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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 8 - 10

Chernobyl Empathy

A photograph shows students at a table sorting images in order of the events at Chernobyl using context clues from the images and captions.Asking students to analyze visual information is a great way to teach inferencing skills.

Student groups are given captioned photographs of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant facility and surrounding towns taken before and 28 years after the 1986 disaster. Based on the captions and clues in the images, they arrange them in sequential order. While viewing the completed sequence of images, students reflect on what it might have been like to be there, and ask themselves: what were people thinking, doing and saying at each point? This activity assists students in gaining an understanding of how devastating nuclear meltdowns can be, which underscores the importance of responsible engineering. It is recommended that this activity be conducted before the associated lesson, Nuclear Energy through a Virtual Field Trip.

Engineers design, build and oversee systems that are often highly complex. Sometimes the consequences of design or operation mistakes are costly; other times, the consequences are a matter of life and death. Responsible engineers know to make sure their designs do not result in unintended consequences that are detrimental to habitat and life. They must be vigilant in the creation of operational procedures and protocols that consider all potential scenarios to support the making of sound decisions. Nuclear and chemical engineers design and analyze the complex systems within nuclear power plants to make sure that all reactions run safely. It is important for engineers—as well as students pursuing engineering career paths—to cultivate empathy in order to remain constantly attentive to the impact of their designs and decisions on others.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Describe the events surrounding the Chernobyl disaster.
  • Describe the habitat and life impacts of the nuclear power plant accident.
  • Empathize with the people affected by the disaster.
  • Explain the drawbacks of nuclear-generated electricity.

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