Imagine your high school physics teacher has forwarded you a student email. The
tenth grader asks:
• What is the Sun made of? How does it shine, what powers it, and how long will
it last?
• Do all stars work like that? If so, why do they appear to have different colors? And I read somewhere that we are all made of stardust – what does that mean?
Please write a thoughtful response pitched at the level of a smart high school student.
Your letter should answer all the questions above, while reading as a coherent whole.
Make sure you avoid jargon, explain your terminology, and set a good example by
citing your sources. Aim for 1000 words (800 to 1200 words) please include a hand-
drawn figure that helps answer one or more questions.
