Today starts National Nuclear Science Week. Since this goes along with the chemistry we are studying right now in Classical Conversations Cycle 3, I decided we would do a little nuclear science in school this week. Of course, nuclear science LIGHT, if you will, considering we are in 1st grade.
Here are several resources we will be using this week to study energy and, particularly, nuclear power.
The Official National Nuclear Science Week website has lesson plans, resources, and additional websites of interest.
TVA Kids has simple explanation of nuclear energy.
You can see inside a diagram of a nuclear power plant at the How Stuff Works website.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has a kids site with lesson plans and a simple explanation of what nuclear energy is. They even have some good experiments you can try, depending upon the age of your student. You can even make a nuclear waste cube.
I found a goofy little video called the Nuclear Power Song that has some funny visuals.
I found a very simplistic depiction of how nuclear energy works (set to a hokey Brahms Lullaby music box sound – and I like Brahms but…wow) but the picture isn’t too bad.
Then we will read a little about energy and nuclear power in general in The Usborne Children’s Encyclopedia.
You can watch a video about nuclear energy here
Are you do anything for National Nuclear Science Week? I would love to hear any fun resources you have found.
My Dad was a nuclear power operator for 35 years. Every year at the family picnic, we got to suit up in our RAD suits and tour the facility. Pretty cool. It was neat to see the control room and the containment unit.
How neat. Getting to tour a real facility would be interesting. What a treat and i’m sure you thought you were pretty cool all decked out in the RAD suits 🙂
These are great resources you are sharing. FWIW, I remember learning about nuclear energy in each of my early primary grades (it was the in thing in the 50s)- especially, since back then we all were waiting for nuclear to take over all our power plants…
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Yes, i’m sure that schools today present the nuclear power study and discussion in a little different light than when you and I were in classrooms. Since there was still a Soviet Union and constant threat of nuclear war there was a different emphasis in the classroom than there might be now. Looking forward to our week of exploring nuclear science light! Thanks for stopping by.