Keep an extra unassigned spectrum (a red giant) in reserve to challenge students who finish early or reach an incorrect answer¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Besides the ten spectra given to students, facilitators hold back an eleventh spectrum of a red giant. The article explains this star "can be used in a myriad of situations," most commonly when students finish early, to ask them to verify their explanation also works with this star, or as evidence against an incorrect theory. Facilitators are cautioned against using it with very confused students, as it may confuse them more.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Facilitators must judge when use is appropriate

Constraints¶

• The article cautions against using the 11th star if the students are very confused, as it may just confuse them more

Target Learners¶

• advanced high-school students
• college students

Target Learning Goals¶

• evidence-based critical thinking
• testing hypotheses against new data

Related Strategies¶

• Use a burning-fuel analogy thinking tool to bridge data trends to stellar lifetimes and mass-to-energy conversion
• Adapt the paper-based stellar populations inquiry to large Astronomy 101 classes and test learning with and without the inquiry
• Behavioral Feedback for Correct and Incorrect Responses

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Rafelski, M., Foley, M., Graves, G. J., Kretke, K. A., Mills, E., Nassir, M., & Patel, S. (2010). Teaching Astronomy with an Inquiry Activity on Stellar Populations. ASP Conference Series. https://arxiv.org/abs/1009.5404. doi:10.48550/arxiv.1009.5404