Energy Needs with Radioactive Decay
Students investigate how different radioisotopes can be used as a source of alternative energy.
Overview
Students investigate how radioisotopes can serve as alternative energy sources, starting from the familiar case of burning fossil fuels. In a candle-and-jar model, they examine carbon dioxide in a closed system and the conservation of mass. They then model radioactive decay with a penny decay lab and discuss nuclear energy in a Socratic seminar. Students research a baseline source, fission or fusion, and an isotope of interest, then write a paper evaluating the reliability of solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass, and nuclear energy. The unit closes with a rubric and a hit, miss, and wish reflection. The plan allots one 50-minute period each to Engage and Explore and four 50-minute periods (two weeks) each to Explain and Elaborate.
Lesson Objectives
- Investigate how different radioisotopes can be used as a source of alternative energy.
Standards
NGSS · 6
- HS-ETS1-3Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- HS-PS1-7Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.
- HS-PS1-8Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.
- HS-ESS3-2Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.
- HS-PS4-4Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.
- HS-PS4-5Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.*
CCSS Math · 2
- HSS-MD.A.1(+) Define a random variable for a quantity of interest by assigning a numerical value to each event in a sample space; graph the corresponding probability distribution using the same graphical displays as for data distributions.
- HSS-CP.B.9(+) Use permutations and combinations to compute probabilities of compound events and solve problems.
CCSS ELA · 3
- W.9-10.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- W.9-10.7Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- W.9-10.8Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.