About this lesson plan portfolio

This lesson plan portfolio contains 10 units. Each unit has been designed for use by teachers.

It has been designed to facilitate teaching topics related to electromagnetic and particle radiation as they relate to their biological effects on living organisms.

It is best suited to senior secondary school science students who have some background in physics, chemistry, and biology at the intermediate level.

Curriculum Expectations

From the Common Framework of Science Learning Outcomes K-12, Pan-Canadian Protocol for Collaboration on School Curriculum, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), 1997.
Grades 11 and 12 Earth and Space Science and Physical Science
Foundation
Expectation
Nature of science and technology Explain the roles of evidence, theories, and paradigms in the development of scientific knowledge.
Explain how scientific knowledge evolves as new evidence comes to light and as laws and theories are tested and subsequently restricted, revised, or replaced.
Analyse and describe examples where scientific understanding was enhanced or revised as a result of the invention of a technology.
Describe and evaluate the design of technological solutions and the way they function, using scientific principles.
Relationships between science and technology Analyse and describe examples where technologies were developed based on scientific understanding.
Initiating and planning Evaluate and select appropriate instruments for collecting evidence and appropriate processes for problem solving, inquiring, and decision making.
Performing and recording Implement appropriate sampling procedures.
Communication and teamwork Synthesize information from multiple sources or from complex and lengthy texts and make inferences based on this information.
Knowledge: Fields Describe gravitational, electric, and magnetic fields as regions of space that affect mass and charge.
Knowledge: Energy and Momentum Analyse quantitatively the relationships among mass, height, speed, and heat energy using the law of conservation of energy.
Apply quantitatively Newton's laws of motion to impulse and momentum.
Describe quantitatively mechanical energy as the sum of kinetic and potential energies.
Analyse common energy transformation situations using the work-energy theorem.
Apply quantitatively the law of conservation of mass and energy, using Einstein's mass-energy equivalence.
Knowledge: Radioactivity and Modern Physics Explain quantitatively the Compton effect and the de Broglie hypothesis, using the laws of mechanics, the conservation of momentum, and the nature of light.
Explain quantitatively the Bohr atomic model as a synthesis of classical and quantum concepts.
Explain the relationship between the energy level in Bohr's model, the energy difference between the levels, and the energy of the emitted photons.
Describe the products of radioactive decay and the characteristics of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.
Describe sources of radioactivity in the natural and constructed environments.
Compare and contrast qualitatively and quantitatively nuclear fission and fusion.
Use the quantum mechanical model to explain natural luminous phenomena.
Knowledge: Waves Describe the characteristics of longitudinal and transverse waves.
Apply the wave equation and predict the behaviour of waves.
Compare and describe the properties of electromagnetic radiation and sound.
Describe how sound and electromagnetic radiation, as forms of energy, are produced and transmitted.
Apply the laws of reflection and the laws of refraction to predict wave behaviour.
Explain qualitatively and quantitatively the phenomena of wave interference, diffraction, reflection, and refraction, and the Doppler-Fizeau effect.
Describe how the quantum energy concept explains black-body radiation and the photoelectric effect.
Explain qualitatively and quantitatively the photoelectric effect.
Summarize the evidence for the wave and particle models of light.

Preparing to use these resources

Experience has shown that the best way to use these resources is to:

  1. Begin by printing out the entire portfolio. Transparency masters can be printed directly onto colour (or grayscale) transparencies, or printed on ordinary paper and then photocopied onto transparencies.
    Hint: Grayscale transparencies are helpful as they can be highlighted with colour markers when you are discussing them in class.
  2. Read over the material. Make margin notes for yourself, so that you can easily align it to your student's backgrounds and abilities.
  3. Print or photocopy the student assignments and activities so that they may be handed out to your class at the appropriate time.

Using these units as a basis for teaching radiation topics will give students an insightful understanding of concepts in radiation physics and radiation biophysics.

Within each unit are 1) printable pages with explanatory notes, 2) transparency masters for overhead projectors, 3) meaningful student problem sets, 4) construction/laboratory exercises, and 5) research activities.

What this module is not . . .

This is not a self-directed student web-search.

Expected Student Background

In order to use this unit effectively students should be familiar with the following...
  1. The ability to solve simple linear equations such as v = f

  2. The ability to handle exponential notation and perform numerical calculations using exponents
    such as 6.67 x 10-11 x 2.4 x 109

  3. An elementary understanding of introductory high school chemistry and atomic theory.

  4. An elementary understanding of the atomic/molecular structure of matter.

  5. An elementary knowledge of cell structure and an awareness of the importance of complex molecules, such as DNA, to living organisms.

How to use these units

There are many possible ways to use these units. Generally however, teachers print out each set of notes, duplicate them and hand them out to the students.

After the students have read a section and written a summary in their notebooks, teachers use the transparencies as a focus for further class discussion.

Student assignments are usually printed, copied, and handed out.

After the students have had a chance to work through each assignment it should be "taken-up"

Please Note: This portfolio is designed to focus on concepts related to radiation. Although it covers topics in classical electrodynamics, radioactive decay and particle physics; is not meant to a definitive treatment of these topics.

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Prepared by the YES I Can! Science Team,