U.S. Department of Energy, Na onal Nuclear Security Administra on Nevada Field Offi ce Teacher’s Guide Developed in cooperaƟ on with Patricia MacLeod, 8th Grade Science Teacher Log No. 2011-357 Updated March 2013 Fill in the Blank Table of Contents 20. A trained professional, known as an environmental ____________________, may check for soil contaminaƟ on by taking samples for lab analysis. Preface: For the Teacher ...........................................................3 21. ____________ _____________ training is one of the current acƟ viƟ es taking place at the Nevada NaƟ onal Security Site. Science ObjecƟ ves ....................................................................4 22. When the roof of an underground cavity collapses during a historic underground test, this forms a __________________ __________________ at the surface. IntroducƟ on..............................................................................6 23. An ________________________ is a geologic formaƟ on of permeable rock, gravel or sand containing or conducƟ ng the Discussion Topic: History of the U.S. Department of Energy movement of groundwater. Environmental Management Program.......................................7 24. Atoms are comprised of three parƟ cles: protons, neutrons and ____________________________. The Task: OperaƟ on Clean Desert AcƟ vity Book......................10 25. How fast a radioacƟ ve atom decays is measured by its _________________-__________________. Half-life AcƟ vity..............................................................15 26. Full-scale nuclear tesƟ ng was conducted for over 40 years at the Nevada NaƟ onal Security Site, between ____________ Aquifer in a Cup Experiment...........................................21 and ______________. 27. The process of an unstable atom trying to achieve stability is referred to as _______________________. Crossword Puzzle............................................................26 28. A radioacƟ ve atom is called an __________________________. Cryptogram....................................................................30 29. OperaƟ on Clean Desert takes place at the Nevada _______________________ ________________________ Site. Anatomy of an Atom - Coloring/ConstrucƟ on AcƟ vity....31 30. Groundwater moves in _______________________________ layers beneath the Earth’s surface. Student Assessment Worksheet - Teacher’s Key.............32 31. Cleanup workers must remove contaminated industrial material such as tools and protecƟ ve ______________________. Student Assessment Worksheet.....................................34 32. __________________________________ occurs when something harmful or unsafe is in an area where it is not wanted. 33. The water _______________________ is the underground surface of geologic layers that are wholly saturated with water. 34. The Desert _____________________ is one of many species that calls the Nevada NaƟ onal Security Site home. 35. Computer models use informaƟ on obtained during well drilling to generate _________________________ representaƟ ons of the geology beneath the Earth’s surface. Essay QuesƟ on (write an essay responding to the following quesƟ ons) Do any careers described in OperaƟ on Clean Desert appeal to you? If so, which one(s) and why? If not, write about the type of career you want to pursue and why. Include how you plan to reach your goal, such as by enrolling in college, pursuing training, joining the military, etc. 2 35 Preface There are ongoing Environmental Management ac vi es at the Nevada Na onal Security Site (formerly known as the Nevada Test Site), which is located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, addressing impacts from historic atmospheric and underground nuclear tes ng that spanned from 1951 to 1992. Many scien fi c experts are working Student Assessment together to develop and implement eff ec ve strategies to characterize more than 3,000 contaminated soil, industrial facili es, and groundwater sites at the Nevada Na onal Security Site. Once characterized, contaminated sites are remediated and then closed in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (www.nv.energy.gov/ MulƟ ple Choice (circle the correct answer) library/factsheets/DOENV_964.pdf). 1. How many diff erent animal species can be found at the Nevada 6. Oil spilled on the ground is an example of what Na onal Security Site? type of contamina on? In addi on to the above remedia on ac vi es, low-level and mixed low-level radioac ve waste disposal at the Nevada a. Less than 500 a. Radioac ve contamina on Na onal Security Site has been ongoing since 1961. Originally, this waste was generated by historic on-site nuclear b. Exactly 1,325 b. Mechanical contamina on weapons tes ng. More recently, the low-level and mixed low-level radioac ve waste is generated during environmental c. More than 1,500 c. Chemical contamina on cleanup and opera onal ac vi es at the Nevada Na onal Security Site and other U.S. Department of Energy sites d. Exactly 2,303 d. Liquid contamina on across the United States. This waste is permanently disposed in excavated cells located at the Area 5 Radioac ve Waste 2. Nuclear research, development and tes ng caused radioac ve 7. How do Nevada Na onal Security Site scien sts Management Site, a 740 acre facility at the Nevada Na onal Security Site. Located in a remote, arid environment with contamina on of: look for and track contaminated groundwater? very deep groundwater (approximately 800 feet below the surface), Area 5 Radioac ve Waste Management Site ac vi es a. Buildings a. Use drill rigs to dig deep into the ground are conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local regula ons (www.nv.energy.gov/library/factsheets/ b. Clothes and tools to gather water and rock samples to create DOENV_631.pdf). c. Soil and water computer models d. All of the above b. Measure the temperature of the water; 3. One method used to check soil for the presence of radioac ve the warmer the water, the more it is References contaminated contamina on is: U.S. Department of Energy, Na onal Nuclear Security Administra on Nevada Field Offi ce on-line resources: a. Use a black light to see if the soil glows c. Use seismic devices to test water density; the denser the water, the more it is contaminated b. Send soil samples to laboratories for analysis www.nv.energy.gov/emprograms/default.aspx (Environmental Management Ac vi es) d. Provide water to volunteers for taste tests c. Check soil for extreme temperature changes www.facebook.com/NNSANevada d. Place soil sample in a cup of water to see if it reacts 8. Low-level radioac ve waste is containerized and www.youtube.com/user/NNSANevada 4. At the Nevada Na onal Security Site, groundwater levels can taken to designated areas to be: h p://twi er.com/#!/NNSANevada range from a few hundred feet to: a. Placed under water www.fl ickr.com/photos/NNSANevadaSiteOffi ce a. Less than 2,000 feet deep b. Crushed and placed in smaller bags [email protected] b. More than 4,000 feet deep c. Safely and permanently disposed in c. Approximately 8,000 feet deep engineered cells d. More than 10,000 feet deep d. Cleaned and reused 5. Nevada Na onal Security Site scien sts use computer models to: 9. Scien sts at the Nevada Na onal Security Site: a. Design desert habitats a. Have a variety of degrees and experience b. Study weather pa erns b. Prac ce and learn new skills c. Track the ea ng/drinking habits of area wildlife c. Consider safety fi rst d. Create representa ons of subsurface geology and hydrology d. All of the above Correct False Statements (cross out and replace incorrect words to make these false statements true) 10. An aquifer is a solid layer of soil or rock that allows water to pass through it. 11. Before 1951, Nevada Na onal Security Site land was completely unused. 12. Scien sts study rock and water samples from well drilling to help locate fi sh. 13. Half of the U.S. public water supply comes from underground. 14. The nucleus of an atom contains three par cles. 15. The Sun emits groundwater. 16. Training animals is another ac vity conducted at the Nevada Na onal Security Site. 17. Special equipment is used to detect radia on, because it is green and smells funny. 18. A neutron has a nega ve charge. 34 19. Workers package low-level radioac ve waste into glass jars and sandwich bags for disposal. 3 Science Objec ves Fill in the Blank scien st Na onal Science Standards: Grades 6-8 20. A trained professional, known as an environmental ____________________, may check for soil contamina on by taking samples for lab analysis. N.8.A STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE REQUIRES CRITICAL CONSIDERATION OF 21. ____________Na onal _____________ security training is one of the current ac vi es taking place at the Nevada Na onal Security Site. VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE OBTAINED FROM INQUIRY AND APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATIONS. N.8.A.1 STUDENTS KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY AND CRITICALLY EVALUATE INFORMATION IN DATA, 22. When the roof of an underground cavity collapses during a historic underground test, this forms a __________________subsidence TABLES, AND GRAPHS. E/S __________________crater at the surface. N.8.A.2 STUDENTS KNOW HOW TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE INFORMATION TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION. E/S 23. An ________________________aquifer is a geologic forma on of permeable rock, gravel or sand containing or conduc ng the N.8.A.4 STUDENTS KNOW HOW TO DESIGN AND CONDUCT A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT. E/L movement of groundwater. N.8.A.5 STUDENTS KNOW HOW TO USE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AND LABORATORY