United States Atomic Energy Commission

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/united-states-atomic-energy-commission

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was United States Atomic Energy Commission built?January 1, 1947
2. What is the governing legislation?Atomic Energy Act of 1946
3. What is the abolished?1974, through the Energy Reorganization Act
4. Why was the AEC created after World War II?After World War II, the U.S. had a lot of new atomic technology from the Manhattan Project. The AEC was created so that the country could use that technology safely for good things, not just for war.
5. How did the AEC help make electricity with nuclear power?The AEC helped build the first commercial nuclear power plants, such as Shippingport, which used nuclear reactions to produce electricity for homes and businesses.

Manhattan Project: The World War II U.S. government research project that produced the first atomic bombs.
Nuclear Proliferation: The spread of nuclear weapons, fissionable material, and nuclear technology and information to nations not recognized as 'nuclear-weapon states'.
Regulatory Oversight: The process by which a government agency supervises and controls an industry or activity to ensure compliance with laws and standards.