Nuclear Energy Research Project
Name:………………………………………………………………………………………… MYP Year Level: ………… Date:…………………………………………
Maximum Your
Criteria Name of Criterion:
Points Grade
knowing and
Criterion A 8
understanding
Reflecting on the
Criterion D 8
Impacts of Science
Global Key
Subject/Unit Statement of Inquiry
Context Concept
Chemistry/Structure Scientists study Scientific Change
and
and Properties of the changes in patterns withi Technical
Matter n the periodic table of Innovation
elements to explore
the consequences and
responsibilities of
making energy.
Goal
Nuclear power has created a number of strong advocacy groups who support nuclear energy and many who
are against nuclear energy. Your goal has two parts. The first is to educate consumers regarding nuclear
energy from a scientific standpoint. Secondly, you will need to work with a team of like-minded individuals and
build a public relations campaign that either supports or dismisses the nuclear energy industry. Your work will
help the United Arab Government build policy related to nuclear energy.
Role
For this task you will assume the role of a scientist specializing in energy development. As a member of a team,
you will want to align yourself with individuals with similar views regarding nuclear energy.
Audience
Your audience will be citizens living near a potential nuclear power plant site and the lawmakers who must
decide whether the plant is built based upon public input.
Situation
The tsunami that occurred in Japan severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant and has renewed
public interest in nuclear energy. Many countries view nuclear energy as vital to meeting their needs for
electricity output. Proponents suggest that nuclear power is critical as it is a clean energy. Opponents argue
that nuclear waste and nuclear accidents contaminate the environment.
The resource below is an example of a state energy profile. You can use this link to check an analysis of any
state within the United States.
U.S. Energy Information Administration (2019, October 17). Florida: Profile Analysis. Retrieved October 29,
2019, from:
https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=FL
Product
Multimedia Presentation
Create a persuasive presentation that supports or refutes the successes of nuclear energy. The presentation
should include pictures, video and other primary resources associated with nuclear power plants in operation.
Be sure to include captions or audio explaining why each was selected. and how it supports your position.
Scientific Poster
Create a poster that represents how nuclear energy is created, distributed, and handled. The poster should
contain scientific diagrams, formulas where appropriate, and cost-benefit ratios. Within your poster, you may
also consider including the nuclear power plant and how it operates creating nuclear energy.
Standards
(HS-PS1-8.) Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the
energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.
(HS-PS1-1.) Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the
patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
GRASPS:
Criterion A: knowing and understanding
Maximum: 8
i. explain scientific knowledge
ii. apply scientific knowledge and understanding to solve problems set in familiar and unfamiliar
situations
Achievemen Level descriptor Task Specific
t level
0 The student does not reach a standard The student doesn’t solve any questions
identified by any of the descriptors
below.
1–2 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. state scientific knowledge i. state scientific knowledge question 1-2
ii. apply scientific knowledge and ii. apply scientific knowledge and
understanding to suggest solutions to understanding to suggest solutions to
problems set in familiar situations problems set in familiar situations
iii. interpret information to make iii. interpret information in question 1-2 to
judgments. make judgments.
3–4 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. outline scientific knowledge i. outline scientific knowledge, question 4
ii. apply scientific knowledge and ii. apply scientific knowledge and
understanding to solve problems set in understanding to solve problems set in
familiar situations familiar situations
iii. interpret information to make iii. interpret information in question 4
scientifically supported judgments. -5(3) to make scientifically supported
judgments.
5–6 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. describe solutions to problems set in i. describe solutions to problems set in
unfamiliar scientific knowledge unfamiliar scientific knowledge, question
ii. apply scientific knowledge and 3
understanding to solve problems set in ii. apply scientific knowledge and
familiar situations and suggest understanding to solve problems set in
situations familiar situations and suggest
iii. analyse information to make situations
scientifically supported judgments. iii. analyse information in question 3 to
make scientifically supported
judgments.
The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. explain scientific knowledge i. explain scientific knowledge, question
ii. apply scientific knowledge and 5(1,2,4)
understanding to solve problems set in ii. apply scientific knowledge and
familiar and unfamiliar situations understanding to solve problems set in
familiar and unfamiliar situations
iii. analyse and evaluate information tjn
question 5(1,2,4) to make scientifically
supported judgments.
Criteria D
i. explain the ways in which science is applied and used to address a specific problem or
issue
ii. discuss and evaluate the various implications of using science and its application to solve a
specific problem or issue
iii. apply scientific language effectively
iv. document the work of others and sources of information used.
Achievem Level descriptor Task specific
ent level
0 The student does not reach a standard You did not reach a standard described by
identified by any of the descriptors any of the descriptors below.
below.
1 – 2 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. outline the ways in which science is i. Give a brief account of the ways which
used to address a specific problem or science is used to address the
issue impacts and importance of nuclear energy
ii. outline the implications of using on the entire world and on society by
science to solve a mentioning he advantages and dis-
specific problem or issue, interacting with advantages of using nuclear energy and
a factor iii. apply scientific language to handling nuclear wastes.
communicate understanding but does
so with limited success ii. Give a brief picture on the implications of
iv. document sources, with limited using the nuclear fission to
success. generate electricity and the safety and
environmental risk or benefit associated
with nuclear energy production.
iii. apply scientific language (NPP,
nuclear fission, nuclear wastes, energy,
radioactivity, nuclear waste…) to
communicate understanding but does
so with limited success
iv. document sources with limited
success.
3 – 4 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i.Abstract the major points for which
i. summarize the ways in which science science is applied to address the
is applied and used to address a specific impacts and importance of nuclear energy
problem or issue on the entire world and on society by
ii. describe the implications of using mentioning he advantages and dis-
science and its advantages of using nuclear energy and
application to solve a specific problem or handling nuclear wastes.
issue, interacting with a factor
iii. sometimes apply scientific language ii. Give a detailed picture on the
to communicate understanding implications of using the nuclear fission to
iv. sometimes document sources generate electricity and the safety and
correctly. environmental risk or benefit associated
with nuclear energy production.
iii. sometimes apply scientific
language (NPP, nuclear fission, nuclear
wastes, energy, radioactivity, nuclear
waste…) to
communicate understanding
iv. sometimes document sources
correctly.
5 – 6 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. describe the ways in which science is i. Give a detailed description of the ways in
applied and used to address a specific which science is applied to address the
problem or issue impacts and importance of nuclear energy
ii. discuss the implications of using on the entire world and on society by
science and its application to solve a mentioning he advantages and dis-
specific problem or issue, interacting with advantages of using nuclear energy and
a factor handling nuclear wastes.
iii. usually apply scientific language to
communicate understanding clearly and ii. offer a range of arguments that highlight
precisely the implications of using the nuclear fission
iv. usually document sources correctly. to generate electricity and mentioning the
safety and environmental risk or benefit of
nuclear energy production.
iii. usually apply scientific language (NPP,
nuclear fission, nuclear wastes, energy,
radioactivity, nuclear waste…) to
communicate understanding clearly and
precisely
iv. usually document sources correctly.
7 – 8 The student is able to: The student is able to:
i. explain the ways in which science is i.Give a detailed account of the ways in
applied and used to address a specific which science is used to discuss the
problem or issue impacts and importance of nuclear energy
ii. discuss and evaluate the implications on the entire world and on society by
of using science mentioning the advantages and dis-
and its application to solve a specific advantages of using nuclear energy and
problem or issue, interacting with a handling nuclear wastes.
factor
iii. consistently apply scientific ii. offer a range of arguments that highlight
language to communicate the strength and limitation of the
understanding clearly and precisely iv. implications of using the nuclear fission to
document sources completely. generate electricity and make an appraisal
of associating safety and environmental
risk or benefit of nuclear energy production
iii. consistently apply scientific
language (NPP, nuclear fission, nuclear
wastes, energy, radioactivity, nuclear waste
etc…) to communicate
understanding clearly and precisely
iv. document sources completely.
Teacher’s comments:
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Student’s reflections:
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