Chernobyl, Fukushima, and more. Join this modern history course to learn about the most fascinating and disastrous accidents in the history of nuclear and atomic energy.
Total class meetings: 8
Duration of each class: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade. 7th- to 8th-grade students also welcome (homework adjusted for middle school students)
Suggested credit: 2/3 semester History or Modern History
Instructor: Christopher Martin, PhD
Instructor Email: chrisgooverthere@yahoo.com
Course description: Nuclear and atomic power has long been known as a potent source of energy with interesting properties. However, over the course of learning about these properties and harnessing this energy, a host of fascinating mistakes and accidents have occurred. This course traces a brief history of mankind’s relationship with nuclear and atomic power, giving special attention to the accidents which have occurred, including Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.
Course outline:
Day 1: Introduction and overview of syllabus and assignments
Day 2: “We Discover Fire”
Day 3: “Danger Beyond Comprehension”
Day 4: Fascinating Goof-Ups
Day 5: Windscale and Kyshtym
Day 6: The Military, and Three-Mile Island
Day 7: Chernobyl
Day 8: Fukushima
Course materials: Everything is provided free by the instructor.
Homework: Daily, optional review quizzes based on classroom lectures and discussions, worth bonus points. Students will compose a 2-3 page exercise in analyzing a historical event in nuclear history. NOTE: Middle school students will instead write a 1-2 page critical analysis of the select reading.
- Teacher: Christopher Martin