Nuclear Decay

This lesson provides an overview of basic atomic structure and the concept of radioactive decay. Topics include the particles that make up an atom, binding forces, and the concept of isotopes. There is also discussion of decay methods and half-life versus activity. The lesson includes an activity in which students use online applets to investigate the half-life and activity of selected isotopes and to examine possible decay chains for some others. They will also use a pair of dice to simulate the process of decay. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Home Energy Capstone

This capstone activity uses the results of the Home Energy Audit and the Home Energy Analysis activities to investigate how changes in lifestyle affect the amount of energy used in the home. Students will listen to a National Public Radio show that discusses the energy efficiency of home appliances and their sales to see if any of the issues mentioned relate to their willingness to make similar investments. Then, they will examine the costs and benefits of making changes to their homes to improve energy efficiency by performing an economic analysis of three home improvements to determine how many years it would take to pay off the investment and decide whether these scenarios would be economically feasible. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

The First Law of Thermodynamics (title provided or enhanced by cataloger)

This lesson builds upon the previous one (Newton's Second Law) by introducing students to kinetic and potential energy. Topics include a brief description of these two forms of energy, a discussion of gravity as a form of potential energy, and a discussion of the First Law of Thermodynamics in the context of energy transfer. The lesson includes an activity in which students test the First Law of Thermodynamics by measuring the energy of a system consisting of a cart being pulled by a suspended mass. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Fossil Fuels: Oil

This lesson provides an introduction to the world oil market and the United States' dependence on it. Topics include our current usage, sources, and the political implications of acquiring oil from an international market. There is also discussion of how petroleum is created and trapped in reservoirs, and how oil companies find it. The lesson includes an activity in which students use an online game that simulates the exploration and production of petroleum. To win, they must actually 'produce' commercial quantities of oil or gas by drilling in the ground in a 8-by-8 mile plot of land with a budget of $2 million dollars. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Plate Tectonics: Earthquake Epicenter

This lesson provides an overview of destructive earthquakes and their connection to tectonic movements of the Earth's crust. It includes a discussion of some especially destructive historic earthquakes, and a brief introduction to contintental drift and the theory of plate tectonics. There is also discussion of basic seismology (types of waves) and measures of the magnitude of an earthquake (the Richter Scale). The lesson inlcudes an activity in which students use an online simulator to locate the epicenter of an earthquake using readings from three different seismograph stations. After they have completed the simulation, they attempt to locate the epicenter of a real earthquake using data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) earthquake website. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Food Calories and Land

Obesity is on the rise in the United States, due primarily to the size and composition of the American diet. Discussion topics include lack of exercise, changes in calorie intake over time, and environmental impacts of these increases in consumption. Each student will particpate in an activity in which they investigate how their own diets affect the agricultural demands of a hypothetical country. They will record their calorie intake, categorize the calories as coming from either plants or animals, and estimate the amount of land that is needed to provide their daily intake. Links to related sites are provided. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Trees and Carbon

The transport and transformation of substances in the environment are known collectively as biogeochemical cycles. These global cycles involve the circulation of elements and nutrients that sustain both the biological and physical aspects of the environment. As an example, this discussion centers around the carbon cycle and how carbon is sequestered in trees. Students will perform an activity that replicates a case study in which the biomass of trees in a 15-acre plot of forest was calculated to determine the amount of carbon sequestered per acre. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Newton's Second Law

This lesson introduces students to Sir Isaac Newton's Second Law of Motion. Topics include the two ways to study the dynamics of a system in which there is motion, a brief description of Newton's work in studying and measuring the motion of objects, and a summary of his three laws of motion. The lesson includes an activity in which students test Newton's Second Law by measuring the acceleration of a cart which is being pulled by increasingly larger masses. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Fossil Fuels: Natural Gas

This lesson provides an introduction to the use of natural gas as an energy source. Topics include its advantages (cleanliness, fewer carbon emissions), disadvantages (difficulty in transport and storage), sources, and usage. There is also a discussion of the creation and production of natural gas, the United States' production and reserves, and some potential new sources (coal bed methane, methane hydrates). The lesson includes an activity in which students investigate porosity and permeability in simulated sediments. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school

Home Energy Audit

This is the first part of a two-part exercise in which students perform an audit and analysis of energy consumption in their homes. This part provides an introduction to the uses of energy in our homes. Topics include major uses in the home (heating, air conditioning, etc.), sources of energy (fossil fuels), and uses in the United States (industry, transportation, etc.). It includes an activity in which students draw and measure various aspects of their homes (square feet of walls, number and types of windows and doors, number and types of applances, etc.) in preparation for the second part (Home Energy Analysis) to be performed in the next activity. These two activities should be done in conjunction with one another. Educational levels: Undergraduate lower division, High school