X-ray Spectroscopy and
the Chemistry of Supernova Remnants

Chandra Image of G21.5-0.9

A Series of Lesson Plans by Allie Hajian and Maggie Masetti (NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD) Rick Fowler (Crossland High School Temple Hills, Maryland) Angela Page (Hyattsville Elementary School Hyattsville, Maryland)

Students will read and write about the chemistry and spectroscopy of stars and supernova remnants, as well as understand their relevance and impact on human life. Students will also learn about cutting edge technology that will help us to build better instruments with which to study the Universe.

Each section has several pages of background material relevant to the associated activities and the lesson plan as a whole. The background sections include short exercises or thought questions developed to help the student reach a better understanding of the material presented. Each section also has activies developed by real teachers - designed to bring important concepts in astronomy right into the classroom. Each activity is correlated to national science and math standards for grades 9 - 12. These activities show how interelated chemistry, physics, and astronomy really are.