Re: Radiation Safety Presentation for 4th graders

[Tad Blanchard <Tad.M.Blanchard.1@gsfc.nasa.gov>]

At 12:51 PM 10/29/96 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>I have read on this list before that some of you have been to
>secondary and elementary schools to present programs, either
>for your own children's class or a local school.  Could I ask	
>someone to fax me an outline on conducting such a presentation.	
>Specific target is 4th graders.		
>
>
Steve, 

        I gave a short (45 min) talk to some 5th graders last year during a
"Career Day" presentation.  (It was fun and I was very nervous before
going).  Here's an outline of the General HP info I used during that
presentation.

        NOTE:  I also brought in some rocks which contained various amounts
of natural radioactivity and one of our geiger counters with a thin-window
pancake probe for demonstration purposes.  NO-SALT, lantern mantles, etc are
excellent show & tell items for natural radiation demos.

General HP Info

	1.	Work Locations
		a.	Nuclear Power Plants
		b.	Large Hospitals/Universities
		c.	Government Agencies
		d.	Laboratories

	2.	US has most HP jobs (Canada, Australia, Japan)
	3.	Not too many job openings right now.
		(Slow down in power plant openings)
	4.	Must be 18 or older (Radiation Exposure)
	5.	Background Education:
		a.	Chemistry
		b.	Physics
		c.	Math
		d.	Grammar (Report Writing)
		e.	Electronics (Calibration of Equipment)
	6.	Equipment Used:
		a.	Geiger counters
		b.	Personal dosimeters (TLDs)
		c.	Scintillation Detectors
		d.	Multi-Channel Analyzers
		e.	Gas Proportional Counter
	7.	US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Rules
		(Some states run own program - Maryland is one)
	8.	Technician Level  (~$20,000/yr)
		[HS + 2 yrs College (Chem, Phys & Math)]
	9.	Senior Technician (~$30,000/yr)
		[HS + 4 yrs College] 
	10.	Health Physicist (~$40-50,000/yr)
		[Masters Degree]
	11.	Certified Health Physicist (>$50,000/yr)
		[Pass Nationally recognized test]
	12.	Routine Workday (8-5)
		[Power Plants have unusual shift work, 6-12 hour 		        shifts might be
possible]
	13.	Usually clean environment
		[Power plant - Full Protective Clothing/Respirators]
	14.	Heavy lifting (shielding material)

MORE INFORMATION:  	World Wide Web (University of Michigan)
			HP Society, McLean, VA
			National Registry of Radiation Protection
			   Technologists, Kennewick, WA


>Thank you.
>fax number is 301-314-9467	
>steve at UMCP
>
>
>
**************************** /^\   /^\ *********************************
Tad  Blanchard              /__ \ /___\    NASA-Goddard Space Flt Ctr 
Nat'l Health Svc, Inc            O             Greenbelt, Maryland     
Sr Health Physics Tech          / \            Phone: 301-286-9157     
                               /___\           Fax:   301-286-1618       
                  Tad.M.Blanchard.1@GSFC.NASA.gov                   
************************************************************************