Lesson: What's Wrong With Nuclear Power, Anyway?
What's Wrong With Nuclear Power, Anyway?
A Student Debate on the Pros and Cons of Generating Nuclear Power
Written by Martha C. Phelps-Borrowman
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E-Mail: mborrow@cs.rice.edu
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Background:
For many years now, the production and use of nuclear energy has
been both praised and condemned as a source of electrical power for our daily living. This lesson will give students the opportunity to find out the reasons for the conflict of opinions in our society. They will also gain experience in utilizing the Internet to locate sources of information for their research, analyze the reliability of the sources, practice organizing the information they collect, form a spreadsheet for comparative data, and take part in a debate of the issues.
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Nuclear Energy Related Sites List
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Grade Level:
Middle School-High School (Could be adapted for other grade levels.)
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Time Requirements:
Teacher Preparation Time will vary, however, the activity is primarily student conducted, therefore would normally require a minimum of teacher prep time.
Student Time approximately 2 weeks depending on length of class periods.
Week 1 for research, development of spreadsheet, and
preparation of arguments and visuals for use during the debate.
Week 2 for conducting the debate, holding class discussions, evaluating,
and bringing closure to the activity. Depending on the time length of
class periods, the objectives and preferences of individual teachers,
or the grade level of students, the total time for completing the activity
may vary. I am basing my approximation on 85 minute class periods.
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Materials Needed:
Internet Connection
Paper and Pencil
Computer program with a spreadsheet application
Various materials for producing visuals for the debate
Guidelines for debate
Scoring Rubric for assessment
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Student Prerequisites:
Students should have some knowledge of locating information on the Internet.
Students should have some knowledge of how to construct a spreadsheet.
The debate would be facilitated with more ease if the students have prior knowledge of participation in a debate. However, this could be their first attempt. Have patience!
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When To Use This Activity:
This activity could be used as an introduction or as an extension for any of the topics listed below, as well as many others. It could also be easily adaptable to any science, technology, and society issues that are going on in our world or, more importantly, close to the area where the students live.
Energy Production
Alternative Forms of Energy
Atomic Structure
Nuclear Fission
Nuclear Fusion
Electricity (How does a light bulb work? What causes short circuits?
Alternating and Direct Current? Parallel and Series Circuits? etc.)
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National Science Education Standards
Activity Components
Table of Contents
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Activity Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to enable students to become more familiar with the pros and cons of the production and use of nuclear energy through their research of Internet sources. They will become familiar with the multitude of opinions surrounding science, technology, and society issues. Their knowledge of the Internet, the available information, and how to access and evaluate that information will be increased.
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Objectives
- to carry out research using Internet sources
- to analyze the validity of sources
- to organize data
- to develop a spreadsheet
- to produce graphs of comparative data
- to take sides on an issue and develop arguments and visuals to support that side
- to take part in a debate of the issue following appropriate debate procedures
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Activity Procedures
- Start a 10-15 minute discussion with students by asking,"What have you heard about nuclear energy?" Have student scribes write comments on the board or overhead transparency.
- Present the activity to the class by explaining that they will use the Internet to conduct research on nuclear energy.
- Divide class into groups of 4-5 students each.
- Explain that there are many differing opinions about this topic and that each student group will draw a position opinion (from several provided by the teacher). They will take this position on the production and use of this form of energy for research and debate.
- After doing their group research, they will take part in a class debate of the issues. Each group will argue for their position and against all others. Students need to know this before actually beginning their work.
- Go over remainder of tasks before actually having the students begin. When everything has been covered, you then might want to have them generate criteria for a scoring rubric. If not, your criteria for assessing this activity should be covered.
- Provide groups with a list of some specific questions to research for putting into spreadsheet form to be used for some comparisons of data. Some examples are: When did the first nuclear power plant receive a license to supply power to citizens? How much power was released during it's first year? How many nuclear power plants were in operation 5 years later? How much combined power did they supply? How many were in operation after 10 years? Fifteen years? etc. Which state now has the most plants in operation? Use your own ideas for this section.
- Have students begin their research by using Alta Vista (an Internet search engine). They will enter a word or phrase to begin their search (perhaps Nuclear Energy or Nuclear Power).
- Assist student groups in designing a plan to organize their data.
- After research is completed, facilitate groups in designing a spreadsheet for their comparative data. Have groups generate graphs based on criteria that you provide. An example might be: How has the production of power by nuclear plants varied over the years?
- Begin students on writing out their points for debating their position and develop any visual aids they want for the debate.
- Conduct the class debate. Invite other teachers, parents, and/or administrators, to see the hard work of your class. They could serve as the judges of the debate, along with a visitor/s from the local power company. This will emphasize the importance that you put on the activity.
- Carry out any class discussion you feel is needed.
- Conduct evaluation using the scoring rubric. You might let the students do a self-evaluation and you do one as well. They could average these two assessments for a final grade on the project.
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Activity Assessment
Assessment types may vary for this activity depending on the particular objectives. I prefer to use a scoring rubric. I ask the students to help design this rubric by illiciting students' input as to what would constitute an A project, B project, etc. I always add my criteria at that time if not covered by someone in the class.
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Alternative Assessment Related Sites List
Gender Issues
Conduct a poll of female versus male opinion concerning the use of nuclear power plants for generating electricity for the public.
Research the number of females working in jobs dealing with nuclear power and/or other jobs dealing with generating electrical power.
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Gender Equity Related Sites List
Extensions
Invite a speaker from the power company in your town. The power company should have lots of information on nuclear power plants.
Conduct a student poll of opinions at your school about nuclear power.
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This lesson is always being added to, however, this present form is extremely worthwhile and useful. Please send any helpful suggestions or comments to
mborrow@cs.rice.edu.
Return for more links to sites where students can locate information on nuclear power, a form for evaluating the sites, more links on alternative assessment in science, and information on the National Science Education Standards.
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© 1996 Martha C. Phelps-Borrowman. Copy and use freely with credit to Martha C. Phelps-Borrowman.
This page was developed through
GirlTECH '96,
a teacher training and student technology council program sponsored by
the
Center for Research on
Parallel Computation (CRPC), a
National
Science Foundation
Science and Technology Center.
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