BEAD 3: Stars

MATERIALS (STANDARD) FOR EACH CLASS:

• Copies of the 1-page list of 28 events (for each child to use during class)

• The Storyboard Box

• The Picture Box containing the class drawings (if you choose that approach)

• Beads Box that contains labelled bags of the extra beads from prior weeks

• Clear tape for affixing the bead to the first square in the matrix

MATERIALS FOR THIS SESSION:

• “New Periodic Table” chart (on next page) -- print as large as possible or copy handouts. Note: Decide whether you want to print the Element List on the back for all kids to have or (if yours is a 5-days-a-week classroom), whether you keep that list for yourself and have the kids volunteer to look up each element and report back to whole class during the week.

• Beads in a Sock chosen or made to represent stars (they can all be the same).

• Black “scratchboards” that the kids made last week, with extras for newcomers.

• Implements for etching the scratchboards (test these out in advance).

• Sticky glitter to use as “stardust” to embellish the black scratchboard etchings. Or loose glitter plus gluesticks to make the etched areas sticky.

NOTE: For schools that have a whole week of classes to explore the theme of each lesson, teachers should familiarize themselves with this Stardust Background document:! http://thegreatstory.org/Stardustbackground.pdf

Teachers may want to draw more activities and stories from another lesson plan written for a multiple-week curriculum on the stardust theme:

! http://thegreatstory.org/stardust-kids-lessons.pdf

Short online videos on this theme at: http://thegreatstory.org/stardust-kids.html

MATERIALS FOR NEWCOMERS:

• The 1-page list of 28 events (to take home)

• Blank Storyboard with the 28-event Matrix already glued on (write their name on it)

• Beads Box containing beads for all the events discussed thus far.

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 1

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 2

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My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 3

H! 1! Hydrogen! ! ! in H2O

He! 2! Helium! ! ! birthday balloons, Sun is making

C ! 6! Carbon! ! ! Carbohydrates, burnt toast, carbon dioxide

N! 7! Nitrogen! ! ! most (79%) of the atmosphere, protein

O! 8! Oxygen! ! ! 20% of atmosphere; we breathe it, H2O

Na! 11! Sodium! ! ! part of table salt (NaCl), soda water

Mg! 12! Magnesium! ! ! abundant in seawater, trace mineral in humans

Al! 13! Aluminum! ! ! pop cans, aluminum foil, in volcanic rocks

Si! 14! Silicon!! ! ! volcanic rocks, sandstone, glass, computer chips

P! 15! Phosphorus! ! ! transports oxygen energy for living cells, fertilizer

S ! 16! Sulfur! ! ! ! essential for life, lots in cabbage, volcanic gas

Cl! 17! Chlorine! ! ! clean swimming pools, bleach, 1/2 of salt (NaCl)

K! 19! Potassium! ! ! essential for brains, lots in bananas

Ca! 20! Calcium! ! ! bones, teeth, seashells, lots in milk

Mn! 25! Manganese! ! ! metal (used in making stainless steel spoons/forks)

Fe! 26! Iron (“ferrous”)! ! transports oxygen in blood, metal for steel, tools

Ni! 28! Nickel!! ! ! used with copper for nickel coin, lots in Earth’s core

Zn! 30! Zinc! ! ! ! used with copper for brassl, white sunblock

Ag! 47! Silver! ! ! ! jewelry, coins!

Au! 79! Gold! ! ! ! jewelry, fashioned into bars for national treasuries

Hg! 80! Mercury! ! ! silvery liquid at room temperature, very poisonous!

Pb ! 82! Lead! ! ! ! extremely heavy metal, very poisonous!

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 4

REVIEW OF PRIOR WEEK (PARTICIPATORY; CIRCLE RECOMMENDED):

Who was here last week?Who wants to help us remember what we talked about and did last week?Encourage discussion (topic: creation of galaxies, merging galaxies, scratchboards)

Did anyone bring pictures or picture books of galaxies?

NEWCOMER CATCH-UP TIME

1. If you have ANY NEWCOMERS, everyone begin by sitting in circle. Then ask for volunteers (“Which Earthling will volunteer . . .”) to bring these things to circle center: Storyboard Box, extra storyboards, Beads Box, clear tape, marker pen.

2. Ask another volunteer to pass out a copy of the 28-events list to everyone in the circle.3. Introduce the Newcomer children.

4. Assign the least-participatory children each of these tasks, in sequence:

• Give [NEWCOMER NAME] a blank Storyboard.

• Help [NEWCOMER NAME] select a bead for the event(s) they missed.

• Show [NEWCOMER NAME] an example of a Storyboard with bead(s) taped on, so they can see where to tape their new bead(s) on.

• Give [NEWCOMER NAME] a marker pen so that they can write their name on the Storyboard.

STORYTELLING (PARTICIPATORY; CIRCLE RECOMMENDED):

PART 1: In the BeginningThis is the Universe Story that belongs to all Earthlings.

! Who here is an Earthling? . . .

In the beginning, about 13.7 billion years ago, our Universe was born. Nobody yet has discovered why our Universe was born. But scientists have discovered lots of evidence that our Universe really did have a beginning, and that the beginning happened suddenly more than 13 billion years ago. So . . . just like us . . . the Universe came into existence by being born.

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 5

! Scientists have discovered that after the Universe was born, it grew from something smaller than a raisin, smaller than a flea, into something so immense that it now contains billions of galaxies. We also know that the Universe is still growing. It is still growing, just like you are still growing.

! The Story of the Universe is actually your story. It is the story of who all your ancestors and cousins are — not just your human ancestors and cousins, but also the great-great-great-great-great grandparent you share in common with a cheetah, and with the even older common ancestor you share with a snake, all the way back to when the only creatures alive on planet Earth were bacteria. The wonderful thing is that this story is exactly the same story for all the children born on this planet.

! Last time we learned that after the Universe was born, galaxies began to form and they grew really huge when gravity made several merge together.

So what event are we going to choose a bead for today?

Clue: Look at your list of events

Answer: Stars begin to squeeze hydrogen gas into helium, then carbon and calcium and more.

PART 2: Why Stars ShineShow a large copy of the “New Periodic Table of Elements” (or pass out handouts to all the kids)

When most of your great-grandparents were born, scientists didn’t know anything on this chart. But by the time your grandparents were born, scientists had figured out this top part. They had figured out that our sun was a yellow star that made heat and light by using the intense gravity in its core to squeeze the tiniest atom in the universe (Hydrogen - H) into the next tiniest atom (Helium, He).

! Hydrogen and Helium are both so tiny and so light-weight that they exist only as invisible vapor. But I bet all of you have seen something magical that helium can do. . .

! Hint: a special kind of balloon is filled with helium gas instead of regular air.

! What happens if you let go of the string of a helium balloon? [it floats up]

! Why do helium balloons float up, but balloons you fill by your breath don’t?

To understand more of why helium balloons float, let’s look at the next line down on the chart that is drawn in red. Here you see the symbols C, N, and O.

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 6

! Does anybody want to guess what atoms those letters stand for?

So while our own star, the sun, is squeezing hydrogen into helium, other stars called “Red Giants” are squeezing helium into carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. And they burn hot and bright too.

! Are carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen heavier atoms than hydrogen and helium?

Yes. Let’s all take a deep breath in . . . . and out . . . .

! What did we breathe in? [oxygen]

We also breathed in a lot of nitrogen, which is invisible, too. But unlike oxygen, which we absolutely depend on, our body doesn’t use nitrogen directly from the atmosphere. So we also breathed out the same amount of invisible nitrogen as we breathed in.

! What else besides nitrogen did we breathe out? [carbon dioxide]

Carbon dioxide is sometimes called “CO2” because it is a molecule made of one atom of carbon plus 2 atoms of oxygen.

! Now, if all animals breathe in oxygen, and all animals breathe out carbon dioxide,

! Why doesn’t the atmosphere lose all its oxygen and fill up with carbon dioxide?

! Answer: Plants

Yes! Plants do exactly the opposite of animals! They breathe in carbon dioxide and they breathe out oxygen! That keeps it all in balance! What a wonderful planet this is!

! Okay, so yellow stars like our sun squeeze hydrogen into helium. And Red Giant stars elsewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy squeeze helium into carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

! So what kind of star creates all the rest of the atoms on this chart?

! Answer: Supernova stars!

! Who thinks they might know the actual name of any of the heavier atoms down on the lower part of the chart? Those are the elements created by supernova stars . . .

NOTE TO TEACHER: Use the 1-page list of elements to identify the types of atoms for yourself. Decide whether you want to give clues (or begin saying the first syllable) of each element to help them guess each atom, or whether you ask for volunteers to research each of the elements and report back later in the week on their name and where on Earth we find that element and how it is used.

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 7

PART 3: We Are Made of Stardust!

So all these chemical elements were made inside of different kinds of stars.

! Do you think you have these chemical elements in you?

Yes, you are made of atoms that the Universe created inside of ancient stars who lived, and died, and exploded what they created long, long before you were born. So you are made of little pieces of stars! Scientists and others like to call those little pieces of stars “Stardust”. That’s a lovely name: stardust!

So let me ask you this:

“What are you BREATHING right now?” [stardust!] “What are you WEARING?” [stardust!] “What is this BUILDING made of?” [stardust!] “What is your BRAIN made of?” [stardust!] “What did you EAT for breakfast?” [stardust!] “What did you POOP out yesterday?” [stardust!]

ACTIVITY: CHOOSING THE NEXT BEAD (STARS)

TEACHER DIRECTIONS: Pass around the sock with the Star beads in it. Let the kids know if all the beads are the same. If there are a variety of beads, then instruct the kids to choose a bead by feel — no peeking!

ACTIVITY: ADDING THE NEW BEAD TO THE STORYBOARD

TEACHER DIRECTIONS:

1. Stay in circle and ask for a volunteer to go to the circle center to the Storyboard Storage Box and one-by-one pull out a Storyboard and read aloud the name. Ask for another volunteer to carry each Storyboard to its owner.

2. When all Storyboards are handed out, instruct the kids to go to a table or stay on the floor to tape their bead onto their storyboard: their choice.

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 8

CRAFT ACTIVITY TEACHER DIRECTIONS: ETCH SCRATCHBOARDS

Distribute the black scratchboards created the prior week. Extras should have been made for any kids who missed that class and/or newcomers. Make sure their are implements for etching galaxies and stars into the scratchboards and sticky glitter to serve as “stardust” to add to the etchings.

AT CLASS END: Request children to put their storyboards into the storage box.

“So what event will we be doing next week?” . . . . [look at list]

Did anyone volunteer today to research a question and report back next week [or later this week]?

TEACHER NOTE: For Closing Song, if you have forgotten the tune, click here to listen to AUDIO.) http://thegreatstory.org/audio/child-of-the-universe.mp3

CLOSING SONG

I am a child of the Universe.

You are a child of the Universe.

We are all one.

My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/14/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 3! page 9