Introduction

You write freelance articles for a high school science fan club magazine.

This magazine has many middle school readers as well.

A middle school student asked the question of the month:

How can we possibly know so much about stars? All we can see in the largest telescopes are dots of light. Please explain what technologies scientists use to study stars. (I know a great deal about stars from reading online (Internet) encyclopedias. So, please only explain how scientists figured 'all that out'.)

Thank you.

You have to write an article that answers this question. Your article will be read by middle and high school students.

The Task

Write an article that explains how we are able to know so much about stars, even if all we can see when we lookd at stars are just dots of light.

The Process and Resources

Suggested research approach

Find several articles dealing with the properties of stars.

Read these articles.

• Basic Properties of Stars
• The Observed Properties of the Stars
• Determining properties of stars
• How properties are determined for stars.

Where these articles just briefly mention the names of technologies used to study stars, write the names of these technologies down.

Research these 'star-studying technologies' further.

Make notes of the scientific techniques, tools and equipment used.

Study these techniques furhter too.

Write your short article by summarizing what you have learnt.

Standards Addressed

Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy

The Physical Setting - The Universe - Grades 9 through 12

• Increasingly sophisticated technology is used to learn about the universe. Visual, radio, and x-ray telescopes collect information from across the entire spectrum of electromagnetic waves; computers handle an avalanche of data and increasingly complicated computations to interpret them; space probes send back data and materials from the remote parts of the solar system; and accelerators give subatomic particles energies that simulate conditions in the stars and in the early history of the universe before stars formed.

• A great variety of radiations are electromagnetic waves: radio waves, microwaves, radiant heat, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, x rays, and gamma rays. (how can these radiations be used to study stars?)

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Education
Chapter 123. Subchapter D. Exploratory, High School § 112.48. Astronomy.

(B) identify the characteristics of stars such as temperature, age, relative size, composition, and radial velocity using spectral analysis

Profiles of Technology Literate Students (Grades 9-12)
National Education Technology Standards

• Routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for research.
• Select and apply technology tools for research.

During this WebQuest you learned:

• How to do scientific research.
• How to write scientific articles for a science magazine.

This WebQuest can be assessed using scientific essay rubrics.

The research process could also be assessed.

Here is a list of assessment rubrics

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