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RE: High School Health Physics -Reply



Battelle, as one of the contractors at our DOE site, purchased for our
local school district a science cirriculium that is used in all the 5th grade
classes in the local public schools.  This cirricullim is called "Voyage of
the Mimi".  It is an all encompassing science program, but along with the
classroom study our facility has committed to send professionals from
our site into the classroom to give presentations.  These presentations
not only cover Health Physics, but range in topics from Aviation,
weather, chemistry, computers, etc.  The topic I present is on Radiation. 
I make presentations once a month at a different school in the area. 
There are approximately 25 presenters.  I have found the children are
very eager to learn about the topic and love the insturments.  As far as
using uncalibrated instruments, we clearly mark them as training use
only.  We also use only commerically available consumer products as our
sources.  My presentation has evolved over the past 3 years, but this
year I am focusing more and more on the way radiation is used in our
everyday lives.  I bring things from home such as teflon coated pan, coke
cans, mascara, computer diskettes, etc. and discuss how radiation is
used in producing each of these items.
One of the demonstrations I use that the kids seem to really enjoy is
explaining half life by giving each child a Twizzler candy stick.  I tell them
that we are going to pretend that the candy is radioactive  material and
has a half life of 15 seconds.  I then tell them to eat 1/2 of the candy in 15
seconds which I count off.  We repeat this 5 or 6 times only eating 1/2 of
what we have left.  This is then plotted out on a graph which shows the
radioactive decay curve.  We then discuss the amount of candy (or
radioactive material) that was eaten (decayed) during each half life. 
They really seem to enjoy not only the treat, but understanding alittle
more about half-life. 
>>> "McClelland, Thomas W"
<mccleltw%aramco.com.sa@internet.pantex.com> 10/24/98 04:35am
>>>

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I agree with Tad that we should consider talks to younger students too; =
I gave my first talk to fourth or fifth graders many years ago. Because =
I was too prepared for academics, I had to adjust 'on the fly' and we =
did just fine when we voted if the big fat alphas could get through even =
1 page of Cember's book [new, first edition] [one of the only uses for =
'alphas are stopped by a sheet of paper' that I've ever found].=20

Like the FM radio exposure, surprise is a good opening for little kids. =
In answer to the first question from a student, 'did you bring any =
radiation with you,'  I replied that we were all sitting in radiation =
right now [looking at the sunlight streaming in through the windows].  =
Imagine the activity when two of the kids jumped out of their seats and =
inspected their chairs!  Maybe they were looking for C-14?

----------
From: 	Tad Blanchard[SMTP:Tad.M.Blanchard.1@gsfc.nasa.gov]
Sent: 	Friday, October 23, 1998 4:36 PM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	RE: High School Health Physics

Everyone of us reading this forum has the ability and the knowledge to
provide some training to school children.  I found this out a few years =
ago
(by accident). =20

A middle school counselor called the Health Physics Office by mistake,
looking for one of our astrophysicists.  She asked me what my
profession
was, I told her Health Physics and she said, "What is that?" =20

I gave her a brief overview of HP work.  She then asked if I would like =
to
participate in an upcoming "CAREER DAY".  I hesitated a bit, but after
hearing what they were trying to do, I volunteered to present to some =
5th
and 6th graders what I did for a living.

The first time I was a little shaky because I didn't know what to =
expect.
The kids were great and very interested in what I had to say.  When I
explained to them that when they listened to their local rock-n-roll
station (DC 101) they were being "exposed" to radiation.  This raised a =
few
eyebrows and it led into my presentation very well.

Now the school counselors have me on their mailing list and I give them =
one
morning each year to "strut my stuff".  My employer is all for it and =
gives
me the time and NASA allows me to borrow their equipment for =
demonstrations.

Call your local school and ask if they have a similar program.  Give =
them
your support and expertise.  Everyone will benefit from it.


************************** /^\   /^\ ***********************************
Tad  Blanchard            /__ \ /___\   NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
Parallax, Inc                  O         Code 205.9, Greenbelt, MD 20771
Sr Health Physics Tech        / \                    Phone: 301-286-9157
Assistant RSO                /___\                   Fax:   301-286-1618
                 mailto:Tad.M.Blanchard.1@GSFC.NASA.gov
    http://gsfc-aphrodite.gsfc.nasa.gov/205/205-2/Health/RADPROT.HTM
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