Day One
Introduction to Radioactive Decay issues in our Society:

• What are your views on nuclear technologies and issues?- Slideshow, reflection and freewrite.
• What information / understanding do you need in order to make informed decisions concerning these issues?- Small group and class discussions
• Types of Radioactive Decay
• Student Depictions of Nuclear Radiation / Decay

Day Two
Student Activity and Exploration of Prior Knowledge:

• Writing Nuclear Equation
• Decay Series Activity: Put the Decay Series in Order
• What Do You Know about Half-life?- Small Group Activity
• Half-life research projects assigned.

Day Three
Library Research:

• Half-life research projects

Day Four
Computer Laboratory:

• Introduction to Computer Modeling and STELLA

Day Five
Computer Laboratory:

• Gathering and Analyzing Decay Data using the Dice Activity
• What does Half-life mean?
• How does our physical model approximate Rutherford's data and observations?

Day Six
Computer Laboratory:

• One Step Decay Model
  • Comparison of how half-life affects population over time
• Begin Two-Step Decay Series Model

Day Seven
Computer Laboratory:

• Complete Two-Step Decay Model
  • Examine differences of isotope population in light of half-life
• Examine Internet Decay Series Models

Day Eight
Wrap-Up:

• Discuss trends and what was learned about the effect of half-life on decay.
• Discuss strengths and weaknesses of modeling.
• Review / Questions about Final Assessment
• Anonymous Student Feedback on Unit
• Final Prep for Presentations

Day Nine
Project Presentations:

• Student Presentations of Half-life Research Projects
• Student Freewrite about Radiation, Radioactive Decay, Modeling and Half-life

Unit Feedback

Wheat Ridge High School

9505 West 32nd Avenue

Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033

Phone: 303-982-7695

Fax: 303-982-7696

Home page: http://holland.wrhsonline.org/