Interactive Models

What Elements are in Your Body?

Overview

This interactive guides students through exploring how stars create the elements that make up the universe and life itself. Students will be able to identify the key elements in their bodies that were created from exploding stars.

The image displays the periodic table and is color coded by the origin of each element - Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Divona Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/K. Divona

Materials Required

Resources Needed Per Student:

Link to "What Elements are in Your Body?" Interactive Slide Deck

Resources Needed Per Group:

Computer/Tablet
Internet Access
Link to the "What Elements are in Your Body?" Interactive Slide Deck - Link

Directions

Remember to never look directly at the Sun without proper safety equipment.

Use the slide deck to complete the activity.

Open the "What Elements are in Your Body?" Interactive Slide Deck.
Use the slides in edit mode in order to manipulate the slides.

Teacher Note

Teachers who are interested in receiving the answer key, please complete the Teacher Key Request and Verification Form. We verify that requestors are teachers prior to sending access to the answer keys as we’ve had many students try to pass as teachers to gain access.

This product is supported by the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT), part of NASA's Science Activation portfolio.

Supported NGSS Performance Expectations

MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
HS-ESS1-1: Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the Sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the Sun’s core to release energy that eventually reaches Earth in the form of radiation.
HS-ESS1-2: Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe.
HS-ESS1-3: Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements.
HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Learning Objectives

Students be able to identify the key elements in their bodies created in stars.
Students will be able to describe how massive stars create the elements that make up the universe and life itself.