Unit 1: Nuclear Energy
Organizing Theme: Understand nuclear energy and nuclear explosions.
Primary Phenomenon: Nuclear energy production
Learning Targets
Use appropriate chemical terms, equations and models:
Chemistry Skills
Online Text: OpenStax Chemistry Atoms First
Chapters and sections:
Sequence
Vocabulary
Chapter 2 sections 2 and 3 here
Interesting articles
Portable anti-neutrino detector for nuclear surveillance? here
Additional Homework Problems
Atoms
Nuclear
Primary Phenomenon: Nuclear energy production
Learning Targets
Use appropriate chemical terms, equations and models:
- to explain nuclear decay.
- to explain a nuclear melt-down and nuclear explosion.
- to explain how carbon dating works.
- To explain how elements larger than hydrogen came into existence
Chemistry Skills
- Be able to identify the components of an atom
- Be able to describe Rutherfords gold foil experiment
- Be able to write isotopes in symbolic notation
- Be able to use the periodic table to identify elements and average atomic mass
- Be able to classify alpha, beta and gamma decay reactions
- Be able to predict products of a decay reaction
- Be able to explain ½ life and how it is used to date objects
- Be able to describe instruments used to determine radioactivity
- Be able to explain the birth of non-hydrogen elements
- Be able to explain the differences between fission and fusion
Online Text: OpenStax Chemistry Atoms First
Chapters and sections:
- Chapter 1: sections 1,2,3
- Chapter 2: sections 1,2,3
- Chapter 20: sections 1,2,3,5,6
Sequence
- Make an ice-bath
- Freeze water
- Scientific method (slides)
- Experimental Design (Groupwork)
- Fact / Hypothesis /Theory / Law / Belief (activity)
- Theme introduction (slides,reading)
- Chemical vs physical changes and atomic structure (lab, slides)
- Isotope simulation (here)
- Daltons atomic theory / Rutherford reconstruction video
- Simulation on Atoms, if needed (free here)
- Practice isotopes (here and here)
- Nuclear Instability / radioactivity activity (slides)
- Radioactivity (slides)
- Radioactivity decay simulation (here)
- Practice radioactive decay reactions (here, here and here)
- Nuclear boy scout (video)
- Lab on radioactivity (demo or student)
- Average atomic mass (groupwork, practice)
- 1/2 Life (intro video, calc video, questions, practice)
- DIY-lab-demo (clock)
- Radiodating (slides w/embedded video)
- Fusion (slides)
- Culminating Project: Careers Poster or Radioisotope Poster and Gallery walk/presentation of poster (rubric)
- Practice test (practice)
- Skills test
Vocabulary
Chapter 2 sections 2 and 3 here
Interesting articles
Portable anti-neutrino detector for nuclear surveillance? here
Additional Homework Problems
Atoms
Nuclear