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Nuclear Chemistry: Opening Activity

Intro

Nuclear Chemistry Project

From your assignment sheet: 

"When changes in matter and energy occur, people must investigate the outcomes both intended and unintended."

 

Introduction

“Nuclear chemistry is the most powerful and misunderstood topic in chemistry. The mention of the word nuclear puts most people in fear and their first and sometimes only picture is that of a nuclear explosion.  What comes first to your mind when the term nuclear chemistry is brought up? Are the bomb, nuclear power, and radiation poisoning the only things nuclear chemistry has to offer?”

Purpose: This project will allow you to understand many aspects of nuclear chemistry while also working with your classmates to determine your stance on a specific use of nuclear chemistry in our world.

There are many applications of nuclear chemistry today, for this project we limit the scope to the following topics:

  • Medicine: Treatment or Diagnosis
  • Reactors: Energy
  • Scientific analysis: Radioactive Dating 
  • Criminal Investigation

Holbert, Keith. “Nuclear Reactor.” AccessScience, McGraw-Hill Education, June 2019.

ATLs

Self Management  Research            
  • Plan short- and long-term assignments; meet deadlines
  • Use appropriate strategies for organizing complex information
  • Select and use technology effectively and productively
  • Collect, record and verify data
  • Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and make informed decisions
  • Make connections between various sources of information

 

Opening Activity

  1. Independently:
    • Write for five minutes, informally. Think about what you've learned through the essential questions assignments in class (the Google Forms). Do not look up any information; instead, use this time to "brain dump" what you know AND ask questions about what you'd like to know.
      • What do you already know about Nuclear Chemistry? 
      • What questions do you have? What are your curiosities? What do you need to know? 
  2. Give One, Get One:
    • Select an item to share with your classmates, either something you know OR something you need to know relating to this topic.
    • Face one another, in two lines, and follow the librarian's directions.

    • Listen to one another as you move through this activity; you will have the opportunity to speak to half of your classmates.

  3. Independently, return to your original writing and add to your thinking. What did you learn? What do you still need to know?

  4. As a group, discuss which KEYWORDS are important for this topic. List them on your own paper. 

So What? How does this activity relate to your assignment? 

Nuclear Radiation

A Geiger counter is used to measure radiation at the Tajoura nuclear research center in Tripoli.
(Everett Collection Inc/Alamy)
This image may be used for personal, non-commercial purposes only.
Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2016 Gale, Cengage Learning

Source Citation

Source Citation   (MLA 8th Edition)
"A Geiger counter is used to measure radiation at the Tajoura nuclear research center in Tripoli." World of Forensic Science, edited by Sara Constantakis, 2nd ed., vol. 2, Gale, 2016. Gale In Context: Science, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3630687109/SCIC?u=jwrobinson_e&sid=SCIC&xid=97bd60cc. Accessed 3 May 2023.

Gale Document Number: GALE|PC3630687109