Annie Jump Cannon discovered 300 variable stars and five novae.  She also divided 350,000 stars into groups which she determined by their temperature. 

http://www.twu.edu/dsc/jump_cannonI.htm

Picture Courtesy of Wellesley College 

TEKS Objective References:

§112.22.b.13.A (Science 6th Grade).The student knows components of our solar system. The student is expected to identify characteristics of objects in our solar system including the Sun, planets, meteorites, comets, asteroids, and moons.

§112.24.b.13.A. (Science 8th Grade). The student knows characteristics of the universe. The student is expected to describe characteristics of the universe such as stars and galaxies.

Helpful Web sites:

Teaching Resources:

Interactive Applet of Variable Stars.  This animation shows binary stars in their orbit. Click here.

List of Children's Books about Astronomy:  These books could be used to incorporate literacy into an astronomy unit. http://www.kidscosmos.org/resources/books.html#sub1.  

• The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto by Elizabeth Rusch
• Comets, Stars, The Moon and Mars by Douglas Florian
• How the Moon Regained Her Shape by Janet Ruth Heller
• Pieces of Another World by Mara Rockliff
• Next Stop Neptune by Alvin Jenkins

• Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmes