Student groups are given captioned photographs of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant facility and surrounding towns taken before and 28 years after the 1986 disaster. Based on the captions and clues in the images, they arrange them in sequential order. While viewing the completed sequence of images, students reflect on what it might have been like to be there, and ask themselves: what were people thinking, doing and saying at each point? This activity assists students in gaining an understanding of how devastating nuclear meltdowns can be, which underscores the importance of responsible engineering. It is recommended that this activity be conducted before the associated lesson, Nuclear Energy through a Virtual Field Trip.

This activity is a learning game in which student teams are each assigned a different energy source. Working cooperatively, students use their reading, brainstorming, and organizational skills to hide the identity of their team's energy source while trying to guess which energy sources the other teams represent.

In this activity, students explore what types of energy resources exist in their state by examining a state map and data from the Energy Information Administration. Students identify the different energy sources in their state, including the state's renewable energy potential.

The students participate in many demonstrations during the first day of this lesson to learn basic concepts related to the forms and states of energy. This knowledge is then applied the second day as they assess various everyday objects to determine what forms of energy are transformed to accomplish the object's intended task. The students use block diagrams to illustrate the form and state of energy flowing into and out of the process.

Students are asked to design a poster as an alternative to the Energy Hog ad campaign released by the DOE in 2004. Students are asked to address where our energy comes from how it is used and what might be involved in moving towards non-petroleum resources. They are directed to begin at the DOE and EIA Energy Information Agency websites but may pursue any other resources they deem necessary. This activity provides a real-world context for thermodynamic and electrochemical concepts presented in the second semester of general chemistry.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This visualization includes a series of flow charts showing the relative size of primary energy resources and end uses in the United States for the years 2008-2012.

This interactive visualization created by FRED (Free Energy Data), displays energy supply (by source) and demand (by use) for each state in the US from 1960 to 2010; forecasts through 2035 are available as well. FRED is an open platform to help state and local governments, energy planners and policy-makers, private industry, and others to effectively visualize, analyze, and compare energy-use data to make better energy decisions and form sustainable strategies.

In this activity, students will learn more about nuclear energy use in France and practice sharing their opinions using the subjunctive tense.

This is a debate-style learning activity in which student teams learn about energy sources and are then assigned to represent the different energy sources. Working cooperatively, students develop arguments on the pros and cons of their source over the others.

This activity teaches students how energy is obtained from nuclear fission and how it is used to produce electricity in a nuclear power plant. It also teaches students how some of the electricity they use is produced.

This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics; covers the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter, with an emphasis on radiation detection, radiation shielding, and radiation effects on human health; and presents energy systems based on fission and fusion nuclear reactions, as well as industrial and medical applications of nuclear science.

This course explores perspectives in the policy process - agenda setting, problem definition, framing the terms of debate, formulation and analysis of options, implementation and evaluation of policy outcomes using frameworks including economics and markets, law, and business and management. Methods include cost/benefit analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and system dynamics. Exercises include developing skills to work on the interface between technology and societal issues; simulation exercises; case studies; and group projects that illustrate issues involving multiple stakeholders with different value structures, high levels of uncertainty, multiple levels of complexity; and value trade-offs that are characteristic of engineering systems. Emphasis on negotiation, team building and group dynamics, and management of multiple actors and leadership.

Explaining some of the effects and applications of Nuclear Energy in the modern world, along with some of its pros and cons.

Students describe the basic principles of nuclear chemistry, discern between diagrams and representations of nuclear equations and processes, and use context clues to correctly categorize nuclear events.

This unit delves into the fundamental science and historical contexts to help students explore the question "How can knowledge gained from the Manhattan Project and the Hanford Site contribute using nuclear technologies to positively impact humanity in the future?."Nuclear Chemistry is a great capstone unit for a standard high school chemistry course in that it is fantastic opportunity for students to explore the crossroads between scientific knowledge and the societal implications of new discoveries. Students will have the opportunity to Delve deep into the science standards while also connecting their learning to what it means for us as a global society.

When you first think of the words “nuclear energy”, you may imagine the end of the world; nukes exploding everything, dangerous gases and chemicals filling our air. But, nuclear energy could be the exact opposite. With its power, we could potentially clean the air from OUR CO2 emissions. It would also provide clean energy that would not harm nearby environments. For now, we are not quite sure how to use the byproducts, but that is a concern that can be dealt with. When compared to other sources of energy, it is easy to see nuclear energy is the best option. This paper compares other sources of energy to nuclear energy.

Students learn about nuclear energy generation through a nuclear power plant virtual field trip that includes visiting four websites and watching a short video taken inside a nuclear power plant. They are guided by a handout that provides the URLs and questions to answer from their readings. They conclude with a class discussion to share their findings and reflections. It is recommended that students complete the associated activity, Chernobyl Empathy, before conducting this lesson; doing this assists students in gaining an understanding of how devastating nuclear meltdowns can be, which underscores the importance of careful engineering.

In this exploratory seminar, first-year undergraduate students learn the basic physics of nuclear energy and radiation, and learn to communicate their knowledge and perspective by writing a traditional Op-Ed piece. The technical content emphasizes the unique attributes and challenges of nuclear energy as a low-carbon solution as well as the peaceful applications of ionizing radiation to help humankind. The open-ended writing project combines personal creativity and technical knowledge to share important messages about science. The course employs blended learning, as students use the online course 22.011x, freely available on the MIT Open Learning Library, to learn the technical content, and meet together in person for the communication component, developing and polishing their Op-Eds.

Start a chain reaction, or introduce non-radioactive isotopes to prevent one. Control energy production in a nuclear reactor! (Previously part of the Nuclear Physics simulation - now there are separate Alpha Decay and Nuclear Fission sims.)