CHAPTER 8

HOW TO TEACH :
THE ATOMIC ENERGY AND ITS USES

Present By :

Nurhadi .S. Pohan

4163131021
KIMIA DIK C 2016
 To quote David E.Lilienthal, former chairman of the
atomic energy commisions “in a democracy”, atomic
energy must belong to the people and the people will have
to make the decisions that the govern its use. If their
decisions are to be wise ones, they must be based on
knowledge of the atomic energy is and what it can do.

“But what can we say and do about atomic energy in

the elementary school?” you may ask. Certainly we do not
wish to add to the already insecure feeling of young
children, neither do we wish them to remain totally
uninformed about this great force that has improved
medical treatment, agricultural practices and power
production, to mention but three of its many possible
applications.
 But we shall we tell our children about the atomic
bomb? Many teacher are anxious about this question
and well they may be. This chapter would hardly be
completewithout some discussion of children an their
reaction to the atomic bomb. Such a discussion it, of
course, bound to be inadequate, for who we shall need
to read just our shights as time goes on and the situation
alters?
What can we do to help children feel more
secure in an uncertain, angry would? What shall be the
role of the teacher in dealing with the insecurity of
young children?
 There are may aspect of this problem about which we
cannot be certain, but of this we can be share: it is more
than ever essential that our classroom climate be designed
to meet the emotional and spiritual needs of children as well
as their physical and intellectual learning about atoms and
how they behave.

Using Books

Several of the books in the bibliography contain

schematic diagrams of atom to indicate their structure
and give other information about them. Books may also
be used as sources information to answer such
question about atomic energy as “What are some
important uses of atomic energy?” and “What is
uranium are located?”.
 May of the magazine articles on atomic energy are too difficult for
pupils in elementary school, but some of them are not. The teacher or a pupils
who is good reader may read the article aloud and then the class may decide
whether or not it is an appropriate item for the bulletin board (not too difficult,
probably autentics, clearly written, etc) Parts of the article aloud and then the
class may be underlined in red pencils to draw attention to their importance.

Learning About Reading Current

Science Publications

Newspaper and magazine, books, encyclopedia, and other source

informations often cite the names of scientist, how and where they worked
on the various phases of atomic energy. It is important for pupils to realize
how science use one another‘s discovers in learning new things and to
know that scientist of many have cooperated in the discoveries.
 There are many
ARRANGING A
opportunities for interested
BULLETIN
individuals to report to the class
BOARD
the results of investigation on
such subjects as the peacetime
Making a bulletin
use of atomic energy, uses of
board display entitled.
atomic energy, uses of atomic
“ENERGY SOURCES
energy in medicine, people who
AND USES” may be a
have made important
useful activity to show that
contribution to our knowledge of
atomic energy is one of the
atoms, the life of Einstein,
many sources of energy.
location of the sources of
uranium, and the work of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
REPORTING
DISCUSSING ATOMIC
ENERGY
No study of atomic energy should be
undertaken without opportunity for
serious and intelligent discussion of
the social implications of the use of
the atomic bomb and other aspects of
atomic development. Again and again
it has been said that we must help
pupils to grow into better social
beings, a healthy attitude toward the
use and control of atomic is certainly
an important example of such growth.
If there is a Geiger counter available in
the community (perhaps in civil
defense), pupils will profit by seeing it
and testing materials with it. Luminous
dials on clocks, some kinds of china
(which contain uranium compounds),
and small pieces of uranium one will
operate the counter. Pupils will see that
radiation will pass through their hands
and still cause the counter to react.
USING A GEIGER COUNTER