Objective of Activity 1

To provide a conceptual introduction to ionizing radiation and how it differs from other types of radiation, sparking students’ curiosity and laying the groundwork for the upcoming activities.

Context

Depending on how much the class already knows about radiation, the duration of the introduction may vary based on the students’ prior knowledge. It is recommended to begin with a discussion about how radiation appears in everyday life—answers such as solar radiation, X-rays, and even radiation from bananas are expected—and then move on to a discussion of its effects on human health. Next, move on to a conceptual introduction to ionizing radiation, highlighting its ability to break DNA strands. The true-or-false activity serves to guide what students are expected to have learned by the end of the lesson. The following table summarizes the main parts of the lesson and includes the PDF of the activity.