You now have access to all components by scrolling down this screen. However, you may not want to download or print everything now, so you are invited to choose from the links opposite and visit again in the future. On the one hand it is a professional development experience offering opportunity to try something new, hopefully in conjunction with your staff, in the knowledge that the notes record the successful experiences of your colleagues elsewhere. On the other hand it is a well trialed lesson plan which provides clear information about 'what to do in maths tomorrow'.
Radioactive waste involves the concept of a half-life and exponential decay functions.
All radioactive material is described in terms of its half-life. Arising from this community concern the students 'pretend' to be uranium atoms and model the decay process. A computer simulation then provides an investigative tool to explore the underlying concepts of 'half-life' and exponential decay. Students discover just how long some of this material can stay in the environment. The mathematical aspects of this lesson should be seen in association with other aspects of these issues as studied within other subject disciplines.