Projects in Science Education Radioactivity in the Classroom

project, which started in 2007, emphasises the importance of ionising radiation – radiation with enough energy to remove electrons from atoms or molecules – in daily life. It now involves students (aged 12-18) and teachers from 25 high and middle schools throughout Portugal and the Azores, who receive technical and logistical support from the physics departments at the universities of Lisbon and Beira Interior, and from the Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics. The idea for the project was born when students from several high schools visited Lisbon University for a few days in Summer 2006, and a first trip to uranium mines was organised for them. Teachers and students involved in the project are invited to conduct hands-on experiments and share their results on the project’s website (see graph on page 58) and during an annual one-day workshop hosted by one of the participating schools. This includes a science fair where students present their results and share new ideas, and the best works are awarded symbolic prizes. At the end of this day, there is a ‘pros and cons’ debate between the students and guest scientists concerning radiation issues. This workshop is also an interesting social event, attracting the attention of newspapers and local radio stations. Projects in science education