Writing Sample
Raising Students' and Educators' Awareness of Radioactive Materials Transport Through Creative Classroom Materials and Exhibits
Anne Marie Smith, Co-Author
(See Writing Portfolio for more samples)

Our discussions with teachers and students indicate an interest in up-to-date information and ready to use hands-on activities to supplement existing curricula. To introduce students to the transport issues of hazardous materials, particularly radioactive materials, OSP (Office of Special Programs within the U.S. Department of Energy's [DOE], Environmental Restoration and Waste Management [EM] Program) has developed HazTranz - A Highway Transportation Game. HazTranz represents a cooperative effort among teachers, public information and educational specialists, technical experts on transporting radioactive materials, and graphic artists.

The purpose of the HazTranz Game is to introduce students in grades five through nine to some of the risks and safety considerations related to the transportation of hazardous materials, particularly radioactive materials. Players, acting as drivers of radioactive shipments, travel a game board representing the United State's highway system. Their objective is to deliver their radioactive cargo safely to one of three destinations - a manufacturing plant (where radioactive materials are used to develop consumer goods), a hospital (where radioactive materials are used in important diagnostic procedures and treatments), or a waste disposal facility.

Players are challenged throughout the game to make decisions based on transport safety regulations, including proper packaging, labeling, placarding, routing, and emergency response action. Some of the challenging tasks required to win the game include calculating mileage en route to their destinations and choosing the correct package type and appropriate label and placard for their assigned cargo based on the number of curies and the number of millirems per hour emitted from the radioisotope they are carrying. The Dispatcher controls the flow of the game, and is responsible for keeping an accurate, cumulative record of the mileage traveled by each player (driver).

In addition to raising awareness about how safe transport of radioactive materials is accomplished, the game introduces students to some of the uses of radioactive materials in our daily lives. Students are also exposed to a variety of technical career alternatives, such as health physicist, transportation engineer, nuclear engineer, truck driver, emergency medical technician, and dispatcher.

A. Design and Development:

The concept for the HazTranz Game was initially developed by a group of teachers participating in the Summer Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Curriculum Development Institute held at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in 1992. Twelve teachers representing a variety of schools in the Chicago area spent five weeks at ANL. During that time, the group interacted with technical experts associated with DOE's EM program to develop classroom materials designed to introduce students to selected aspects of DOE's environmental restoration and waste management efforts. One outcome from the 1992 institute was the first draft of HazTranz.

The Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Curriculum Development Institute held at ANL during the summer of 1993 focused another group of teachers on the game. Six of these teachers were returning participants from the 1992 institute who served as team leaders. The focus of the "HazTranz Team" was revision of the game based on teacher and student input during a preliminary evaluation.

B. Preliminary Evaluation:

During the 1992-1993 school year, the game was formatted and informally tested in one of the summer institute teacher's classrooms. In March of 1993 two workshops were held at ANL to evaluate the game. During these workshops, about 30 teachers played and evaluated HazTranz.

HazTranz has also been tested by students on a limited basis. Their reaction to playing the game has been enthusiastic. Teachers have reported that their students, after playing HazTranz, now recognize and point out hazardous and radioactive placards that they see on trucks traveling on the highways.

C. Future Plans:

Future plans for the HazTranz Game include a formal field test, and a final DOE review, followed by production and distribution through the National Science Teachers Association, interested States, and other educational organizers. In addition, the 1993 summer institute teachers developed a series of activities designed to broaden the curricular context of the game.