UNIT TITLE: Nuclear Physics

Grade Level/Course: 11th Grade (10th grade Honors) Physics

Five, 60-minute class periods

Stage 1 – Desired Results

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS and TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
(Big ideas, concepts, and themes – metacognitive, non-cognitive, life)
 Nuclear Energy has advantages and disadvantages.
 All sources of Nuclear Energy are from either Nuclear Fusion or Nuclear Fission.
 All radioactive objects will eventually lose their radioactivity.
 Mathematical models can use exponential lines to measure real changes in
nature.

KEY ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

 How does Nuclear Energy impact us?
 What can we use Nuclear Energy for?
 How long do objects remain radioactive?
 What can you measure with exponential lines?

STATE STANDARDS/Established goals:

SP6. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about nuclear changes of matter
and related technological applications.
a. Develop and use models to explain, compare, and contrast nuclear processes
including radioactive decay, fission, and fusion.
b. Construct an argument to compare and contrast mechanisms and characteristics of
radioactive decay. (Clarification statement: Include alpha, beta, and gamma decays and
their effects.)
c. Develop and use mathematical models and representations to calculate the amount of
substance present after a given amount of time based on its half-life and relate this to
the law of conservation of mass and energy

OBJECTIVES:
Years from now, students will be able to…
 Seek safety precautions around sources of Nuclear Radiation.
 Effectively compare Nuclear Fission to Nuclear Fusion in future Physics’ related
coursework or in discussions about Nuclear Power outside of the classroom.
 Explain to others that Nuclear energy is not green glowing material that exists
only in weapons and in funny looking power plants that will immediately render
you sterile if you get within 100 miles of it but rather a source of energy that
affects you daily and can even be found in common household items.
 Interpret exponential lines on a graph to identify changes in properties

Stage 2 – Primary Assessment Evidence

Pre/Post Assessment:
 The preassessment will be presented as a quiz consisting of having all four
key essential questions as open-ended questions. The preassessment will also have
six fill-in-the-blank questions. The six questions will assess if the students know what are
the three sources of atomic radiation, which nuclear reaction powers Nuclear
Reactors and which nuclear reaction powers the Sun and what effect causes
particles to lose radioactivity over time.

The post assessment may be best done on a poster. The assessment will ask for
the same four essential questions. The assessment will ask for students to draw each
of the three types of nuclear radiation and draw and label a unique corresponding
material that can effectively shield against that type of radiation. Students should
also draw Nuclear Fusion and Nuclear Fission in the post-assessment in the context
of what it can do. A creative drawing of half-life decay with a definition will also be
requested.
As this unit will extend beyond five days, the post assessment will be given outside
of the scope of this assignment.

Some key formative assessments (formal or informal)

 The pre-assessment
 Practice Problem Worksheet comparing alpha and beta radiation
 Exit ticket comparing Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiation
 Informal observations of individual students working on the Balloon model
of Nuclear Fission and a resulting chain reaction
 Group project: Build your Fallout Shelter
 The Helios Video Game assignment
 Diagram model of Nuclear Fusion
 Student-created definitions of Half-Life in the Alpha and Beta decay labs
 Informal observations of individual students working on the Model of Half-
Life and radioactive decay using Pennies
 Exit ticket on Half Life Decay in exponential line graphs
 Informal observations of individual students working on the worksheet on
Half-Life (the worksheets themselves are done as a group)
 Exit ticket on smoke detectors and Half-Life

Note:
A clipboard may be used at the teacher’s discretion on informal observations to
observe if learning objectives are being met for that day. The clipboard may be
omitted of the teacher has a good memory or decides that the clipboard would be
seen as threatening to students. If the clipboard is used, the teacher should reassure
students that the information recorded on there is only for the benefit of the student
and does not affect their grades.

Summative Assessments:

A traditional quiz will be administered on the opening of day six.

The quiz will feature the following:
 Three Multiple-choice questions that compare the three sources of
radioactive decay regarding what kind of particles they give off
o A follow up free-response question will ask what readily available
items, besides lead, can prevent all three kinds of Nuclear Radiation
(+1 Bonus point if the item is a common household object).
 Two multiple-choice questions where a student must decide of the reaction
taking place is Nuclear Fusion or Nuclear Fission
o The two questions should not be basic chemical reaction diagrams
(A+B makes C) but they do not need to reflect complex Nuclear
Reactions.
o Solid examples to pick from are the fusion of two Helium-3 molecules
to Helium-4 and the Fission of Thorium-232.
 Three half-life diagrams where students must identify at what times will the
remaining material be at 50% and then at 25% by filling in blank information
on a graph.
 Students will only need to estimate the amounts left at half-life and at 25%
o Estimations should be within the marked boundaries along the y-axis
of the graph
o The half-life formula will be included and 2 bonus per graph will be
offered if the half-life calculation is included (no need to calculate for
25% to get the credit)

Limited on summative assessments?

At this time in the school year, a teacher may need more summative assessments to
meet local requirements. If so, upgrade the Build your Fallout Shelter project to the
level of a Summative assessment by doing the following:
 Move the deadline to the end of the five-day period for students complete the
shelter.
 Set a rubric where the project must be submitted as a presentation,
 The Balloon model persuasion exercise will remain in place as a formative
assessment on Day Two
 The presentation should include the following items that students will need
to research:
o What types of radiation are omitted from a Hiroshima style fission
bomb blast and in what doses will these types of radiation hit the
shelter.
o Can the shelter withstand a blast from a fission bomb blast from 5
km?
 Students must justify their answers with the materials they use
and how they block each of the different doses of radiation that
are estimated to occur at that level.
 The instructor may need to help student calculate those doses
or at least offer estimated values at the beginning of the
assignment.
 o Bonus questions could request calculations on half-life and on what
are acceptable amounts of radiation to expose yourself to if you must
leave your shelter after a blast.

Depending on the depth of material of Day 6, a unit test will be given on either Day 7
or Day 8. New content to be covered on the test will include more questions about
Nuclear technology and the stretch objective listed under the objectives.

Student Self-Assessments:

Students should start a reflective journal at the beginning of the unit based
around the question: Do I believe Nuclear Energy is worth the risk? The student can
turn in the self-assessment for a formative grade at the end of the unit if they
include the following:
 Their initial belief in the question with a supporting argument.
 What the student learned about Nuclear Energy in the context of the question
through the unit.
 Did their overall belief in question change and why or why not?

Objective* Day(s) How Assessed

Identify the differences between alpha, beta and gamma Practice
decay 1 Problem
Worksheet, Exit
ticket
Students identify precautions that can be made against all 1-2 Exit ticket,
three kinds of radiation. Group project
Compare Fusion to Fission 3 Diagram
Models
Measuring half-life decay from exponential graphs and 4-5 Lab
models Assignment
Observations.
Exit Tickets for
both days 4 and
5
Measuring half-life decay from the Half Life formula 5 Worksheet
assignment
Observations,
Exit Ticket
Stretch Objective: Measuring half-life decay from the 5* Exit Ticket
combination of a Half Life formula and from a Half-Life graph

*List every objective, then the day or days you will explicitly teach that objective, and then
how exactly you will assess each student on each objective.

*This objective will need to be assessed by Day 6 at the latest but an advanced class should
be able to perform this objective by the end of Day 5.

Stage 3 – Learning Experiences

Day 1
Resources Needed:
 Pre-assessment
 Radiation Rays: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYDil96NR5Q&ab_channel=Kurzgesagt
%E2%80%93InaNutshell
 PhET interactive Lab assignment: Alpha Decay. Link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/alpha-decay
 PhET interactive Lab assignment: Beta Decay. Link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/beta-decay
 PBS Physics in Motion Video: Unit 7: Nuclear Physics, Segment A: Radioactive
Practice Problems Worksheet, Link:
https://www.gpb.org/sites/default/files/2020-
05/unit_7a_practice_problems.pdf
 Exit ticket comparing Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiation

Unit Standard:
 SP6 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about nuclear changes of
matter and related technological applications.
o b. Construct an argument to compare and contrast mechanisms and
characteristics of radioactive decay.
Learning Outcomes/Objectives
Students will know how or be skilled at….

1. Distinguishing the three types of radioactive decay based on what particles

are emitted from atoms as they become isotopes.
2. Identify that lead can effectively block all three kinds of radioactive decay.

Today’s EQ:
 How long do objects remain radioactive?

Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:

Who knows what and how will I know?
 The Pre-Assessment will measure student’s’ depth of understanding on the
essential questions, the basic nature of how Nuclear Fission and Fusion, and on
some practical, ‘real-world’ applications of Nuclear Energy.
 Practice Problems Worksheet: Radioactive Decay will measure if students
understand which particles are emitted in Alpha Radiation and which are
emitted in Beta Radiation.
 Exit Ticket: Comparing Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiation will measure what
particles are being measured in each source of radiation and if students can
identify a key material in blocking all forms of radiation.

Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:

 The instructor will provide brief oral feedback on the free response questions on
the pre-assessment during the work session with individual students. If the class
size is more than 15 students, the feedback will be given via email.
 The instructor will offer feedback on the worksheet assignment when it is
turned in. Students are actively encouraged to complete the worksheet in class
to receive immediate oral feedback from the teacher.

Lesson plan with labels and time stamps

Common labels:
 Pre-Assessment…10 minutes
o The preassessment will be given either online or in a paper quiz format.
This ‘quiz’ will be taken individually and submitted to the teacher.
 Discovery…..10 minutes
o Introduce the students to the PhET Alpha and Beta Decay labs. Show the
class how to go over the controls.
o Write down and verbally inform students that they should go through
each nucleus that can be chosen in both labs to see what happens to each
atom over time. Does the atom change? Does the atom send off a particle
when it does? What is that particle leaving the atom each time?

 Work Session….35 minutes

o Direct the class to the whiteboard for direct instruction.
 Draw and briefly describe an example of alpha particle emission
and one of beta particle emission.
 Draw and briefly describe gamma ray emission using the example
of Cobalt becoming Nickel.
o Show the class the video on Alpha, Beta, and Gamma radiation (5
minutes) so that they can ‘observe’ the three forms of radioactive decay
and what can be used to block these sources of radiation.
o Students, working alone, should complete a practice problem worksheet.
Students should use the labs presented earlier to help complete the
questions and should turn in their work individually.
o Towards the end of the work session, assign any incomplete worksheets
as homework and require that the worksheet be turned in by the end of
the next class period.
 Review…..5 minutes
o If the journal for student self-assessment has not been assigned to the
class yet, the teacher should at the beginning of this review period.
o Assign an exit ticket that asks:
 Match each source of radiation to what particle is being omitted.
 Which of the following can effectively block all three forms of
radiation? Answer: Lead.

Repeat for each additional day

Day 2
Resources Needed:
  PhET interactive Lab assignment: Nuclear Fission
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/cheerpj/nuclear-physics/latest/nuclear-
physics.html?simulation=nuclear-fission
 At least 11 balloons,
o 2 relatively large balloons to represent uranium-235.
o 4 relatively medium sized balloons to represent the daughter Nuclei
o 5 small balloons to represent Neutrons
 Clipboard with names of each student in class (encouraged but not required
if the teacher has an excellent memory for student responses)
Unit Standard(s):
 SP6 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about nuclear changes of
matter and related technological applications.
o a. Develop and use models to explain, compare, and contrast nuclear
processes including radioactive decay, fission, and fusion.
o b. Construct an argument to compare and contrast mechanisms and
characteristics of radioactive decay.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives
What students will know or be able to do at the end of the period that they probably
couldn’t do when they walked in. During this period, you will…

1. Demonstrate with a model that Nuclear Fission occurs when particles

collide and emit Nuclear Energy as a byproduct.
2. Demonstrate with a model how Nuclear Fission creates a chain reaction
that releases tremendous energy.
3. Identify at least three ‘common household’ materials and how thick they
would need to be to block all three kinds of radiation. (Lead is excluded.)
4. Achieve all of the above goals under an emergency scenario situation,
where time and presenting information in a persuasive format

Today’s EQ:
 How does Nuclear Energy impact us?
 What can we use Nuclear Energy for?

Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:

Who knows what and how will I know?
 The Fallout Shelter group project will first measure what a student, as an
individual contributor, identifies as three effective materials to block alpha, beta
and gamma radiation. The student must also share how much material, in terms
of thickness, should be present to prevent all three kinds of radiation. The
constraints are that these materials must be found, in realistic quantities, in most
households. Lead is not considered to be a common household object. The
teacher will identify these materials each student contributed to their team by a
paper assignment turned in before students can form their groups to draw a
Fallout Shelter.
 Informal observations will be made of individual students during the balloon
model exercise. Students will be working in groups but the teacher should
identify areas for praise and areas for gentle correction.
o Critical information can be recorded on the clipboard as needed.
o Critical information would include individual students sharing
misconceptions about Nuclear Fission and creating models that are
fundamentally wrong.

Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:

 Formal written feedback will be provided to what individual students contribute
as effective materials to build the fallout shelter and when they draw both the
example of Nuclear Fission and a Chain Reaction.
 Informal oral feedback will be given to students who, contributing as part of a
group, either make a particularly effective balloon demonstration or a
particularly poor balloon demonstration.

Lesson plan with labels and time stamps

Common labels:
 Warmup….5 minutes
o The lesson will begin with an imaginary scenario where a Nuclear Missile
has been released from the imaginary hostile country of
StudentProcrastinatia (or SP for short). Students will need to rely on their
past skills of how to calculate projectile motion to determine how much
time they will have to build a Fallout Shelter before the missile strikes.
o Students will form groups and will remain in them unless specified
otherwise for the rest of Day 2.
 Discovery….8 minutes
o A report comes in from a spy working undercover in SP: The missile will
create a Fission reaction upon detonation.
o The teacher informs the students that they will need to explore the lab on
Nuclear Fission as the next step to survive the incoming strike. (For
reasons that will soon be clear. )
o While exploring the fission lab, students will be asked, both orally and in
writing, to observe what is happening to the uranium when the neutron
first makes contact with the initial atom of uranium, and then to observe
a chain reaction of 1, 50 and 100 nuclei of U-235 atoms.
 Process….45 minutes
o The teacher then informs the class that they need to create a fallout
shelter not only big enough for the class but also for individuals in a
nearby nursing home.
o The individuals in the nursing home should be persuaded to join the class
in the shelter.
 The members of the nursing home can be convinced by the class
to join are convinced that the student know what they are talking
about. Given that several members of the community have hearing
challenges, the students will need to work in groups using
 balloons to demonstrate how Nuclear Fission and Chain Reactions
occur to that community (which will consist of the teacher and any
other adult volunteers).
o After successfully demonstrating how Nuclear Fission and Chain
reactions occur. Students will take a break from their groups to do the
following as individuals:
 Draw a model of Nuclear Fission of one U-235 atom.
 Draw a model of a Nuclear Chain Reaction of three U-235 atoms
undergoing Nuclear Fission together from a starting Neutron.
 Look up and write down three materials you can use to build a
Fallout Shelter (see Means of collecting data for details).
o Assemble students back into their groups.
o Assign each group to build their Fallout Shelter. The shelter only can use
material that can be found in a ‘typical household’ and assembled based
on the time limit calculated in the warmup stage earlier in the day.
o The instructor should expect a lot of questions from students on what the
true limits to build a shelter within the time limit and the instructor
should be open to embracing creative approaches. Many effective and
creative approaches exist and allowing them to flourish will present
an opportunity for students to explore options on this important
topic.
o Each group will submit their fallout shelter.
 Review….2 minutes
o The instructor should explain to the class that having only one class
period to quickly design a shelter reflects the reality of finding or making
emergency shelters. Many disasters happen on short notice and it is a
fundamental skill to quickly identify your best means of survival. (The
teacher can briefly share a personal but relevant story about this
experience if the instructor has been in this situation and if time allows.)
o The class will then be dismissed.

Day 3
Resources Needed:
 PhET interactive Lab assignment: Nuclear Fission
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/cheerpj/nuclear-physics/latest/nuclear-
physics.html?simulation=nuclear-fission
 Helios-A video game simulating Nuclear Fusion in the Sun:
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/helios-game/en/
 Fission and Fusion: Teacher’s Pet Youtube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqlj4_4hcgU
 Optional: 1 Poster Material with 2 makers for each student (You do not need
this if you want students to turn in their drawn model using their own class
supplies (paper and pencils) they should have as defined by the Syllabus).
 Article: How Nuclear Bombs Work
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-bomb.htm#pt5
Unit Standard(s):
 SP6 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about nuclear changes of
matter and related technological applications.
o a. Develop and use models to explain, compare, and contrast nuclear
processes including radioactive decay, fission, and fusion.
o b. Construct an argument to compare and contrast mechanisms and
characteristics of radioactive decay.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives
What students will know or be able to do at the end of the period that they probably
couldn’t do when they walked in. During this period, you will…
1. Using a computer simulation or other appropriate model, create at least one
complete Nuclear Fusion Reaction that occurs in daily life.
2. Model a complete Nuclear Fusion Reaction independently.
3. Contrast the Chemical Reaction process of Nuclear Fusion to Nuclear
Fission*

*In an ideal world, Students will recall this process from their Chemistry
class, but experience suggests that this contrast is not distinguished
properly with most students.

Today’s EQ:
 How does Nuclear Energy impact us?
 What can we use Nuclear Energy for?

Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:

Who knows what and how will I know?
 The warmup activity can provide more data that the instructor can view to
discern if students can recognize a chain reaction from Day 2.
 The teacher will actively monitor student progress on the video game Helios by
walking around the classroom during that time. Understanding will be partially
measured in how many Helium-4 molecules will be created but considerations
should be made for students who struggle with technology.
 The instructor will immediately assess student drawings and examples of
contrast between Nuclear Fusion and Fission as students turn in their project.

Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:

 Provide feedback to students who turn in their warmup activity without
mentioning chain reactions by writing down feedback directly on the
assignment. Encourage them to go back and redo the activity on their own time
to spot the chain reaction.
 Informal personal feedback can be offered to individual students struggling to
get the required number of Helium-4 molecules after several attempts.
 Quick, informal feedback will be given to individual students on their drawing of
Nuclear Fusion and their contrasts between Nuclear Fusion and Fission.
Students must be able to distinguish between the two at a chemical reaction
level as that is the fundamental difference between the two processes.
Lesson plan with labels and time stamps
Common labels:
 Warmup….10 minutes
o Students will face the following scenario: Due to impending budget cuts,
the local nuclear plant has been asked to not order a new set of control
rods. Students working alone, by consulting the Nuclear Reactor section
of the PhET simulation lab of Nuclear Fission that was explored on Day 2,
should make a brief case as to why delaying a new set of control rods is a
horrible idea. (Think Chain reaction and/or Temperature!)
o Students should turn in their case to the teacher on paper.
 New information….20 minutes
o Provide direct instruction on Nuclear Fusion
 First draw an example of Nuclear Fission to help contrast the two
different processes.
 Then draw Nuclear Fusion by drawing the fusion of Deuterium
and Tritium (isotopes of Hydrogen) to create products of Helium
and Energy as well as a Neutron byproduct. Verbally guide the
class through this chemical process.
 Instruct the class to copy both drawings to their notes and to leave
room to contrast the two processes together.
 Inform the class that the Neutron will prove to be quite useful
when they need to make Fusion later on in class today!
o Show a video contrasting Nuclear Fusion with Nuclear Fission
 Students should take an active role and write down 5 differences
between Nuclear Fusion and Nuclear Fission. These contrasts
should go in their notes for comparisons between the two
processes.
 Work Session…..20 minutes
o Instruct the class to play Helios on their computers. Students should go
through the tutorial. The object of the game is create Nuclear Fusion in
the Sun by using the Nuclear Fusion process of combining hydrogen to
make Helium-3 and then Helium-4.
 Encourage students to get final score higher than 8 (a score of
eight means that you made eight Helium-4 molecules in two
minutes from Nuclear Fusion).
o Each student will also need to briefly draw a model reaction of Nuclear
Fusion that occurs in the Sun and list what makes this reaction unique
from a Nuclear Fission reaction.
 Students share their model and what they believe are the
contrasts between Nuclear fusion and Nuclear fission with the
instructor for immediate feedback
 Closure….5 minutes
o Have students finish today’s lesson by reading an article on How Nuclear
Bombs work to answer the following question: Why would a Hydrogen
 Bomb, which is produced by Nuclear Fusion, need not only deuterium and
tritium but also typically Uranium?
o The answer is that Uranium is needed to start Nuclear Fission, which in
turn creates an explosion with a high enough temperature to start off a
Fusion reaction.
o The instructor will hint that this concept of high temperatures will come
up when we discuss Nuclear technology on Day 6.

Day 4
Resources Needed:
 PhET interactive Lab assignment: Alpha Decay. Link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/alpha-decay
 PhET interactive Lab assignment: Beta Decay. Link:
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/legacy/beta-decay
 One bag of 10 pennies per student group (aim to have 100 pennies on hand
as needed depending on class size)
 Students should provide their own paper and pencils
 One poster with 3 markers per student group (typically four students)
 Clipboard with names of each student in class (encouraged but not required
if the teacher has an excellent memory for student responses)

Unit Standard(s):
 SP6 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about nuclear changes of
matter and related technological applications.
o b. Construct an argument to compare and contrast mechanisms and
characteristics of radioactive decay.
o c. Develop and use mathematical models and representations to calculate
the amount of substance present after a given amount of time based on its
half-life and relate this to the law of conservation of mass and energy.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives
What students will know or be able to do at the end of the period that they probably
couldn’t do when they walked in. During this period, you will…
1. Provide a definition of half-life based on simulated lab data.
2. Construct a model of particles undergoing half-life
3. Track the decay of half-life by creating a graph of an exponential curve.
4. Identify the point of half-life in the exponential curve of the graph as a
percentage of remaining material.
5. Identify the time half-life occurs in a typical half-life graph.

Today’s EQ:
 How long do objects remain radioactive?
 What can you measure with exponential lines?

Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:

Who knows what and how will I know?
 Optional: The instructor will be able to confirm if students do know what the
three forms of radioactive decay are. The data can be ignored if the first exit
ticket confirmed that students
 The discovery stage response will provide how the individual student defines
half-life from data.
 The exit ticket will provide data on if students can identify where exactly the half
life mark is reached on an exponential graph and identify the corresponding
time for that same graph. This will be measured in two situations.
 Informal observations will be made of individual students actively working on
the half-life model. This information can be recorded on the clipboard as needed.
o Are individual students struggling with the steps in exercise?
o Are individual students drawing non-exponential graphs?
o Are individual students sharing misconceptions with students?

Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:

 Students will receive written feedback on their responses to the warmup and
discovery stages as the work session ends.
 Students will be assessed on the exit ticket and the ticket should be handed
back to them at the beginning of class on the next day.

Lesson plan with labels and time stamps

Common labels:
 Warmup…5 minutes
o Open with the question What are the three forms of radioactive decay?
o Answer: Alpha, Beta and Gamma
o Students will want to record down their answer but will wait till the end
of the discovery stage before submitting their response to the teacher.
 Discovery… 10 minutes
o Students working alone will want to go back briefly to the Alpha and
Beta PhET simulations to look for a term called half-life.
o Students will run several simulations of the 10 particles in each
simulation and will pause the simulation when Half-Life is reached.
 Students should count for many isotopes have been converted.
 If half of the isotopes have been converted, the student should
raise their hand.
 Some students may require assistance with technology.
o The teacher will ask students to define half-life based on what they
observed from both laboratories.
o The students will then both turn in their definition of half-life and their
answer to the warmup at this time.
 Work session…..40 minutes
o The instructor will then ask students to create a model of half-life using
pennies and a poster.
o The instructor will direct students to form groups for the work session.
 o During most of the work session, the instructor will review student
answers to the warmup and discovery stage questions.
o The instructor will ask each group to collect a bag of 10 pennies and to
record the results on an x-y graph from using their poster material. The y-
graph should be the value of pennies and the x graph should be the value
of trial runs.
o For the first trial run, students will want to record 10 pennies at the trial
run of zero.
o Each group should shake up a bag of ten pennies and lay them out on a
lab table.
o Pennies that show a visible face are ‘radioactive’ and will be counted and
then recorded down in the x-y graph under trial run two.
o Students should discard the ‘non-radioactive’ pennies to the side, place
the ‘radioactive’ pennies back in the bag.
o Students will shake up the bag, and again count the number of radioactive
pennies for trial run two.
o Student will repeat the process until all pennies are non-radioactive.
o Student groups will then draw a line between each trial run in the x-y
graph. The line will almost certainly be exponential by nature.
o Student groups will then need to identify when approximately half of the
10 pennies were radioactive (in other words find the best location on the
graph for when there were only 5 radioactive pennies).
o Student groups should then compare their work with other groups and be
directed to notice any changes of when the half-life moment occurred
between groups.
o The students will submit their worksheets to the teacher for group
feedback.
 IMPORTANT: The instructor must at this time correct student
groups if they incorrectly identify the location half-life occurs
on the graph.
o The teacher will then tell the students that in real x-y graphs, the x axis is
a measurement of time.
o Students will then need to label each trial run as 1 hour of time.
(Essentially, this will mean that the first trial run represents one hour, the
2nd trial run represents two hours, etc.)
o Students will clean up the experiment and proceed to the review section
of the lesson.
o Students will receive written feedback on their responses to the warmup
and discovery stages as the work session ends.
 Review….5 minutes
o Students will need to view all of the posters at the front of the class and
answer the following questions:
o When half life occurs, how many of the 10 pennies are left?
 o Between which hours does the half-life occur for your group? (Students
are encouraged to break things down into half-hours or even minutes if
needed.)
o Between which hours does half-life occur for another group?
o The instructor will request these responses on paper and ask for students
to submit them before leaving the class
o An instructor can ask students to identify a third group if needed.
o Students should turn in their responses to be assessed the teacher as an
exit ticket.
Day 5
Resources Needed:
 PBS Physics in Motion Video: Unit 7: Nuclear Physics, Segment D: Half Life
Practice Problems Worksheet, Link
https://www.gpb.org/sites/default/files/2020-
05/unit_7d_practice_problems.pdf
 1 Calculator per individual as they are needed to solve most half-life
problems in a timely manner.
 At least 1 Kidde Smoke Detector Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Kidde-Battery-Operated-Smoke-
Alarm/dp/B00PC5SPPK/ref=asc_df_B00PC5SPPK/?tag=hyprod-
20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167151128545&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=30
65347113019900680&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&
hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9010793&hvtargid=pla-306519230313&th=1
 Clipboard with names of each student in class (encouraged but not required
if the teacher has an excellent memory for student responses)
 Graph of Carbon-14 half-life decay (Link:
http://www.ricksci.com/ear/eara_carbon_dating.htm)

Unit Standard(s):
 SP6 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about nuclear changes of
matter and related technological applications.
o b. Construct an argument to compare and contrast mechanisms and
characteristics of radioactive decay.
o c. Develop and use mathematical models and representations to calculate
the amount of substance present after a given amount of time based on its
half-life and relate this to the law of conservation of mass and energy.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives
What students will know or be able to do at the end of the period that they probably
couldn’t do when they walked in. During this period, you will…

1. Share an application of how half-life using a common household object.

2. Calculate how much of a substance will remain based on using the half-life
formula.
 3. Calculate how much of a substance will remain based on using the
combination of half-life formula with the half-life value and original value of
the substance.
4. Advanced goal (situational): Students will succeed in identifying the original
value of the substance to solve for the 2nd goal listed above but from a half-
life graph instead of being given the original value. ***

*** Some students will be able to perform this goal by Day 5 and being able to perform
this ability is an objective required by the end of the unit. More robust programs of
study will expect high-school students to be able to perform this task and identifying
students who can readily perform this task is valuable to an instructor. Depending on
the ability of a student, a teacher can omit this goal for a class and move it to Day 6
instead.

Today’s EQ:
 How long do objects remain radioactive?
 What can you measure with exponential lines?
 What can we use Nuclear Energy for?

Means of collecting data/checking for individual understanding:

Who knows what and how will I know?
 The first answer of the worksheet should be answered by the students during
the warmup period in the lesson. During the work session, the teacher should
view each student’s response and make private notes identifying students who
correctly answered the question and private notes identifying students who are
not yet on target.
 The teacher will collect data from how students perform on the final exit ticket
to determine if they have met learning outcomes 2-4.
 Informal observations on how students demonstrate the learning objectives will
be made during the work session. This information can be recorded on the
clipboard as needed.
o Are individual student correctly calculating half-life in their groups?

Means of providing tailored feedback to individuals:

 The teacher should privately deliver informal feedback to students on their
responses to the first question while they are working on the work sheet during
the work session of class.
 The teacher should provide graded feedback with any comments on conceptual
errors or errors in exponential calculation for the exit ticket. Note: As the
worksheet can be done in a group setting, feedback can be provided on it but it
may not apply to just an individual.

Lesson plan with labels and time stamps

Common labels:
 Warmup… 5 minutes
o Students should be given the worksheet
o Students should answer the first question from the worksheet
  If a radioactive sample has a half-life of one month, how much of
the original sample will be left at the end of the second month and
the third month?
o During the work session, the teacher will check in with each student to
view their response and provide feedback.
o Students will be allowed to update their answers based on the feedback
and will submit their answer when they turn in the worksheet by the end
of the class period.
 Discovery….10 minutes
o A smoke alarm will be passed around the class and students will be told
that the substance is radioactive (reassure them that they will not be
harmed from the device).
o Allow students to go online to look up what makes Smoke Alarms
radioactive and why are they radioactive (The answer should be
Americium-241 and that smokes alarms use the alpha particles from this
compound to travel between two plates in the smoke detector. When
smoke enters the detector, the smoke blocks some of those alpha
particles and triggers the alarm by offsetting the electrical current.)
o Students should find the half-life for Americium-241 (answer: 432.2
years)
o Students should share what they find online with the class.
o The instructor should not expect most students to distill all of above the
information online so after allowing approximately 5 minutes of
exploration the instructor should draw a before and after diagram of the
alpha particles traveling between the two plates (capacitors) of a smoke
alarm. An instructor should expect most students to find the actual
compound and half-life of the compound in question though…
o The instructor should commend any research efforts on the part of
students.
o The instructor will write down the half-life formula
τ

o 11 τ
N ( t ) =N 0 ( )
2

2
o The instructor will ask students how long the internet say you should
replace a smoke alarm (answer should be around 10 years).
o The instructor will write down τ =10 years
o The instructor will write down τ 1 =432.2 years
2
o The instructor should then ask students how much Americium-241 is in a
typical smoke detector. (An acceptable answer is 0.33 micrograms.)
o The instructor will write down N 0=0.33 μg
o The instructor should then calculate for N(T) or N(10 years). (Answer:
0.32 μg)
o The instructor should then inform the class that this is perfect example of
how even small changes like the one observed in the problem can take
many years to occur. It may also be prudent to mention that alarms are
 changed due to issues of circuitry and not because of the radioactive
material.
 Work session…..35 minutes
o Students will be allowed to work on the rest of the half-life worksheet in
their groups of four or on their own during the work session.
o The instructor can write down and solve a problem or two on the board if
requested but students should attempt to solve most of the sheet on their
own.
o The instructor should offer feedback to students based on their answer to
the warmup question.
o At the end of the work session, students who have completed the entire
worksheet will be allowed to present their work to the instructor.
Grading will be based on accuracy.
o Students who cannot or choose not to finish the worksheet in time can
submit the worksheet before the end of the unit as homework.
 Closing…10 minutes
o Close with an exit ticket on three questions
 The first question should ask the student why the alpha radiation
inside a smoke detector will not even reach you.
 The second question asks if this makes a smoke detector a good
example of how to show how safe Nuclear Energy can be at times?
 The third question is a calculation problem:
o Pull up the graph of Carbon-14 radiocarbon dating and show it to the
class
o The instructor should disclose that the half-life is 5,730 years.
o The instructor should ask for students to find out exactly how much
carbon-14 you should find in a 12,000 year old sample if the sample had
3000 grams of radioactive material when it was 10,000 years old.
o Students can check their answer against what the estimates appear to be
on the graph but should try to aim for an exact amount.
o Students are allowed to assume that only 30% of the original material
remains after 10,000 years. If students work backwards from that value,
3,000 grams becomes 10,000 grams
o The answer will be 2341.91 grams of Carbon-14 after 12,000 years.
o If needed, a teacher can omit the graph of Carbon-14 and just provide the
original amount of 10,000 grams. By the end of Day Six however, a
student should be able to combine all of these tasks to solve this kind of
problem.

Congratulations! You made it to the end of my

unit design.
On the last page below is a cute dog picture for
your trouble.