Summer SAVY, Session 2 Day 3, Fission and Fusion: Nuclear Engineering 101 (5th-6th)
Good evening, SAVY parents! We had an atomic day today in our nuclear fission and fusion course! We started the day with our morning meeting, where the kiddos told me everything about their fun evenings from the night before, and we played a class favorite review and challenge game – Blooket! Once again, they blew me away with their questions and comments on nuclear energy, and on that note, I love their energy and enthusiasm!
Morning Activities:
This morning, we finished our graffiti maps that included some of our nuclear energy terminology. They turned out AMAZING! We hung them up on the walls and had a gallery walk so students could give constructive feedback on their peers’ maps! THEY ARE SO CREATIVE! I will include pictures in Friday’s blog post! Stay tuned! The scientists voted on their favorite graffiti map and gave reasons why they chose that specific one. Students were asked to pretend they were in an art museum while they were completing the gallery walk, and they rose to the occasion! After the gallery walk, we completed a Periodic Table of Elements game where they had to find the chemical symbol and location of a specific element I asked them to find. They did a fabulous job!
Afternoon Activities:
After lunch, we took guided doodle notes on the comparisons and contrasts of nuclear fission and fusion. We learned that nuclear fusion is when two or more atoms combine, and nuclear fission is when atoms split. The scientists explored how isotopes played into nuclear reactions and how energy is released. We explored how Einstein played into all this and discovered that it was his brilliant chemical equation (E=mc²), which is the relationship between energy and mass. This discussion led to the pros and cons of radioactivity. After we discussed radioactivity, we completed a lab on half-life using pennies. Ask your student to explain the process! We wrapped up the day discussing Marie Curie and the Radium Girls and how radiation affected them.
Questions to ask at home:
- What is the difference between fission and fusion? Explain the atomic process.
- What are the pros and cons of radiation?
- How did Einstein contribute to fission and fusion?
- What is half-life?
- What did Marie Curie invent, and how did it have an impact on the radium girls?
Have a wonderful evening! Enjoy your day tomorrow! I cannot wait for Friday! 🙂
Mrs. Jenkins and Ms. Hannah
