The Inquiry into Radioactivity (IiR) project is developing course materials for non-science majors and high school students to gain radiation literacy via an inquiry approach. The much touted 'nuclear renaissance' and the Fukushima disaster highlight the need for a citizenry that understands basic ideas about radioactivity and ionizing radiation. However, developing these ideas is not simple. Classroom research has uncovered numerous learning difficulties such as problems with understanding atoms. In addition, students must replace their initial views of radiation as 'bad stuff that causes contamination' with a particle model. These changes are supported via research-based course materials that involve guided investigations with geiger counters, explicit development of models of atomic and nuclear structure, and three new computer simulators: Atom Builder, Atom Invaders, and Tracks. We find that students must reliably think of ionizing radiation as particles emitted from unstable nuclei before they can understand other topics such as ionization or half-lives. The IiR course materials also help students distinguish between ionizing and electromagnetic radiation; understand the relevant aspects of atomic structure; understand ionization by high speed particles; and formulate explanations for how radiation can cause harm to tissue by breaking crucial biological molecules. Interested users can download the IiR materials for free at http://www.camse.org/radiation . The complete materials, which include a 'Radiation Conceptual Assessment', are useful resources that can be applied in a variety of settings. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the NSF (DUE 0942699) for support of this project.

Nuclear radiation literacy for non-science majors

246th National Meeting (2013)

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