8 Activities to help students understand the science behind nuclear chemistry

Why nuclear chemistry matters in today’s classroom

Nuclear chemistry sits at the intersection of science, history, ethics, and energy policy. It’s one of those topics that sparks deep curiosity in students, partly because it sounds dramatic and partly because it touches so many aspects of their everyday lives, from the smoke detectors in their hallways to the medical imaging technology their doctors use.

Yet for some teachers, nuclear chemistry can feel like a tough unit to teach well. The concepts are abstract, the math involves some tricky notation, and the real-world applications stretch far beyond the chemistry lab. Because, really, how do you make radioactive decay feel relevant to a room full of high schoolers?

Thankfully, you don’t need a particle accelerator to make this unit electric! With the right combination of video resources, structured discussions, and hands-on activities, you’ll help your students build a solid understanding of nuclear processes and their place in the modern world. The activities below are designed primarily for high school chemistry and physics classrooms, though several include connections that middle school and even elementary teachers will find useful.

8 activities to teach nuclear chemistry

1) Build a foundation with a nuclear chemistry crash course

Before students tackle fission reactions or calculate radiation doses, they need a clear picture of what nuclear chemistry is and why it holds significance. Starting with an accessible overview helps set the stage for the more detailed work ahead.

Begin by screening the Crash Course Chemistry: Nuclear Chemistry video with your class. At around 10 minutes long, it covers the fundamentals of nuclear processes and properties without overwhelming students with too much detail too quickly.

• Before pressing play, ask students to jot down three things they already think they know about nuclear chemistry and one question they’d like answered.
• Pause the video at key points to check for understanding. Ask students to turn and talk with a partner about what they’ve just heard.
• After viewing, revisit their initial lists. Which assumptions were confirmed? Which were corrected? What new questions emerged?
• For a deeper dive, direct students to the full Nuclear Chemistry topic page on ClickView, where they’ll find additional videos and resources organized by subtopic.

This activity works well as a unit opener for any grade level studying chemistry or physical science. Elementary and middle school teachers covering basic atomic structure or energy topics will find the pre-viewing brainstorm especially useful for gauging prior knowledge.

2) Classify types of nuclear radiation

Understanding the differences between alpha, beta, and gamma radiation is a cornerstone of any nuclear chemistry unit. This activity turns what could be a dry classification exercise into something interactive and memorable.

Use the Shedding Light on Nuclear Radiation series as your anchor resource. Assign each small group one type of radiation to become experts on:

• Group A watches Alpha Radiation and identifies what alpha particles are, their penetrating power, and real-world examples.
• Group B watches Beta-Minus and Gamma Radiation and does the same for beta-minus particles and gamma rays.
• Group C watches Beta-Plus Decay and investigates positron emission.

After viewing, each group presents their findings to the class. Then, as a whole class, create a comparison chart on the board that organizes the three types by particle composition, charge, penetrating ability, and shielding required.

• Challenge students to rank the three types from least to most dangerous and defend their reasoning.
• Ask: “If you were designing a protective suit for workers at a nuclear power plant, which types of radiation would you need to shield against, and how?”

This jigsaw approach encourages collaboration and gives students ownership of their learning, while the comparison chart becomes a reference tool for the rest of the unit.

3) Model nuclear fission and fusion

Fission and fusion are the two most well-known nuclear reactions, but students often confuse them. This activity uses video, physical modeling, and side-by-side comparison to make the distinction stick.

Start by screening Nuclear Chemistry Part 2: Fusion and Fission from the Crash Course Chemistry series. Then follow up with the dedicated Nuclear Fusion and Nuclear Fission videos from the Nuclear Energy series for more detail.

• After viewing, have students work in pairs to create a Venn diagram comparing fission and fusion. Categories to compare include: what happens to the nucleus, energy input versus output, where each process occurs naturally, and current human applications.
• For a kinesthetic extension, use colored balls or building blocks to model each reaction at the atomic level. Students physically “split” a large nucleus (fission) and “combine” small nuclei (fusion) to reinforce the concepts.
• Wrap up with a quick-write prompt: “Which process, fission or fusion, do you think holds more promise for the future of energy? Why?”

What makes this pairing effective is the contrast. When students see both processes side by side, the differences become clear and the underlying physics feels less abstract.

4) Debate the future of nuclear energy

Nuclear power is a zero-emission energy source, which makes it appealing for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But it also carries risks. This tension makes it a perfect topic for a structured classroom debate that builds critical thinking and public speaking skills.

Begin by having your class watch Nuclear Power: Risks and Benefits and Nuclear Fission Reactors to establish a shared foundation of knowledge. Then screen Debating Energy Futures: Coal, Gas and Nuclear for a broader perspective on where nuclear fits in the energy landscape.

• Divide the class into two teams: one arguing in favor of expanding nuclear power, and one arguing against.
• Give teams time to prepare their arguments using evidence from the videos and any additional research.
• Hold a structured debate with timed opening statements, rebuttals, and closing arguments.
• After the debate, hold a class vote and debrief. Did anyone change their mind? What was the most persuasive argument on each side?

This activity naturally crosses into environmental science, economics, and civics, making it a great option for cross-curricular collaboration. Middle school teachers covering energy and sustainability topics will find the debate format particularly engaging for their students.

5) Connect nuclear fusion to stars and space science

Ever wonder what keeps the sun burning? Nuclear fusion is the answer, and it’s a connection that bridges chemistry and astronomy in a way students find pretty fascinating.

Screen Nuclear Fusion in Stars with your class. At just four minutes, it’s a quick but powerful video that shows how the same nuclear processes studied in chemistry class power every star in the universe.

• Before viewing, pose this question: “The sun has been producing energy for roughly 4.6 billion years. What kind of fuel source could possibly last that long?”
• After viewing, have students create a diagram showing the fusion process inside a star, labeling the hydrogen and helium nuclei, the energy released, and the conditions (temperature and pressure) required.
• Extend the activity with a research task: students investigate what happens when a star runs out of hydrogen fuel and explore the role of fusion in creating heavier elements.

This is one of those activities that reminds students why science is worth studying. The connection between a chemistry equation on the board and the light from a distant star is hard to forget. Elementary and middle school teachers covering space or energy units will find this a natural tie-in, even without the full chemistry context.

6) Investigate radioisotopes in medicine and industry

Radioisotopes have applications that go far beyond nuclear power plants. From cancer treatment to smoke detectors, they’re embedded in everyday life. This activity helps students see the practical, life-saving side of nuclear science.

Use the Natural Radioisotope Production and Synthetic Radioisotope Production videos to introduce how radioisotopes are formed in nature and manufactured in labs.

• After viewing, assign students a research project. Each student (or pair) investigates one real-world application of a specific radioisotope, for example: technetium-99m in medical imaging, cobalt-60 in cancer treatment, americium-241 in smoke detectors, or carbon-14 in archaeological dating.
• Students create a one-page fact sheet or short presentation covering: the radioisotope’s name and symbol, how it’s produced, its half-life, its application, and any safety considerations.
• Share findings with the class through a gallery walk or brief oral presentations.

For students interested in the math behind radiation safety, follow up with Calculating Equivalent and Effective Doses of Radiation and Radiation Dose from the Shedding Light on Nuclear Radiation series. These videos walk through how scientists measure and compare different types of radiation exposure, reinforcing both the chemistry and the practical math skills students need.

7) Explore nuclear history through short-form video

Nuclear science doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It has shaped world history, international relations, and ethical debates for more than 80 years. This activity uses short-form video to bring that history into the classroom in an engaging, digestible way.

Curate a mini video playlist from the ClickView library and use it as the basis for a history-meets-science lesson:

• President Truman and the Atom Bomb (59 seconds) introduces the decision to use atomic weapons in World War II.
• Castle Bravo: The Largest Nuclear Explosion in US History (two minutes) covers the 1954 hydrogen bomb test and its unintended consequences.
• Greenbrier Resort: The Secret Nuclear Bunker (two minutes) reveals a hidden Cold War bunker beneath a luxury resort.
• Manhattan Project Human Experiments (two minutes) raises important ethical questions about nuclear research.

After watching the playlist, facilitate a class discussion using prompts like:

• What surprised you the most? Why?
• Were the decisions made during the Manhattan Project justified? What ethical lines, if any, were crossed?
• How do these historical events influence the way we think about nuclear technology today?

Add the How to Detect a Secret Nuclear Test, Why You Should Care about Nukes, and What Nuclear Bombs Taught Us About Whales videos as extension viewing for students who want to go deeper. The whale video in particular is an unexpected hook that shows how nuclear testing inadvertently contributed to marine biology research.

This is a strong cross-curricular activity for US History and social studies classes, making it easy to co-plan with colleagues in other departments.

8) Spotlight significant scientists in nuclear science

Behind every major discovery in nuclear chemistry, there’s a scientist with a story worth telling. This activity puts the focus on the people behind the science and highlights contributions that are often underrepresented in textbooks.

Screen the Marie Curie video from the Timelines of Everyone series and Chien-Shiung Wu: The First Lady of Physics from Women and the American Story.

• After viewing, have students discuss: What obstacles did these scientists face? How did their work change the field of nuclear science? Why do you think some scientists receive more recognition than others?
• Assign a “Scientist Spotlight” research project. Each student selects a scientist who contributed to nuclear chemistry or physics (beyond Curie and Wu) and prepares a short biography covering their key discoveries, the historical context of their work, and their lasting impact.
• Create a classroom “Wall of Fame” displaying student work, or hold a “scientist speed dating” session where students take on the role of their chosen scientist and field questions from classmates.

This activity builds research, writing, and presentation skills while reinforcing the idea that science is a human endeavor. It’s also a great way to bring representation and diverse perspectives into STEM education. Middle school teachers covering scientific inquiry or biography units will find this easily adaptable.

Tips for integrating nuclear chemistry into everyday lessons

You don’t need to save nuclear chemistry for a single unit and then move on. There are plenty of ways to weave it into your regular teaching throughout the year:

• Connect to current events. When nuclear energy, weapons policy, or medical breakthroughs appear in the news, take five minutes to discuss the science behind the headline with your class.
• Use short-form video as bell ringers. Many of the videos in the Nuclear Chemistry topic collection are under five minutes long, making them ideal warm-up activities at the start of class.
• Build vocabulary incrementally. Introduce key terms like half-life, isotope, and radioactive decay early in the year and revisit them throughout, rather than front-loading all the terminology in one lesson.
• Encourage cross-curricular conversations. Talk to your colleagues in history, environmental science, and health departments. Nuclear chemistry touches all of these fields, and co-planned lessons make the content richer for everyone.
• Leverage the full ClickView library. The Shedding Light on Nuclear Radiation series, the Nuclear Energy series, and the Crash Course Chemistry collection all offer video content that pairs well with these activities and extends learning beyond a single lesson.

Nuclear chemistry is one of those rare topics that naturally bridges the gap between abstract science and the real world. Whether your students are writing nuclear equations, debating energy policy, or learning about the scientists who shaped the field, the connections they make in your classroom will stay with them well beyond the final exam.

Sources

1. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). (2013). HS-PS1-8: Nuclear Processes. Available at: https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/hs-ps1-8-matter-and-its-interactions
2. American Chemical Society. (2024). Nuclear Chemistry. Available at: https://www.acs.org/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/archive-2013-2014/nuclear-chemistry.html
3. World Nuclear Association. (2025). Nuclear Energy and the Environment. Available at: https://www.world-nuclear.org/nuclear-essentials/how-does-nuclear-energy-affect-the-environment
4. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy. (2025). Nuclear Energy Explained. Available at: https://www.energy.gov/ne/nuclear-energy