10. Explore fission and fusion

Starter

Watch the film about fission vs. fusion and note down the key differences. Offer a Q&A to the students to identify simple questions about the differences between fission and fusion.

Main Teaching

Read the handout as a group. Ensure, through discussion, that the students understand the atomic difference between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. Ask the students to work through the problems individually. Conduct a group plenary to decide which answers address the problems most effectively. Ask the students to draw 2 diagrams; one of the fission process and one of the fusion process. Ask them to clearly illustrate the process and label objects and actions. Practice drawing diagrams to answer examination questions; name parts, identify processes and indicate how the size of different objects relate. Think about how much information can be communicated in effective diagrams, as opposed to the limits of written communication.

Career Film: This is Tim Gregory Dr Tim works as a Chemical Analyst for National Nuclear Laboratory.

Expert Film: This is Tim Gregory Dr Tim works as a Chemical Analyst for National Nuclear Laboratory. Tim talks about how he explores fission and fusion in his work.

Mission Assignment

Ask the students to read the information on the first page of the handout to summarise fusion and fission reactions. Ask them to use a diagram to explain the fission process. Then, describe fusion and where it happens. Encourage them to compare fusion and fission. They should then apply their knowledge of fission and use a diagram of a reactor to explain how fission can be controlled. 

Challenge Task: Task the students with researching some of the more controversial issues around nuclear power. How is nuclear waste managed? Can they find out about some nuclear accidents that have happened (Windscale/Chernobyl/Fukashima). What happened? What lessons have scientists learnt from these accidents?