It's About Time
What Determines and Limits an Atom's Mass?
Provide learners with the tools to further understand nuclear energy and isotopes. Young chemists investigate the components of an atom's nucleus, use symbols to represent various isotope forms, and use the percent abundance of an...
Curated OER
Properties of Matter
Ninth graders explore the molecular structure of matter and how it can affect the physical characteristics of a specific material. They demonstrate that isotopes of an element have different masses. Students demonstrate that the rates of...
CK-12 Foundation
Radiocarbon Dating
How do we know how long ago a dinosaur lived or an ancient fire pit was used? Scholars learn about the application of carbon dating and half lives to discover things about the past. They adjust the amount of radioactive carbon in the...
Curated OER
M&M Science and Math
A series of math and science activities feature M&M's® as manipulatives to help kids work through equations. The resource includes exercises on finding averages, percent of compositions, moles in chemical reactions, genotypes and...
Curated OER
Earth's Age: The Dating Game
Learners conduct a simulation to determine radioactive decay and half-life. Using pennies, dice or sugar cubes as isotopes placed in shoe boxes simulating rocks, they hold five trials representing 1000 years each to find the theoretical...
Curated OER
Determining the Age of Fossils
Students explore radioactive dating using a radiometric Dating website. In this chemistry lesson plan, students will work in small groups to collect data that shows how fossils are dated. As a follow-up, students will research a...
Curated OER
What is the Nucleus Like?
For this nucleus of an atom worksheet, students answer 19 multiple choice questions about the structure of the atom, radioactive decay, isotopes and half life.
Curated OER
Frosty the Snowman Meets His Demise: An Analogy to Carbon Dating
Students read and discuss an article about carbon dating, then participate in a hands-on lab to discover how carbon dating works. Students also write a letter to a friend explaining the process, and how archeologists use the process to...
Curated OER
What is Radioactivity?
Students use a geiger counter to record changes in the amount of radioactivity produced by different objects. They research articles which mention radiation and discuss them. They work together to complete an activity and worksheet.
Curated OER
Geological History Vocabulary
In this geological history worksheet, students define 17 terms associated with index fossils, nuclear decay, and radioactive decay.
Curated OER
Earth System Science
Students investigate the age of the earth by using accepted scientific methods. They conduct research about the use of radioactive dating and there is a simulation activity of the process. Finally, students measure the radioactive decay...
Curated OER
Determining the Age of Fossils
Students examine the concept of radioactive dating. In this radioactive dating lesson, students investigate how to determine the ages of fossils and rocks as they learn about half-life radioactive decay.
Curated OER
Radioactive Decay
Students generate a radioactive decay table for an imaginary element, use their data to plot a decay graph, develop the concept of half-life, and use the graph to "age" several samples.
Curated OER
Absolute Ages of Rocks
In this ages of rock worksheet, students review the processes involved with determining the ages of rocks which includes the radioactive decay of carbon-14. This worksheet has 5 matching and 5 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Measuring Absolute Time
In this absolute time worksheet, students answer eleven questions about ways to measure the age of fossils. They define half-life, answer questions about radioactive dating, tree rings and varves.
Curated OER
A Phylogenetic Perspective for the Cladistically Challenged
Students use M&Ms to simulate radioactive decay of elements.
Curated OER
Chapter 22 - 25 Review
In this chemistry review worksheet, students explore their knowledge of solutions, acid and bases, nuclear reactions, and radioactive decay as they answer 33 matching, fill in the blank, and short answer questions.
Curated OER
Worksheet #6, Exponents, Interest, and Radioactive Decay of Isotopes
For this calculus worksheet, students sketch graphs of given exponential functions. They compute the principal needed to have a given ending balance when the interest is compounded at varying times. Students use a simple exponential...
Science Geek
Nuclear Chemistry
Which bichemicals wash up on shore? Nucleotides! Presentation covers alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Includes a comparison of fission versus fusion. Presentation is the second in a five-part series.
Jefferson Lab
The Periodic Table of Elements
A study of the periodic table of elements doesn't have to be elementary! Deepen understanding of the building blocks of chemistry with an interactive periodic table. At first sight, the table looks like a standard reference page, but a...
Curated OER
Lizard Lab
For this detailed and comprehensive multi-day activity, budding evolutionary biologists use real data from lizard populations in the Canary Islands to examine evolution and natural selection.
Curated OER
The Nucleus
In this atoms instructional activity, students review terms associated with atoms which includes isotopes, transmutation, and radioactive decay. This instructional activity has 11 short answer questions.
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Investigation: Splitting Atoms
In a simple activity, physical scientists model nuclear fission using a droplet of oil. This can be used alone in a unit on different types of energy, or as part of the energy conservation unit produced by the Texas State Energy...
National Energy Education Development Project
Exploring Nuclear Energy
Every 18–24 months, nuclear power plants shut down to remove their used uranium fuel, a radioactive waste. Show learners how energy is made and used around the world and then focus on the United States' usage. Viewers then specifically...