Nuclear Chemistry Project

Nuclear Chemistry Research Projects

Objective: To research a topic in nuclear chemistry and do a project to display what you have learned.

Groups: You should work on your own. You may work in pairs IF you present a proposal to me that explains exactly what your project is and what each of you will be responsible for, AND I ok it.

Format of presentation: Open. You should choose a format well-suited to your topic. For example, a topic in technology can often be well-represented by a display or experiment, while a theoretical topic is better suited to an essay or perhaps poster paper presentation. Other formats to consider are: demonstration, computer-based presentation (Powerpoint or web page, for example), video, model, debate and oral presentation.

What you will be doing: You will be expected to complete the following steps:

Choose a topic of interest to you, a brief outline of exactly what you will be learning about in carrying out the project, a format for your presentation and a couple of good initial sources (correctly cited) that you will be using to get to know your topic. (Due May 9.)
Research your topic, gathering at least 3 up-to-date sources that are well-suited to your level of understanding and your topic. (Due May 12.)
Present a detailed outline or concept map of your topic and how you intend to deal with it given your format. (Due May 16.)
Present you final project with a bibliography. (Due May 18.)

Topic suggestions and possible initial sources:

Topic	Source or ideas
Health effects of ionizing radiation	Types of ionizing radiation and effects Sources of ionizing rad. (natural and man-made) Units used to measure and the result of different exposure levels
Cosmic rays	Source Effect on evolution How to measure
Nuclear processes in stars	Fusion cycles Rad. From Sun and effect on Earth (or astronauts, communication, etc.) We are star dust Life cycle of stars Supernova explosions Abundance of elements
Dismantling nuclear reactors	Scientific American, March 2003
Nuclear reactors	Types Chernobyl and Three Mile Island Economics
Nuclear weapons	A, H and N Bombs and Tactical Weapons Teller, Oppenheimer and the Politics of Cold War Decomissioning
Dirty nuclear weapons and terrorism	Dirty War video available at Euphoria
Origin of matter in the Universe	Scientific American, June 2003
Geology and radiation	Heating of Earth Natural Reactor Dating techniques
Nuclear chemistry in archaeology	Scientific American, June 2003 Dating techniques
Cancer treatments and radiation	Which radioisotopes are used to treat which forms of cancer?
Medical diagnostics and radiation	PET scans
Modern alchemy	How can we make gold from lead?
Elements in the “Island of Stability”
Modes of decay other than alpha, beta and gamma
Radiation and smoke detectors

How you will be marked: Your project will be marked out of 20 on difficulty of material, research, understanding and presentation. A further 4 marks will be assigned according to how you work on your project during class time and how punctual you are in each of the steps.

	4	3	2	1
Difficulty	I chose a topic that challenged me but that I was able to master.	I chose a topic that was a bit below or above my level.	I chose a topic that I already had a pretty good understanding of.	I chose a topic that I had already learned about in this or a previous class.
Research	I researched my topic thoroughly and found lots of information in various formats (WWW, books, articles) suited to my level.	I researched my topic well and found more than three sources mostly on the web. Most of my sources were at the right level for me.	I researched my topic a bit and found three or four web sources. A few of my sources were at the right level.	I did a little research on my topic and found three web sources which were either too easy or difficult for me.
Understanding	I understood my topic well and was able to show what I learned.	I mostly understood my topic and was able to show what I learned.	I understood some of my topic and showed some of what I knew.	I understood little of my topic.
Presentation	My format was suited to my topic. My presentation was clear and interesting.	My format was pretty well suited to my topic. My presentation was usually clear and interesting.	My format was somewhat suited to my topic. My presentation was occasionally clear and interesting.	My format was not suited to my topic. My presentation was confusing.