The National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Achieve are developing the framework for the Next Generation of Science Standards. It is in the spirit of this soon to be finalized national curricula set and standards set that this unit on Nuclear Processes is developed (see appendix A).
It is understood that American students are underperforming in science. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 data, American students ranked 17
th
in science achievement globally. Our students will require a broad foundation of scientific skills and literacy in order to thrive in the 21
st
Century global economy. To this end, the current model of science curricula being developed stresses higher levels of science learning.
This unit is intended to extend the students' capacity for innovation and creativity as it stresses integration of problem solving analysis, problem solving skills, communication, imagination and productivity. In this unit, students are expected to manage a large volume of complex material, divide that material down into smaller more manageable modules and present a cohesive vision of their learning in the form of a stop motion animation. Students will develop their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills as they work with a partner to formulate, manage and develop, revise and edit new ideas. They will examine cause and effect relationships in nuclear chemistry so that they may bring their designs into being.
