Hiroshima & Nagasaki: Developed by Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders (LEADERS)

Hiroshima & Nagasaki: the Wonders and Brutality of Radiation

9^th grade students from the Expeditionary Learning School for Community Leaders in Brooklyn piloted this biology and global history expedition focused on radiation. Through an in-depth study of the benefits and risks of radiation, they learned about how technological advances have a biological, social, economic and political impact. As part of the learning expedition, each student engaged in the generational study of a family that survived either Hiroshima or Nagasaki and learned about the immediate cell mitosis caused by the atomic bomb and the genetic mutations that were subsequently passed down. They modeled situations and drew hypotheses based on their studies, using math skills to show and understand the biological phenomena they were studying. The expedition culminated in a policy memo, drawing conclusions drawn from their study and outlining recommendations for managing the risks of radiation, which they shared during a school-wide presentation of learning.