Radon Gas — Students Research and Make an Impact

At several schools in a community in northern Israel, a decision was made to join forces and approach the local authority out of concern over radon accumulation in school classrooms and in certain areas of the community. As part of the initiative they launched, they contacted us and a training process began for a number of teachers, one from each school, who would guide their students throughout their participation in the project and across the learning unit. The students who participated on behalf of the schools in that community collected approximately 200 radon measurements using activated charcoal vials. After the measurements were completed, the schools again approached the local authority to present their findings, which they had analyzed using CODAP software. This time, the project leaders from the schools felt it was not enough to approach the authorities alone, and decided that the topic was important enough to warrant broader public exposure within the community. The students from the various schools, together with the project leaders, planned and carried out a "Radon Evening," in which the municipal learning center was opened to the public and the participating students presented their research through posters, presentations, news-style reports, and more on the topic of radon. The aim of the evening was to reach as many residents as possible and raise public awareness of radon gas among them.