9th Grade Earth Science

There are many cycles throughout the universe.

1. Stars condense by gravity out of clouds of molecules of the least massive elements until nuclear fusion of the lower mass elements into heavier ones begins to occur. Fusion releases great amounts of energy over millions of years. Eventually, some stars explode, producing clouds of heavy elements from which other stars and planets could later condense. (AKSci - A.3)

Examples of What Students Should Be Able to Do:

• Predict the relative stage in respect to a star's life cycle, given the characteristics of the star.
• Conduct research, organize information, and present findings that describe the cycles of stars.