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Lesson Plan

Women and the Manhattan Project

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This Women and the Manhattan Project lesson plan also includes:

The Manhattan Project was a massive undertaking involving multiple sites and thousands of scientists and technicians. To gain an understanding of the women who participated in the project, groups select an oral history of a woman involved, research her background, her contributions, the challenges she faced, and present their findings to the class. To conclude the lesson, class members engage in a simulation of the nuclear reaction process.

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CCSS: Designed NGSS: Designed
Concepts
women's history, women's history month, famous women, the manhattan project, atomic bombs, the atomic bomb, discrimination, segregation, racism, nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, critical thinking, isotopes, neutrons, world war ii, oral history
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Instructional Ideas
  • Post the Manhattan Project map on the classroom wall along with the group projects detailing the work of the women scientists involved in the project
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires small, lightweight balls, two per participant (Ping pong, foam, or marshmallows)
  • Groups must have access to devices with internet connections to conduct their research into a woman involved in the Manhattan Project
  • The oral histories range from 20 minutes to an hour in length
Pros
  • The chain Reaction activity gives scholars a hands-on experience with the chain Reaction concept
  • All the oral histories include transcripts and some include audio or video
  • The discussion questions are designed to give structure to the research activity
Cons
  • None