Activity 2A.1: Examining Examples
Global Climate Change
Brochures
Climate Change. The NEED Project. http://www.need.org/content.asp?contentid=84
Climate Change: NOAA National Weather Service. www.weather.gov/om/brochures/climate/Climatechange.pdf
Poster
Global Warming. RLM Arts. www.rlmarts.com/products/posters/health-environment/p820.html
Web-based computer game
Climate Challenge. www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/climate_challenge/
Video
Climate Change (approximate length 2 minutes). www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7OOzgdHfA
Note: A great many sources of information incorrectly explain the science behind the “Greenhouse Effect.” Looking at media about global climate change is a good opportunity to encourage your students to be critical consumers of information.
Activity 2B: Sources of Science Information
Examples of Science Sources for Class Discussion in Activity 2B
News articles
Irradiation could curb food illnesses. Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/11/nation/na-greens11
Promise Seen for Detection of Alzheimer’s. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/health/research/24scans.html
Editorial, blog post, or other opinion pieces
The Food Irradiation Plot. Natural News. www.naturalnews.com/023015_food_foods_USDA.html
Going Nuclear: A Green Makes the Case. The New York Times. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401209.html
Don’t let politics drive a nuclear-waste decision. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/18/AR2010071802520.html
Information from a governmental, educational, or advocacy organization
Nuclear Weapons. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. http://www.wagingpeace.org/issues/nuclear-weapons/
Radon. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.gov/radon/
Recommended Online Information Sources for Student Projects
General Information Relevant to All Project Topics
Nuclear Physics. HyperPhysics. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuccon.html
Biological Effects of Radiation. Nuclear Reactor Concepts Workshop Manual, U.S. NRC. www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/teachers/09.pdf
EPA Radiation Protection: Health Effects. www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/health_effects.html
Natural and Man-Made Radiation Sources. Nuclear Reactor Concepts Workshop Manual, U.S. NRC. www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/teachers/06.pdf
Category 1: Radiation in Everyday Life
Topic 1A: Irradiated foods
Irradiation of Food. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/irradiation_of_food/
Food Irradiation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodirradiation.htm
Irradiated Food and Packaging. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/IrradiatedFoodPackaging/default.htm
Backgrounder: Food Irradiation. Food Marketing Institute. www.fmi.org/media/bg/foodirradiation.pdf
Irradiation could curb food illnesses. Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/11/nation/na-greens11
Topic 1B: Radon
Radon. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. www.epa.gov/radon/
Radon and Cancer: Questions and Answers. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/radon
Effects of Exposure to Radon Gas. United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. www.unscear.org/docs/Radon-distrib.pdf
How Radon Works. HowStuffWorks. http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/tips/radon.htm
Category 2: Nuclear Energy
Topic 2A: Nuclear power plants
Nuclear Energy. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/nuclear-energy?8a
Going Nuclear: A Green Makes the Case. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401209.html
Nuclear Reaction: Why Do Americans Fear Nuclear Power? Frontline, WGBH Educational Foundation. www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/
Topic 2B: Cold fusion
New Cold Fusion Evidence Reignites Hot Debate. IEEE Spectrum. http://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/new-cold-fusion-evidence-reignites-hot-debate
A Tempest in a Test Tube, 10 Years Later. The New York Times. http://partners.nytimes.com/library/national/science/032399sci-cold-fusion.html?scp=3&sq=cold%20fusion&st=cse
Cold Fusion Is Hot Again. 60 Minutes. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/17/60minutes/main4952167.shtml
Category 3: Scientific and Medical Applications
Topic 3A: Radioactive dating
Mystery of the First Americans: The Dating Game. Nova. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/first/radiocarbon.html
Carbon Dating. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/science/topics/carbon_dating/
Radioactive Dating. Hyperphysics. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/raddat.html
Topic 3B: Radiation therapy for cancer
Radiation Therapy for Cancer. National Cancer Institute. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation
Radiation Therapy. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation
Radiation Boom. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/us/series/radiation_boom/index.html
Topic 3C: Nuclear medicine
General Nuclear Medicine. RadiologyInfo.org. www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=gennuclear
Health Guide: Isotope Study. The New York Times. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/isotope-study/overview.html
https://www.asrt.org/patients/learn-about-exams
PET scan. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003827.htm
Radiation Boom. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/us/series/radiation_boom/index.html
Category 4: Nuclear Legacy
Topic 4A: Nuclear weapons
Nuclear Weapons. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/atomic_weapons/index.html
Race for the Superbomb. American Experience. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/index.html
Nuclear Weapons. USA Today. http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Nuclear%20Weapons
Nuclear Weapons. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. www.wagingpeace.org/menu/issues/nuclear-weapons/
Topic 4B: Long-term nuclear waste disposal
Nuclear Waste. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/nuclear_wastes
Yucca Mountain. The New York Times. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/nevada/yucca-mountain
Don’t let politics drive a nuclear-waste decision. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/18/AR2010071802520.html
Half-Life: The Lethal Legacy of America’s Nuclear Waste. National Geographic. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/static-legacy/ngm/0207/feature1/index.html
Nuclear Waste Disposal. Nuclear Energy Institute. www.nei.org/keyissues/nuclearwastedisposal/