTAR MODEL• Demonstrate the protostar made in theprevious activity. Briefly review with thestudents that the modeling dough ballrepresents a protostar made up ofhydrogen atoms held together by gravity.Explain that the atoms in the center ofthe protostar get squeezed by gravity the• Explain that when the helium atom forms,a tiny bit of hydrogen gets left over. Pinchoff about 1/100 of the helium atom ball inthe center of the protostar.113 © NAMC - North American Montessori Center