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The American Museum of Science and Energy has partnered with the Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) to make available previously out of print instructional material on nuclear energy and an excellent publication on the Manhattan Project. These documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDF downloads at the links provided below. If you need the Acrobat Reader, it is available as a free download.

The Harnessed Atom is a comprehensive middle school teacher's resource that provides students and teachers with an accurate, and unbiased learning guide about nuclear energy.

  • The Harnessed Atom – Student's Guide reviews the basic scientific principles that underlie nuclear energy and focuses on atoms, radiation, the technology of our number two source of electricity, and issues concerning nuclear energy. The Harnessed Atom is quality material that educates students by providing them with the factual information they need to draw their own conclusions and make informed decisions about nuclear energy and related topics. (9.6 MB download)
  • The Harnessed Atom – Teacher's Guide (Note: This publication is missing the pages for the Review Exercise for Unit 2 – Lesson 2.) contains suggestions for using the materials and is designed to help teachers in scheduling and planning lessons that teach concepts and develop basic skills. Included in the book are discussion questions, answers to review exercises, a list of materials, and a list of additional resources. (19.1 MB download)

The Manhattan Project is a short history of the origins and development of the American atomic bomb program during World War II. Beginning with the scientific development of the pre-war years, the monograph details the role of the United States government in conducting a secret, nationwide enterprise that took science from the laboratory and into combat with an entirely new type of weapon. The book concludes with a discussion of the immediate postwar period, the debate over the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, and the founding of the Atomic Energy Commission. (7.4 MB download)