Science Teachers Resources
Links to websites with science teacher references on radioactivity
The New Jersey Health Physics Society has a number of professionals in the field of radiation science/safety who are willing to make a presentation to your middle or high school students. They will tailor the presentations to your needs.
NUCLEAR ENERGY, "WILL I GLOW IN THE DARK?", July 1994 (GPU Nuclear with preparation by Hackettstown High School teacher - 31 pages of student info and activities - in pdf format)
ATOM, RADIOACTIVITY, NUCLEAR POWER , and RISK - downloadable Powerpoint presentation
RADIOACTIVITY - downloadable Powerpoint presentation from Tosh Ushino (ICN).
RADIOACTIVITY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS - downloadable Powerpoint presentation from NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Nuclear Engineering.
Fact Sheets
The following fact sheets on radioactivity are available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. Try using them as your worksheets for lesson plans.
- What Is Radioactive Material?
- What Is Ionizing Radiation?
- What Are the Sources of Ionizing Radiation?
- How is Ionizing Radiation Measured?
- How Do Radioactive Materials Move Through the Environment?
- How Are People and the Environment Protected From Ionizing Radiation?
- What Are the Health Effects of Ionizing Radiation?
- How Do We Assess Risk?
- Who Is Responsible for Regulating Ionizing Radiation?
- What Is Low-Level Radioactive Waste?
Lesson Plans:
The following sample lesson plans are authored by workshop participants and are available for download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format:
Topic |
Title |
Grade |
RADIOACTIVITY |
|
|
|
Radiation Particles |
7,8 |
|
Radiation is Here to Stay |
7,8 |
|
Isotopes & Radioactive Elements |
7,8 |
|
Ionizing Facts Booklet |
6,7,8 |
|
Timeline, People Behind Ionizing Radiation |
8 |
|
Radiation Concentration Game |
9 Sp. Ed. |
|
Super Heroes |
8 Sp. Ed. |
|
Radiation Sources |
6 |
|
Detecting and Shielding Radiation |
1,2,3,4,5,6 |
|
Ionizing Radiation |
5,6,7,8 |
|
Radiation: What? Where From? What Formed? |
3,4,5,6,7,8 |
|
Understanding the Atom |
4,5,6,7,8 |
|
Radioactivity, a Web Research Project (pdf) / (powerpoint) |
8,9 |
|
Modeling Isotopes |
6,7,8 |
|
Alchemy in My Life - Ionizing Radiation |
9,10,11,12 |
|
Radiation Vocabulary Concentration Game |
6 |
|
Radiation - Unknown Topics for Research |
5 |
|
Radiation Jeopardy |
5 |
|
Introduction to Isotopes |
8 |
|
Astronomical Atoms |
4 |
|
Strontium 90 – A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing |
9,10,11,12 |
|
Radiation Personality Project |
7,8,9 |
|
Testing for Radioactivity |
7,8 |
|
Time Line and Radiation |
7,8 |
|
Nuclear Chemistry and Radiation |
9,10,11,12 |
|
Radiation Poster Projects |
8 |
|
Song Review: Alpha, Beta, Gamma |
5,6 |
|
Radiation, Should I Be Afraid? |
7,8,9 |
|
Structure of the Atom |
7,8,9 |
|
The Atom in Creative Arts |
5,6,7,8 |
|
Radiation Is All Around Us |
4,5 |
|
What Do You Know About Radioactivity? |
6,7,8,9,10 |
|
Nuclear Radiation |
8 |
|
Radioactive Element CD Insert Project |
6,7,8 |
RADIOACTIVE DECAY |
|
|
|
Decay Simulation |
9,10 |
|
Observing Decay |
7 |
|
Alpha & Beta Decay Role Play |
4,5,6,7,8 |
|
Fossil Dating |
9 |
|
Radioactive Decay, The Half-Life of an Unknown Element |
9 |
|
Writing Balanced Nuclear Equations |
10,11,12 |
|
The Half-Life Relatives of Uranium and What Caused the Decay of This Radioactive Family |
6,7,8 |
|
Hands on Half-Life |
6 |
ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM |
|
|
|
Wavelengths and Frequency |
8 |
|
Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation |
6,7 |
|
Spectrum and Gamma Rays |
7 |
|
Wavelength, Frequency and Energy of Waves |
10,11,12 |
|
Electromagnetic Chart |
5 |
|
Radiation and the Electromagnetic Spectrum |
9 |
FOOD IRRADIATION |
|
|
|
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly |
7,8,9,10,11,12 |
|
You Say Potato, I Say Pota-NO |
8 |
|
Potato Lab |
7 |
|
Family Picnic |
6 |
|
Plants and Seed Production |
5 |
|
Research on Irradiating Food |
4,5,6 |
|
Compare and Contrast Pasteurization and Food Irradiation |
6,7,8 |
|
Is My School Lunch Safe? |
9,10,11,12 |
|
Pros and Cons of Irradiated Food |
4,5,6 |
|
Food Irradiation: Solution or Threat? |
10,11,12 |
|
Food Irradiation: Supermarket Sweep |
4 |
|
Food Irradiation: Consumer Acceptance |
6 |
RADON |
|
|
|
Existence Risk and Remediation |
9 |
|
Home Detectors |
9,10,11,12 |
|
Radon and Assumed Risk |
6 |
NUCLEAR POWER |
|
|
|
How a Nuclear Power Plant Works |
7,8 |
|
What is Nuclear Energy? |
8 |
|
Nuclear Fission |
7,8,9,10 |
|
Citizens in Action |
6 |
|
Coal vs. Nuclear Power |
6,7,8 |
|
Radioactivity, Nuclear reactions and the Sun (pdf) / (powerpoint) |
8 |
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS |
|
|
|
Smoking and Ionizing Radiation |
8 |
|
Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island – A Comparison |
7,8 |
NUCLEAR MEDICINE |
|
|
|
Benefits of Radioactivity in Medical Diagnosis |
6,7,8,9 |
|
Radiation Exposures in Medical Procedures |
8 |
SITING A HAZARDOUS FACILITY |
|
|
|
Wanted, A Good Home |
8 |
|
Radioactive Waste Storage |
6,7,8 |
|