Our Nuclear Energy lesson plan introduces students to nuclear energy, also referred to as nuclear power, which is an often-misunderstood source of electricity. Most students are familiar with the terminology, such as splitting atoms, uranium, and fission, but are not clear as to their relationship with nuclear energy and power. During this lesson, students are asked to work with a partner and use their creativity to create a “for” poster and an “against” poster for nuclear energy, creating an argument for each side in order to demonstrate their understanding of the advantages and drawbacks to nuclear power as discussed in the lesson. Students are also asked to match terms to their definitions, testing their understanding of the lesson vocabulary.
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to define nuclear energy, identify its advantages and disadvantages, and explain the process in its use.
Common Core State Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.3
