• Identify uses and sources of nuclear energy
• Explain the events of the Three Mile Island partial nuclear meltdown
• Organize, display and interpret data
• Write to persuade by using supporting arguments with detailed evidence,
  examples and reasoning
• Use the Internet to gather information
• Use PowerPoint to organize data and create visual displays

Per class

• Computer with Internet access
• VCR and monitor or Compact Disc player
• Video projection device
• Meltdown at Three Mile Island video
• Assorted Poster board and markers if not using PowerPoint

Per student team/group of 3-4

• Computer with PowerPoint software installed

Per Student

• Explain it to Me  (View)
• Let's Take a Look  (View)
• Nuclear Assessment Rubric  (View)
• Nuclear Assessment  (View)
• Nuclear Pretest and Answers  (View)
• Viewing and After Viewing Activities & Answers  (View)
• Who Did it Affect?  (View)
• Your French Pen-Pal  (View)

• Atom - The smallest part of an element that still has all properties of that element.
• Background Radiation - Radiation that comes from natural sources and is always present in the environment. Average annual dose of background radiation for an American is 360 millirems.
• Chain Reaction - When neutrons produced from one fission event cause another fission event to occur. A continuing series of these reactions takes place inside a nuclear reactor.
• Fission - The process of splitting a heavy atom into two or more lighter atoms. The process generates a large amount of energy.
• Mrem (millirem) - A unit of radiation dose that measures the amount of damage to human tissue due to the dose.
• Radiation - a natural energy traveling in the form of waves or particles, i.e. microwaves, radio waves, X-rays, sunlight. Radioactive materials are made up of atoms that contain excess energy and give it off as radiation, a natural process.

Set-up Directions:
To prepare for this day's activities the teacher will need to have available copies of the
Nuclear Pre-test, Viewing and After Viewing Activities and the video "Meltdown at Three
Mile Island".  The teacher should be sure to have the video cued and ready to go when
the students arrive.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:

The success of this series of activities depends heavily on the teacher's ability to motivate
and engage students in this opening day's activities.  The Nuclear Pre-test can serve as a
good engagement piece; however, it would be best to begin with some inquiry based
questioning and class discussion.

The teacher could begin by asking "How is the electricity that powers this school
generated?"  "What options are available to produce electricity?"  Then list the class
generated options on the board.  "Are all of these options available in our state?"  "Which
do you feel are not available in our area?"  "Are there any on the list that cause you
concern for the environment or your health?"  "Which ones?"  "Why?"  "Who decides
which energy carrier will be used in your area?"

Activity 1 - Class Discussion

Details as described above.
Once the brainstorming and sharing of ideas has quieted, focus the class by stating that
for the next several days you will be focusing on nuclear energy.  Ask students again to
generate a class list of what they know about nuclear energy and its uses.  Do not indicate
whether or not any of the items listed are correct or not. 

Distribute the Nuclear Pre-test and allow students time to complete this pre-assessment. 
Review the Nuclear Pre-test as a class and discuss the many ways nuclear energy touches
everyone's lives. This activity will both assess student's prior knowledge as well as
interest them in the topic.

Activity 2 - Meltdown at Three Mile Island Video

The teacher should show the video Meltdown at Three Mile Island using the Viewing and
After Viewing Activities as a guide for media focus. The transcript of the video could be
printed out from the following website if the video is not available.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/three/filmmore/transcript/index.html

 

Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/ or information to
identify during or after viewing of video segments, Websites or other multimedia events.
The focus for media interaction for this video is for students to record the mechanical and
human causes, the potential danger and the eventual conclusion of the event.
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
PLAY the video when Mike Pinket, the reporter says, "It started in the pre-dawn hours
with a simple plumbing breakdown." STOP after he says, "One operator recalled that the
console was "lit up like a Christmas tree." Students should record the mechanical and
human causes of the accident at Three Mile Island.  FAST FORWARD to where Bob
Long, the supervising engineer says, "By early morning, the exposed part of the core was
beginning to cook." PAUSE after he says, "No one in the control room could see that
Three Mile Island was hurtling toward meltdown." Students should record the potential
danger that the mechanical and human errors had caused. FAST FORWARD to when
Mike Gray says, "The designers of the plant down in Lynchburg could not get through
under any circumstances." STOP when Walter Cronkite says, "There was no apparent
serious contamination of workers...." Students should record the conclusion of the
accident.
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
After viewing the video allow the students time to complete Part II of the Viewing and
After Viewing Activities handout.  If time permits the teacher may want to allow several
students to share their thoughts in response to each question.

Wrap Up:

The teacher should bring closure to the lesson by revisiting some of the original
discussion questions.  For example, "Does anyone have concerns about nuclear energy as
a power source?"  "How do you feel about nuclear energy uses in general?  And in
specific for energy production?"  The teacher will use informal assessment of the
classroom activities and ask students to interview at least 1 adult before the next class
about their memories or feelings during the Three Mile Island incident.

Transition to the next day's activities will be to pick up on student's thoughts and
individual feelings (and their interviewees thoughts) by exploring some of the facts
surrounding nuclear energy historically and today.

Set-up Directions:
Prior to Day two's activities the teacher needs to arrange for a computer lab or to have
computers available in the classroom.  If this is not available then the teacher should print
out copies of the necessary pages from the Internet sites so that student's can complete
the tasks from their desks.  If using the computers, you should bookmark the Internet
sites listed in the Internet sites section.  Be sure to have copies of Let's Take a Look! and
Who Did it Affect? available for each student.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Minimal presentation or motivation is required for this day's activities, as students will
investigate the facts surrounding nuclear energy in their pairs.  The teacher should act as
a coach or guide by asking inquiry based questions to engage students in their exploration
process.

Activity 1 - Let's Take a Look!
In this activity, students will learn where nuclear reactors are located in the United States. 
They will identify the name and location of the reactor nearest to them and hypothesize
why location may have been an important factor in the Three Mile Island scare.

Activity 2 - Who Did It Affect?
In this activity students take a look at the major players in the Three Mile Island incident
as it unfolded.  From the President of the United States to a local reporter, students will
consider the varying perspectives on March 28, 1979.  Following the Internet evaluation
of 7 of these Major players in the TMI incident the students will be asked to choose one
of the roles as the one they would most liked to have had on March 28, 1979.  Further, 
they must describe their biggest concern surrounding the incident.

Wrap Up:
With the remaining time in the class period students should be encouraged to share and
communicate their thoughts on nuclear energy.  Have they changed since the day before? 
Would some of the facts they have learned today make them more or less comfortable if a
nuclear facility was planned for their community?  The worksheets from the day's
activities can be collected and evaluated though the final score for the worksheets will be
included in the Final Assessment Rubric completed following the 5 day study of nuclear
energy.

Set-up Directions:
Prior to the day's activities, the teacher again needs to have available a computer lab or
schedule library time for research.  In addition a projector needs to be available for the
PowerPoint presentations. If students are not using PowerPoint, poster board and markers
need to be available. The teacher should bookmark all of the Internet sites listed in the
resources and make enough copies of Explain it to Me! for each student.

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Begin class by asking students if they feel they have enough information about nuclear
energy and radiation.  The teacher could use a KWL format to assess what students
already know after two days of investigation and what they still feel they want to learn. 
Explain that in order for the class to acquire all of the information they still need, the
class will be divided into research teams, assigned by the teacher.  Each team will
investigate one topic related to nuclear energy and present their research findings to the
class.

Activity 1 - Explain it to Me!
In this activity students will be divided into research teams to investigate topics
associated with nuclear energy.  Students will use the Internet to gather data and read for
information.  Then they will prepare a presentation (PowerPoint if the teacher so chooses)
to communicate their findings with the rest of their class.

Activity 2 - Presentations and Discussions
During Day 4 students will present their findings to the class.  Following each
presentation the teacher should allow for discussion and a question/ answer period so that
students can share their thoughts and feelings on the issues presented.  The teacher may
need to facilitate these discussions by posing the first question.  Students should take
notes on each presentation.  The discussions may include a quick summary or wrap up of
the pertinent information presented.  Accommodations could be made for students who
need help taking notes by providing a graphic organizer.

Wrap Up:
The teacher could wrap up the lesson by returning to the KWL chart from the previous
day and having the students complete the what they learned portion of the chart.  Again
students should be asked has their viewpoint on nuclear energy changed?  Why or why
not?

Set-up Directions:
Prior to the lesson the teacher needs to obtain enough copies of Your French Pen Pal and
the Nuclear Assessment for each student.  The day's tasks will be completed individually,
though student discussions should be permitted. 

Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
The teacher really needs to emphasize the differences between the French and American
standpoints on nuclear energy use.  The teacher should highlight the fact that 77% of
France's electricity is generated from nuclear sources.  Why would this be?  Why do the
French people accept nuclear so readily and Americans approach it apprehensively?

Activity 1 - Your French Pen-Pal
Students should read the letter from their French Pen Pal and then complete the questions
which follow.  The teacher should act as a coach and allow students to share ideas
amongst one another.  It should be noted  that there are more than three reasons why the
French have chosen nuclear energy and there is more than one correct answer as to why
Americans agree or disagree with those points.  What the students are expected to do is
defend their reasons for each comparison.

Activity 2 - Nuclear Assessment
This is the culminating assignment to the 5 day unit.  Students will be asked to use a
concept map to synthesize all that they have learned in the past 4 days.  Then they will
use that map as a pre-writing tool to help focus their thoughts when writing a response to
their French Pen Pal's letter and answering the overall challenge question which is why
haven't any new nuclear reactors been ordered in the United States?

Wrap Up:

Have students assemble all of their work from the 5 day unit and evaluate themselves
using the Nuclear Assessment Rubric.  Once completed and collected, ask students to
informally give their opinion on nuclear energy by having them stand at their seats and
use their right arm as a nuclear temperature scale.  In other words if they strongly agree
with the statement you are about to make they should hold it up high and if the disagree
they should place it by their side.  If they feel they are in the middle somewhere then they
can rate their opinions somewhere in the middle.

Ask if a nuclear power plant was to be built in your town would you be in favor of it?
Ask if they feel the incident at Three Mile Island prevents them from wanting to use
nuclear energy.
Ask if nuclear energy has an impact on their daily lives.
Etc.