Unit 3.7 Nuclear Power
Original version: The importance of nuclear power and its
uses are discussed. Students' ideas, as well as scientific
theories, are presented.
Video program cues: 44:05 57:05
About nuclear power
"When I think of it, I think of a nuclear
"I know that nuclear is like real power."
"Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and emissions."
Johnson, J. (2001)' Terrorism and Nuclear Power,
'Chemical and Engineering News, Vol. 79, No. 41,
Nuclear submarine class
Michael Clarke brings Dr. Victor Smith a nuclear submarine
expert to class to lecture about real-world application
of nuclear power in fission reactors and solar fusion
Olbris, D.J.; Herzfeld, J. (1999)' Nucleogenesis! A Game
with Natural Rules for Teaching Nuclear Synthesis and Decay,
'Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp:
Crippen, K.J.; Curtright, R.D. (1998)' Modeling Nuclear
Decay: A Point of Integration between Chemistry and Mathematics,
'Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 75, No. 11,
Chemistry or physics?
"I also teach physics,
and what I tell the students is that atoms do not know that
we humans have decided this is chemistry, this is physics,
and this is biology. Atoms do whatever they do, and we study
them and once we look at the same phenomena it doesnt
matter what we call our course, the phenomena is the same.
The explanation is either logical or it isnt. So why
call the explanation physics, chemistry or biology? Because
the explanation must be the same if it is a logical explanation
of everything that weve observed. So I tell them:
Be careful with these labels: physics, chemistry and biology,
they really dont mean as much as we would like to
pretend that they do."
Duke Ellington School for the Arts, Washington D.C.
"I think that its important that
the kids see the connection between the sciences. I think
we do it a service in this country by teaching them, supposedly,
in isolation from each other and sub-divide them into all
these little niches. I think it is really important that
when we look at these things called physics, biology, and
chemistry, many times we are looking at the same thing from
different perspectives; its all interrelated. Its
all about understanding our universe and trying to make
sense out of it. Its just that chemists look at it
in one way and physicists look at it another way. And in
terms of energetics and dynamics, chemistry and physics
are so tied together, that you cannot separate them."
Thomas A. Edison High School, Virginia
Jansen-Varnum, S.A. (1997)' Our Microscopic Universe: An
Interdisciplinary Course Examining Natural Phenomena Using
Geology, Physics, and Chemistry, 'Journal of Chemical
Education, Vol. 74, No. 12, pp: 1411-1412.
to Workshop 4