MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Abstract
The tragedy of the radium girls is a long-forgotten story that played a critical role in the development of health and safety standards in the workplace and garnered our understanding of how to safely handle and use radioactive substances. Radioactivity in the early 1900s was an underdeveloped field, having just been discovered and explored by Marie Curie and other scientists. It was a novel concept, brimming with enigmas and unfathomable possibilities. Unfortunately, the enthusiastic promotion of radioactivity led it to be misconstrued as more beneficial than harmful. Most people have never heard of the radium girls or know about how their story has impacted our lives today. This educational guide examines how radium became so liberally used during that time period despite its harmful nature, details the tragic events that unfolded in Orange County, New Jersey, and also investigates why it took so many years for the dial painters to be compensated for their medical ailments. To conduct research for this educational guide, historical books, scholarly articles, and documentaries on the radium girls have been referenced and analyzed. The radium girls ultimately changed the societal standards for worker safety and employee protections, laying the groundwork for new laws and administrations to be put in place to ensure employees were protected and that employers could be held accountable for the health of its employees. Their case has had lasting impacts on subsequent U.S projects and even centuries later, their legacy remains as strong as ever.

WC: 244

READER'S PROFILE: I imagine the reader to be a high school student skeptical of the idea that the radium girls are important or relevant to today’s industrial/job standards.

READER'S RESPONSE: Well, I think what happened in Orange County, New Jersey was unfortunate but I don’t really understand why we’re learning about this now. This happened centuries ago, why should we care? I mean I guess they did change safety laws and regulations in the workplace, but our society and jobs are so evolved that I feel like what happened back then isn’t applicable or relevant to us. How is this event even relevant to AP biology? Maybe after I complete these reflection exercises on the worksheet provided by the teacher I can understand more of why this event was so significant and why we’re still learning about it in 2017...

Citation: Formal APA citation in background section
Voice:

*Facilitated, not garnered

E, good plan. I think that some of the multi media ways you provide the teacher will help address the burned out AP student. So, the mode of teaching might help with this reactions.

You can also address this by noting that this case helped bring about enhanced regulation at the federal level to keep workers safe. That is one of the benefits of this sad story, that we are safer at work because of their tragedy. Look for a Department of Labor source on this aspect.