Extreme Engineering: Containing Chernobyl

On April 26, 1986, engineers at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant were running a safety test that quickly turned into one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Have you ever wondered what it would take to clean up the site?

Join me for 4 weeks of fascinating discussions as we ask questions like:
-- How does nuclear power work?
-- How do we know which fuels to use?
-- Why is nuclear power so heavily regulated?
-- What went wrong on April 26, 1986?
-- How did the disaster produce such widespread environmental damage?
-- What were the steps taken to contain the disaster?
-- What is the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone?
-- How did engineers design and build the New Safe Containment?
-- What is needed to make Reactor 4 safe again?

We will explore the physics and the engineering that makes nuclear power possible. This class features dynamic class discussions oriented around answering students' questions where students will be given opportunities to extend their learning in between classes through further research, hands-on experiments, virtual laboratory activities, mathematical problem solving, or building 3-dimensional models. Class discussions center on an organizing question and include video clips to illustrate key ideas. As the discussion facilitator, I adjust the trajectory of our conversations to follow students' curiosity, making this a great class for kids who love to do deeper with their learning. 

In general, our discussions will flow along the following outline*
Week 1: How does nuclear power work?
Week 2: Why did the Chernobyl reactor explode during the safety test?
Week 3: What steps were taken immediately after the disaster to limit the release of radioactive materials?
Week 4: What is the role of the New Safe Containment structure?
* Note: The exact organizing question of a given week might be slightly different across sections to accommodate specific learner interests. Learners who are especially eager to learn more about nuclear power and radioactive materials would be welcome to repeat this class as the outline is organized by category of inquiry rather than a specific question. Example of more specific questions might be "Why does uranium need to be enriched for use in nuclear power plants?" which would fall under the category of a Week 1 question and "How does the robot disassembly robot work?" which would fall under the category of a Week 4 question.

Learners will be provided with insights about how to extend their learning after each class. These assignments will come from our class discussions. I do try to ensure that in-between class challenges are as hands-on as possible. However, given the topic of nuclear radiation, these experiments will likely be virtual simulations or making 3 dimensional models of structures. Home makerspace supplies such as craft sticks, pipe cleaners, cutting foam, cardboard, and interlocking bricks will be helpful when constructing 3 dimensional models.