Curated OER
Radioactive Simulations
Young scholars simulate radioactive decay and nuclear power using an on line interactive web site. In this on line lesson plan, students monitor radioactive isotopes and record the activity of a particular element as the decay...
Virginia Department of Education
Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
Explain the importance of radioactive half-life as your high school biologists demonstrate the concept by performing a series of steps designed to simulate radioactive decay. Pupils use pennies to perform an experiment and gather data....
Curated OER
Teaching Radioactive Decay: Radioactive Half-life And Dating Techniques
High schoolers generate a radioactive decay table for an imaginary element using a box filled with pinto beans and M&M's. They use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and use the graph to "age" several...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay and Half-Life
Students describe how the mass of a radioactive isotope changes with time and the factors that affect the rate of radioactive decay. They write nuclear decay equations to represent natural transmutation. This activity is accomplished...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Nuclear Popcorn
Make your lesson on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent decayed atoms. As the...
Curated OER
Atomic Candy
Mmmmm! Radioactive "candium!" Nuclear physics or chemistry classes use M&M'S® to demonstrate the process of radioactive decay. Individuals pour out a bag of candies and record the number that fall M-side-up to represent the...
Curated OER
Rock of Ages
Middle schoolers use a video, the Internet and hands-on activities to explore how to determine the age of rocks and fossils based on radioactive decay data.
Virginia Department of Education
Determining Absolute Age
How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...
Discovery Education
Submarines and Aircraft Carriers: The Science of Nuclear Power
As physics masters view this presentation, they learn how nuclear power is used in submarines. They use Google Maps to plot a course through the ocean and calculate the time required for surfacing and traveling. They learn about fission,...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay Curve
Students gather and organize data. In this radioactive decay curve instructional activity, students gather data as they follow the provided procedures for rolling dice. Students chart their data and examine interval results.
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay
Students explore radioactive decay. Through various activities, students examine methods for permanent disposal of radioactive waste. After performing a random process experiment, students compare the results to radioactive decay. ...
Curated OER
Exponential Decay
Students study exponential decay and its application to radiocarbon dating. In this exponential decay lesson, students use candy to model the time it takes for something to decay. Students also graph the data they collect and...
Curated OER
What is the Relationship Between Radioactivity and Radon?
In this radon and radioactivity worksheet, students analyze the data of the isotopes of elements that occur in the decay series of uranium-238. Students answer 6 questions about the isotopes, their half-lives, their potential threat and...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay/Half Life
Students demonstrate radioactive decay using candy corns. In this Physics lesson, students make predictions, collect data and form conclusions about patterns in radioactive decay.
Curated OER
Using Radioactive Decay To Determine Age
Students explore the process of carbon dating fossils to determine their age. They simulate radioactive decay using pennies in a shoe box. Heads represents a decayed atom each time they shake the box. They use the data to calculate the...
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay
Students generate a radioactive decay table for an imaginary element, use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and use the graph to "age" several samples.
Curated OER
A Phylogenetic Perspective for the Cladistically Challenged
Students use M&Ms to simulate radioactive decay of elements.
Curated OER
Get a Half-Life!: Student Worksheet
In this math/science worksheet, learners will work in pairs to conduct an experiment based on a decay function which is often used to model radioactive decay. Students will shake M & M's in a cup to rub off the M and then record...
University of Colorado
Spacecraft Speed
Space shuttles traveled around Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, way faster than trains, planes, or automobiles travel! In the 13th installment of 22, groups graph different speeds to show how quickly spacecraft move through...
Curated OER
Determining the Age of Fossils
High schoolers examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
Curated OER
work in pairs for the activities of this lesson which include researching and identifying butterflies, writing, and a brief oral presentation.
Students explore the concepts of rdioactive decay and dating. They generate a radioactive decay table, use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and then use the graph to find the age of a mummified seal in...
Curated OER
Get a Half Life!
Eighth graders use M&M's to experiment with data. They use a graphing calculator to determine the best equation for their data; linear, quadratic or exponential. They analyze the data to find the half-life of their M&M's.
Virginia Department of Education
Isotopes
Lead your class through the amazing world of isotopes as they investigate the various properties they contain and further understand their respective location on the periodic table. They explore half-lives and radioactivity as each...
Curated OER
A Scale of the Earth
Pupils create a scale model of the different eras, periods, and epochs of Earth's 4.6 billion year history. In addition to different time periods, other major events will also be added to the model from fabricated radioactive decay data....