1. The Question

1
1. The Question

• Given the chance to start from the beginning,
  would nuclear power be the best long term energy
  system possible?

Nuclear Power Plant photo (above) taken from
http//www.brukeroptics.com/applications/nuclear_p
ower.html Oversized Rooster picture taken from
http//website.lineone.net/jean.cheesman/humour.h
tm
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Lesson designed by Nicole Stewart at West
Bloomfield High School/Oakland University, 2004
2
2. The Task
Imagine that you are a military engineer. The
United States has been asked to help a 3rd world
country establish a thriving economy in an
undeveloped, relatively wild part of the world.

Some of the ways their new community might
generate power are coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric
power, geothermal power, nuclear power, solar
power, and wind. Your supervisor has already
indicated her desire to implement nuclear power
as the main energy source. However, you are
worried about the way the world will receive that
information due to general anxiety in the world
regarding anything nuclear. In order for you to
develop the final plan for submission to the
White House, you need to research the pros and
cons of using nuclear power to be sure it is
truly the best choice.
Photo from http//www.ckddiz.cz/images/jader1.jpg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
3
3. The Student Activity

• Research nuclear power. Below are three sites
  that will provide you with information concerning
  nuclear energy. Site 1 contains general
  information explaining nuclear power. Site 2
  discusses the positives. Site 3 contains more
  negative comments.
• Site 1
• http//people.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm
  
• Site 2 http//www.aboutnuclear.org/view.cgi?f
  CElectricity,Benefits__Effects
• Site 3
• http//www.nukewatch.com/pathfinder/20041spring/p
  4debunking.html

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4
4. Assessment

• Write a paper taking a stand either for or
  against the use of nuclear energy. Defend your
  stand based on your research.
•   

How will I be graded on my essay?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
5
5. THE RUBRIC
NUCLEAR POWER POSITION PAPER
RUBRIC INTRODUCTION Includes brief introduction
to nuclear power. (10 points) Introduces your
position and has 3 points either positive or
negative about nuclear power that helped form
your position. Body of Paper 3 paragraphs
explaining each piece of evidence (the above
3 (30 points) points) from your
introduction. Conclusion Repeats your position
and summarizes your evidence. No (10
points) new evidence is introduced
here. Bibliography Even though I have provided
websites for your research you (5 points) still
must properly document all facts that you
use. Grammar and Spelling You will lose 1
point for every 2 errors. If there are more
than 20 errors you will not receive
credit. Plagiarism This will result in a zero
and immediate referral to administration.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
6
6. On the home front

• We currently use nuclear power for about 15 of
  the electricity in the US. All energy sources
  produce waste in some form. What do you think
  should be done with the leftover nuclear waste
  produced at the nuclear power plants that we do
  have?

Read the 2001 Detroit News article below, written
by Kimberlee Kearfott, Professor of Nuclear
Engineering and Radiological Sciences, Biomedical
Engineering, and Radiology at the University of
Michigan. How do her ideas impact your
assessment? http//www.detnews.com/2001/editorial/
0111/12/a09-341229.htm
http//www-personal.engin.umich.edu/kearfott/
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7
7. Standards Benchmarks

• Science
• Strand II, Content Standard 1 All students
  will analyze claims for their scientific merit
  and explain how scientists decide what
  constitutes scientific knowledge how science is
  related to other ways of knowing how science and
  technology affect our society and how people of
  diverse cultures have contributed to and
  influenced developments in science. (Reflecting
  on Scientific Knowledge)
• h.5. Evaluate alternative long range plans for
  resource use and by-product disposal in terms of
  environmental and economic impact.
• Language Arts
• Content Standard 1 All students will read and
  comprehend general and technical material.
• h.1. Use reading for multiple purposes, such as
  enjoyment, learning complex procedures,
  completing technical tasks, making workplace
  decisions, evaluating and analyzing information,
  and pursuing in-depth studies.
• Content Standard 2 All students will
  demonstrate the ability to write clear and
  grammatically correct sentences, paragraphs, and
  compositions.
• h.1. Write fluently for multiple purposes to
  produce compositions, such as stories, poetry,
  personal narratives, editorials, research
  reports, persuasive essays, resumes, and memos.
• NETS Standards
• 5. Technology research tools - Students use
  technology to locate, evaluate, and collect
  information from a variety of sources.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8
8. Teacher Tips

• Review websites and make sure they are still
  active and appropriate.
• Discuss what a good essay looks like as well as
  how to do citations.
• Review rubrics. Will they work for you as is or
  do they need modification?

Photo from http//www.matchtech.com/power-nuclear
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
9
9. Bibliography

• How Stuff Works http//people.howstuffworks.com/nu
  clear-power.htm
• Detroit News Article http//www.detnews.com/2001/e
  ditorial/0111/12/a09-341229.htm
• American Nuclear Society http//www.aboutnuclear.o
  rg/view.cgi?fCElectricity,Benefits__Effects
• Nukewatch Pathfinder http//www.nukewatch.com/path
  finder/20041spring/p4debunking.html
• Nuclear Power Kid http//www.internal.schools.net.
  au/edu/atom/awardone/images/image012.gif

Photo from http//www.brukeroptics.com/application
s/images/head/nuclear_head.jpg
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9