Teacher Guide Grade Level Intermediate, grades 6-8
Time Approximately 10-20 45-minute class periods or less, depending on the activities selected
Science Notebooks This curriculum is designed to be used in conjunction with science notebooks. Experimental questions, procedures, sample data tables, and conclusion questions are provided. If you do not use notebooks in your classroom, students may require paper for recording data and conclusions. If you use notebooks in your classroom, your students may choose to incorporate the activity sheets into their notebooks.
Online Resources See page 22 for a list of informative and interactive websites that support this content.
& Background This is an integrated curriculum designed to teach students about the use of uranium as an energy source.
2 Preparation Familiarize yourself with the activities and information contained within the guide. Select the activities that will be most appropriate for your students. Gather any materials you will need for the activities you select. A materials list can be found on page 5.
Activity 1: Introduction Objective Students will be able to describe uranium’s role in the process of generating power.
Time 1 class period
Materials Think, Learn, Question (TLQ), page 43 Nuclear Energy Bingo, pages 20-21, 74 Student informational text, pages 24-41 Culminating project rubric, page 19 (optional)
2Preparation Make copies of the informational text and worksheets for each student.
Procedure 1. Give students 3-5 minutes to brainstorm what they know about nuclear energy, and some questions they may have. When students are done, take two minutes and let students share their thoughts with a partner, then have a class discussion for students to share their thoughts. 2. During the discussion, write students’ thoughts on the board or chart paper. Students may try to correct each other’s misconceptions during the conversation. Allow this discussion to take place. However, if there is something that remains in dispute, do not correct the misconception yourself, but make note of it and add it to the question section. Let students know that they should be looking for supporting evidence for their ideas and answers to their questions in the coming days. 3. Play Nuclear Energy Bingo as an introduction to the unit. 4. If you are going to have your students participate in the mock nuclear power plant hearing, introduce the culminating project to your students and assign roles to students to take on as they learn about nuclear energy. Encourage students to analyze information from the viewpoint of their assigned character. Throughout the unit students should also conduct outside research to prepare for their presentation at the hearing. See pages 18 and 68-69 for more details about the hearing. You may also give students the rubric for assessment ahead of time. 5. Assign students to read the informational text. As students read, they should keep notes on key points and facts. This can be done in their notebooks, or using the TLQ handout. Students can complete the reading during class time or as homework, depending on your preference.
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Energy From Uranium
www.NEED.org
