The CIF topic for the 2004-2005 school year focuses on peaceful civilian uses of radioactive materials and radiation, and on the possibility of radioactive materials and radiation being used in terrorism. Students will address these issues from the following perspectives: scientific, environmental, political/geopolitical, economic, and social/cultural.

Student participants will create products for each of the three Benchmarks and make those products available on the CIF web site. These products may be in any format that can be posted to the web. For examples of the kind of work that is expected, please check the Benchmark Results for 2002-2003.

The CIF benchmarks for 2004-2005 are listed below. Click on each benchmark link to view the full set of objectives and the suggested activities. You can also obtain a PDF version by clicking on that link at the end of each benchmark description.

Benchmark One: Your task is to investigate and comprehend the nature of radiation, radioactive materials, and related topics. In your investigations you will examine the objectives from the point of view of the scientific & environmental; social & cultural; economic; political & geopolitical domains to gain a comprehensive understanding of these topics. (Benchmark_1.PDF)

Benchmark Two: Your task is to investigate and comprehend incidents involving radioactive materials and radiation dispersal devices or RDDs (weapons). In your investigations you will examine the objectives from the point of view of the scientific & environmental; social & cultural; economic; political & geopolitical domains to gain a comprehensive understanding of these incidents and these weapons. (Benchmark_2.PDF)

Benchmark Three: Your task is to investigate and comprehend methods of securing radioactive materials, methods, treaties, laws, and procedures that help prevent the use of "dirty" weapons, and, finally, the responses that would take place in the event of an accident or terrorist incident involving radioactive materials.
In your investigations you will examine the objectives from the point of view of the scientific & environmental; social & cultural; economic; political & geopolitical domains to gain a comprehensive understanding of security, prevention, and response. (Benchmark_3.PDF)

http://www.criticalissuesforum.org/bmks05.html
updated 06 February 2005