COSMOS Episode 8: Sisters of the Sun Worksheet (2014)

Description

COSMOS Episode 8: Sisters of the Sun (2014) explains the vital role a group of Harvard women had in developing the first star catalog. This is a great episode showing that even in a male-dominated field, women have the same expertise and capabilities as their male counterparts. Because of Annie Jump Cannon (who was also deaf) and Cecilia Payne, we know that stars are made of mostly hydrogen and helium.

In this episode, Neil DeGrasse Tyson discusses the following topics: stellar evolution, element creation, stellar supernova, gender equality, women’s liberation, workplace equality, O-B-A-F-G-K-M spectral scale, Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, overcoming perceived disabilities, nuclear fusion, stellar ages, spectroscopy, the evolution of the sun, red giant stars, blue supergiant’s, neutron stars, pulsars, black holes, electron pressure, and stellar size limits.

This episode is appropriate for the following classes: physics, astronomy, chemistry, physical science, general science, history, sociology, or gender studies.

The runtime is 44 minutes. The video guide is designed to last an entire class, with some time left over to answer questions or facilitate a classroom discussion.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Annie Jump Cannon, Cecilia Payne, Harvard University, stellar evolution, element creation, stellar supernova, gender equality, disabilities, hearing loss, women’s liberation, workplace equality, O-B-A-F-G-K-M spectral scale, Hertzsprung-Russel diagram, overcoming perceived disabilities, nuclear fusion, stellar ages, spectroscopy, evolution of the sun, red giant stars, blue super giants, neutron stars, pulsars, black holes, electron pressure, stellar size limits.