Additional Resources
Teacher Notes
Assignment: Nuclear Science Vocabulary
Teacher Notes
Introductory description of the activity:
Over the course of using the nuclear forensics resources, your
students will have the opportunity to reinforce their understanding of
basic nuclear concepts and terminology. The following vocabulary
list includes terms from the science standards as well as terms used
by the media and by nuclear scientists. Consider how you would
like to use this list. Some possibilities follow.
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Student Handout
Student Handout Solution
Presentation
Nuclear Marbles Activities
Students complete the list in class to obtain their preconceived ideas and correct their
definitions as they progress through the material.
Students add other terms to the list as they progress through the material.
Students look up words before the lessons to provide hooks while they are doing the lessons.
The words could be revisited during the lesson by having students provide examples of their
use during the lessons
Students complete the list during the lessons, after a concept and word is introduced, which
provides students with the term after they have had an experience with the concept.
Students complete the list after the lessons as a review of the content.
Since many physical science, chemistry, and physics textbooks have sections on nuclear science,
this worksheet can be used to help students to connect these activities with the content in their
textbooks. The “Learn Nuclear Science with Marbles” collection provides a hands-on method
for learning basic nuclear science. These materials are available online at
http://www.jinaweb.org/outreach/marble/ or you can conduct an internet search using the key
words “nuclear science, marbles,” and include, a presentation is included on the resource CD
(NuclearTerminology.ppt) to supplement traditional classroom resources.
Consider using the “Basic Nuclear Science” PowerPoint presentation as a review of nuclear
terminology as well as an introduction to some of the nuclear science terminology used by
nuclear forensics scientists.