ci 541 unit plan: matter, atoms and the periodic table

7/29/2019 CI 541 Unit Plan: Matter, Atoms and the Periodic Table

1/24

Sara Patterson

CI 541

Unit Lesson Plan

Matter, Atoms and the Periodic Table

Introduction:

One could argue without much difficulty that chemical reactions are chemistry; the main

idea. Every chemistry course will cover some type of reaction. However, without an

understanding of the particulate nature of matter and how individual atoms behave one cannot

understand reactions. Too often chemistry courses gloss over the nature of elements and the

relationship between atomic structure and function in an effort to reach reactions (Boo, 1998).

Thus students do not see the connection between structure and function are often left with the

impression that learning chemistry is just a matter of memorizing an increasingly complex, but

arbitrary set of rules (Boo, 1998). If students lack a good beginning in nature of matter, it is

highly unlikely they will be successful in future chemistry courses which will focus heavily on

applications of matters properties. Thus it is vital to create beginning chemistry lessons which

provide students a solid foundation in the nature of matter.

An ideal lesson plan would consider a number of areas beyond what content to present.

To begin, it is important to determine what ideas students bring with them into the classroom. It

is also important to determine the areas in which students typically have difficulties or develop

misconceptions so that these areas can receive extra attention during instruction. A second point

to consider is that the student body of today is an incredibly diverse group of individuals.

Because of this great diversity one must consider how to use multiple methods of representation,

assessment and expression in ones lessons so that all students have opportunities to access and

comprehend the material. A third point to consider is the call to introduce students to the process


2/24

of science and scientific habits of mind (National Research Council, 2012). This idea will be

referred to as inquiry for ease of reference. It should not be confused with the other commonly

accepted use of inquiry as shorthand for a totally student centered and project driven curriculum.

A final point to consider is the use of models and modeling. Because of the very abstract nature

of chemistry much of what is taught relies on models either implicitly or explicitly. If students

are to comprehend the material an understanding of how models are developed and used is

necessary. In order to address the above mentioned points I will take into account current

research on these topics while developing a unit plan to introduce the particulate nature of

matter, the atomic model and periodic table.

General ideas guiding instructional planning:

I this section we will investigate in depth the four topics I focused on while developing

the unit plan; students prior knowledge, the diversity of learners, inquiry and modeling. As

mentioned in the introduction, it is important to address the prior conceptions students have

because research, (Driver and Easley, 1978) has shown that the ideas a student brings with them

into the classroom color their comprehension of new material. Often students ideas can be built

upon to provide a richer comprehension of the subject material but one cannot make connections

with students prior knowledge until one has discovered what it is. Another reason to discover

what students think about a topic before they begin formal study of it is, occasionally, the ideas

they hold are contrary to the scientific view and it can be difficult to replace the students

personal views with more scientifically sound views. This is particularly difficult when the

students ideas are founded in their everyday experiences and the scientific explanation relies on

abstract concepts the student may not fully comprehend (Chandrasegaran, 2008). Thus it is


3/24

necessary to un-pack many of the assumptions and abstractions used in scientific explanations

and make them more concrete to the student.

One can also use the students prior conceptions to model the process of revision that all

scientists go thought. This has two potential benefits; first students are exposed to the processes

of inquiry as called for by the National Research Council (2012). Secondly, students will

presumably be less resistant to changing their ideas if they realize that even very well educated

scientists need to reevaluate their ideas based on new evidence.

I will consider the next two topics, inquiry and the diversity of learners, together because

they are so intimately related. As mentioned above, it is important not only to address the

science content but also the process of science when teaching. Current educational standards call

for students to participate in a process of inquiry (National Research Council, 2012). The first

attempts at teaching students inquiry resulted in the scientific method being introduced into the

curriculum as a set procedure which the students should memorize. However, inquiry is much

more than that. When students participate in true inquiry they develop scientific habits of mind.

For example, they learn how to ask questions and define problems. Students learn how to design

and implement investigations. They learn how to create and use models and analyze and

interpret data (National Research Council, 2012). All are important skills. However, doing

projects that are truly inquiry based in the classroom is often time consuming and difficult,

particularly when students are just beginning their studies in a specific area. Thus special

measures must be taken so that students gain a good foundation in the core concepts of chemistry

while also being introduced to the broader concerns of inquiry.

Incorporating inquiry into the classroom is particularly important because of the need to

accommodate the great diversity of learners. Students often think of science as a monolithic set


4/24

of facts. They believe that learning about science is merely the process of memorizing these

facts (Lee & Buxton, 2010). However, the facts are only the surface of science. Students must

also be taught the process of science. This is particularly important for students who are non-

mainstream students i.e. students who are minorities, of low socioeconomic status, non-native

English speakers etc. Non-mainstream students often view science as foreign, intimidating and

not something they can successfully participate in (Lee & Buxton, 2010). One should therefore

make an effort to include and teach all students as a matter of social justice. In order to provide

equal access to the material and opportunities to learn for all students one must make an effort to

use multiple modes of presentation and expression (Panfetti, 2012).

By having students participate in the process of science students can learn that science is

something that all people can do. Students should also gain an appreciation for the immediacy of

science. In my observation students often do not see the connection between what they are

learning and their lives; thus there are often problems of motivation. However, when students

participate in inquiry they can see how science is relevant to their lives.

Arguably learning scientific habits of mind and the process of science is even more

important than the content itself. This is because while the content is prone to change and it is

unlikely that the majority of ones students will need to know specifics of chemistry in their

future lives, they all will need to know how to evaluate claims based on evidence, determine

what information is necessary and how to find it and reason logically.

The final issue I considered is the use of models and modeling in the classroom. This

topic can be thought of as a subset of inquiry but it is important enough to merit its own mention.

The National Research Council (2012) recommend teaching students to develop and use models

is an essential element of a good science curriculum. Clement (1989) writes, there is growing


5/24

recognition that mental models play a fundamental role in the comprehension of science

concepts. Clearly developing students abilities to use and develop models is considered central

to science instruction.

Ideas specific to this topic:

The last section discussed why certain general ideas should be considered when planning

a set of lessons. In this section I will discuss the specifics of how to incorporate those ideas into

a lesson plan on the particulate nature of matter. Research has pinpointed a number of areas

where students either maintain misconceptions or struggle to comprehend chemical reactions.

Kind (2004) has created an extensive list of misconceptions and difficult topics in the chemistry

curriculum. Her work will inform the choices I make as to emphasis and how much time each

subject is allotted. She notes, for example, that students often believe that there are many

different types of matter; wood, sand, toothpaste, steel etc and that these can exist in several

physical states; paste, powder, solid etc.

This confusion over the nature of matter indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of

what physical properties are and how scientists think about matter. In order to provide an

understanding more in line with current scientific thought I will have to take pains to highlight

the connection between properties of elements and electron configuration. I will also include

experiments where we investigate the behavior of matter. Kind (2004) and Boo (1997) note that

students tend to rely on their senses when reasoning about matter. For example younger students

often believe that if they cannot see something it does not exist. According to Kinds (2004)

research this belief can often linger in various, more subtle forms in high school age students.

This suggests that teaching chemistry will have its own particular difficulties in chemistry

because the fundamental idea, the atom, is impossible to see without very expensive and


6/24

specialized equipment. Thus students have a number of misconceptions relating to the

particulate nature of matter. For example, often they will describe matter as being continuous

and they do not believe that particles are in constant, random motion (Kind, 2004).

A key conceptual difficulty that I will be addressing is that many students ascribe

macroscopic properties to particles (Kind, 2004; Boo, 1997). This means students believe that

individual particles can burn, expand, change shape etc. This misunderstanding provides an

enormous stumbling block to understanding how chemical reactions work. My goal is not to

discuss chemical reactions in this unit, but to develop the students mental modes of matter and

the atom so that they will have a solid foundation which will enable them to comprehend

reactions without resorting to memorization. To achieve this I will focus on the particulate

nature of matter and how an elements structure is related to its properties.

As mentioned above, learning the process of inquiry is important to include in science

instruction, particularly for non-mainstream students. The National Council for Research (2012)

states that students should be engaged in the process of science, not just in learning what others

have done and discovered. Unfortunately, the time, effort and resources required to develop a

project based curriculum such as those described in Brown et al (1989) and Cognition and

Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1990) are beyond most teachers. However, there are many

ways to engage in the process of science, besides doing project based learning. One can study

and critique anothers methods, study the process of building, testing and revisions models and

then apply that understanding to ones own studies. One can also engage in evidence based

discourse. The important point is that students should be actively engaged in their learning and

study not only scientific knowledge, but also how that knowledge was gained.


7/24

I have incorporated this idea into the lesson plan by including lessons where students

engage in scientific discourse by reading, writing and speaking on a topic. If one subscribes to

Vygotskys or Bakhtinsview, language is the primary filter through which meaning is made

(Kubli, 2005). Brown et al (1989)note that it is very easy to learn new words when engaging in

regular communication but that it is incredibly difficult when the words are divorced from their

context. As learning science is founded on learning a specialized vocabulary this observation is

very relevant when one considers methods of effective science teaching. Therefore it is vitally

important to allow students ample opportunity to engage with different types of language use so

that they have the chance to internalize the information and decode it so that the content makes

sense to them. It is also important that the teacher be engaged with this process so that he or she

can monitor and guide the development of scientifically sound ideas(Stewart et al, 2005).

Another benefit of engaging the students in discourse, particularly writing, is that research has

shown that students are better able to recall and apply information if they have engaged in

metacognitive activities; writing being a metacognitive activity (Miller and England, 1989;

Pugalee, 2004).

A final point to consider is how to overcome the very abstract nature of chemistry and

confusion that the many methods of representation can engender. Some methods are so

prevalent throughout the subject that many teachers fail to consider them as a potential source of

confusion for their students. However, it has been demonstrated that students have particular

difficulty moving between the macroscopic, molecular and symbolic representations that are

used every day in a chemistry class room (Chandregasesn 2007; Lee, n.d.; Cooper, 2012). For

example, students have difficulty extrapolating macroscopic properties from the given molecular

representation. Teachers often assume that students can easily relate the three and transition


8/24

between then but research (Lee, n.d.; Cooper, 2012) has shown that students often struggle to

relate one level to another. Therefore one must make an effort to show and disucss with students

the particulate representations of particles. Then students are better able to see the connection

between the three levels and have a greater comprehension of chemical phenomena (Lee, n.d.).

Unit sketch

Driving question: From a scientific perspective, what is matter and what makes it behave as it

does?

Learning objectives: Students will be able to recall information about the periodic table, atomicstructure and electron configuration. Students will be able to apply their knowledge to explain

chemical phenomena.

Benchmark/Standard: PS1. A Structure and Properties of Matter

By the end of grade 12: each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which ismade of protons and neutron, surrounded by electron. The periodic table orders elements

horizontally by the number of protons in the atoms nucleus and places those with similar

chemical properties in columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of otherelectron states. The structure and interaction of matter at the bulk scale are determined by

electrical forces within and between atoms. Stable forms of matter are those in which the

electric and magnetic field energy is minimized. A stable molecule has less energy, by an

amount known as the binding energy; than the same set of atoms separated one must provide atleast this energy in order to take the molecule apart (National Council for Research, 2012).

Outline:

1. Investigating the Particulate Nature of Matter2. How small are particles?3. How did the model of the atom develop?4. Modeling the Atom5. Development of the Periodic Table6. Review of Atomic Structure and Introduction to Electron Orbitals7. Electron Orbitals Practice8. Writing Activity on the Structure of Atoms9. Valence Electrons and Ions10.Octet rule, Stability and Lewis Dot Diagrams11.Lewis Dot Diagrams continued and Bonding12.Graphing Periodic Trends13.Reading Primary Literature14.Lab on Relationship between Electron Configuration and Periodic Trends15.Revise Paper on the Atom to Incorporate New Information16.Design review glogs


9/24

Lessons:

1. Investigating the particulate nature of matterLearning objectives: Students will recognize that all matter is made up of tiny moving

particles.

a. Introducing the lesson: Lead discussion on what matter is to access studentspreconceptions.

b. Body of the lesson: Divide students into lab groups of two. Each group will besent to a lab station where they will be instructed to investigate and think about

the nature of matter. Each lab station will have an assortment of items with

which they can explore and some will have instructions.

1. Station one: Thought experiment with manipulatives: Why doesfood coloring spread out in a glass of water?

2. Station two: Thought experiment with manipulatives: Whathappens when a balloon is inflated?

3. Station three: Thought experiment with manipulatives: Doesmatter exist when you cant see it?

4. Station four: Thought experiment with manipulatives: whatwould happen if you cut a piece of bread in half and then again,

and again

c. Wrapping up the lesson: Once the students have had an opportunity to exploreand think for 25 minutes, students will gather with the other students whostudied the same phenomena. The groups will discuss their findings and present

their information to the class. If we need more time we can present first thing

during tomorrows lesson.

Design Rationale: As mentioned above inquiry is an important aspect of science

education. With this type of lab experiences, students should start to understand how

they think about a topic. Their responses on the worksheet will give me a good idea of

what their preconceptions are. The lab activities also provide a foundation for

discussing the importance of observation and experiments to the scientific community.

2. How small are particles?Learning objectives: Students should comprehend the scale of atoms.

This lesson will introduce students to the idea of scale, that there are many different

types of things to small to see and just like things we can see, some are bigger than

others. Students will use their ipads or the computer lab to use an online microscope to


10/24

look at various items. After students have had some time to use the microscope. Each

student will make a scale chart of things we can see and things we can see with the

microscope. After a discussion of the particulate nature of matter, referencing our

thought experiments yesterday I will introduce the idea of atoms. We will then include

atoms on our charts.

Lesson: Atom (day 1 & 2). (2012). Retrieved from

http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2

3. How did the model of the atom develop?Learning objectives: Students will comprehend that scientists participate in the

process of developing, refining and using models.

a. Introducing the lesson:Yesterday we spoke about how small things can be.Today we are going to discuss how scientists came up with the idea that there

are things too small to see and what they did with that idea.b. Body of the lesson: Use the powerpoint: CI 541 Lesson plan

History_of_Atomic_Structure_2010.ppt which is interspersed with videos

describing the various experiments which lead scientists to refine their model of

the atom. Students will take notes and there will be a short discussion of the

main points after each video. I will focus on how scientists questioned atomic

models through experiments and used the new information to refine their model

of the atom. I will also briefly touch on current research which has brought the

existence of quarks to light. We will have a discussion about how this

information might change the current model of the atom.

c. Wrapping up the lesson: Who would like to share the main point of todayslesson? Can anyone add to that? (Scientists need models to help them think

about things. Sometimes they have to revise their models.)

Design Rationale: Models are very important in chemistry because of its

abstract nature. Students need to be familiar with what models scientists are

currently working with in order to comprehend modern scientific thought. It is

also important for students to see scientists participating in the process of

science, which is what they are doing as they continually revise the model of the

atom.

Rutherford gold foil experiment- backstage science . (2011, 4 14). Retrieved fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iE

or

Rutherford's gold foil experiment: The structure of an atom . (2011, 5 18).

Retrieved fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iE


11/24

Fansler, D. (n.d.). Chemistry: Electrons in atoms. Retrieved from http://www.dv-

fansler.com/Teaching/Chemistry/Chemistry Lesson Plans 12 - Electrons in

Atoms.pdf

4. Modeling the atomLearning objectives: Students will be able to recognize the four major historical

atom models and the current one. Students will recognize the role evidence and

argument played in the development of different models.

In this lesson students will combine what they learned in yesterdays lesson on the

development of the atomic model with their own research to create a timeline of

atomic models. Students will use the ipads, textbook and notes as resources. I will

expect them to include both an image of the atom (appropriately labeled) as well as

a description of why this model supplanted the last for each model. At the end of

the hour some students will share their timelines. Students will turn in the timelines

if they are finished or take them home as homework.

(n.d.). Idea of the atom: Timeline. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from

http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/

5. Development of the periodic tableLearning objectives: Students will be able to recall information about the development

of the periodic table.

a. Introducing the lesson:Does anyone have an idea of why the periodic table looksthe way it does? (It just does, someone made it that way, its organized based onmass etc.)

b. Body of the lesson:Let us assume it looks the way it does for a reason. Lets seeif we can make some observations about the table: how it looks, are there any

patterns you notice, is there anything unusual or odd, do you have any questions

Hand out periodic tables to groups of two or three,

Ask them to make observations. (Have the students write their observations in

their notebook.)

Once the students have had the opportunity to observe the table we will gather

as a group to discuss their findings. We will make a list on the board of

observations and questions. We will refer to the questions as we go along to

guide our studies.

Give brief history of Mendeleeve
http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/


12/24

Watch video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrel

After the video we will discuss what we learned. (The table is arranged based on

element masses and characteristics.)

c. Wrapping up the lesson: So what did we talk about today? (Many answers areacceptable but if the students do not say in so many words that: The periodictable is arranged based on the increasing number of protons in the

nucleolus/mass and similar characteristics of the elements I will have to direct

their attention to that thought. ) Why would this be useful to know?(You would

be able to predict how some elements would behave without doing

experiments, you dont have to memorize individual facts for each element). In

a future lesson we will discuss what types of things you can predict if you have a

periodic table.

Design Rationale: By having students look at the periodic table closely and then discuss

their findings I hope to bring to light any prior knowledge or conceptions they might

have. I would then be in a position to either build upon prior knowledge or correct

misconceptions. I also hope to impress up on them the idea that chemistry is not an

arbitrary set of rules but has a definite rationale. By approaching this idea early and

often thought out the year I would address the strand of patterns which the National

Research Council (2012) emphasizes.

Green, H. (Director) (2012). Mendeleev's periodic table[Web]. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrel

6. Review atomic structure and introduction to electron orbitalsLearning objectives: Students will recognize how electrons are organized into orbitals.

a. Introducing the lesson: Today we are going to start looking a little closer at theatom. When we discussed the anatomy of an atom we talked about how it had a

nucleus with protons and neutrons and a cloud of electrons surrounding the

nucleus. What do we recall about the relationship between number of protons

and number of electrons in an atom? (The number of protons equals the number

of electrons.) This means that as we add protons we add electrons as well.

(Refer back to the table.) The atomic number can therefore be thought of as a

quick way to figure out how many protons or electrons there are in a particular

atom.

b. Body of the lesson: Specifically we are going to investigate where the electronsare as they move around the nucleus. Show video

Khan. (Producer). (n.d.). Orbitals and electrons. [Web Video]. Retrieved from

http://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitalshttp://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitalshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrelhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrel


13/24

electrons/v/orbitals

As we saw from the video those electrons are arranged in orbitals. Orbitals are

different shaped areas that surround an electron. Because of how very, very tiny

the electrons are it is impossible to know precisely where they are. Therefore we

think about the areas they are most likely to be. These areas have differentshapes. There are four different types of orbitals the s orbital, the p orbital, the d

orbital and the f orbital. Put table up on overhead.

Orbital Shape number of

electrons

number of electron

pairs

S Sphere 2 1

P figure eight 6 2

D Butterfly 10 5

F VeryDifficult to draw 14 7

The shape of the orbitals is not really important now, the important thing to

remember is that each orbital is linked with a particular block of the table. Show

on table where each is.

Do you notice anything about the particular blocks and how many electrons there

are in each? (They match up, there are only two columns in the s block and

there are 2 electrons etc.)

c. Wrapping up the lesson: So what did we learn today? (Electrons are found inspecial areas called orbitals. There are 4 different types of orbitals. Each orbital

has a different shape) Great tomorrow we are going to figure out what each

individual elements orbital set looks like.

Design Rationale: I placed the lessons on electron orbitals after the lesson on the

periodic tables development to prepare a context for the students to put the orbital

information in. I would hope that they would have a Deweyian type of Experience as

the discussion on the tables arrangement builds anticipation and then the lessons on

electron configuration satisfy their curiosity. I included a short review on the atomic

structure because some students need to hear things a number of times before theyremember them.

7. Electron orbitals practiceLearning objectives: Students will recall how to determine the electron configuration of

elements.
http://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitalshttp://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitalshttp://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitals


14/24

In my observations, students struggle with determining electron configuration.

Thus it is important to give them practice with it. In todays lesson we will use

Bishops (2010) site on electron configuration to practice.

Bishop, M. (2010).An introduction to chemistry. Retrieved from

http://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htm

I wanted to use an interactive tool so that students could get immediate

feedback on how they were doing. Once the students had gone through

Bishops site successfully they would then work on the worksheet: CI 541

electron configuration wks, which would give them even more practice. If not

finished in class the worksheet will be taken home for homework.

8. Writing activity on the structure of atomsLearning objectives: Students will review and recall the information they have learned

about the structure of the atom, the development of the periodic table and electronconfiguration.

a. Introducing the lesson:We have spent the last few days discussing what theatom is, what and where its various parts are and how the elements are

organized into the periodic table. Today we are going to organize our thoughts

about these subjects by writing an expository paper. The writing prompt will be

on the board, Please explain what you have learned about the atom and the

periodic table to a younger student. Please consider the anatomy of the atom,

electron configuration and the development of the periodic table. Be sure to

include the words; atom, element, proton, neutron, electron, nucleus, electron

cloud, periodic table, atomic mass and atomic number. You will also need todiscuss at least two of the earlier models of the atoms as well as the current one.

Feel free to illustrate your paper with images.

b. Body of the lesson: Depending on the general level of students I will let themdive right in, or I will offer more support. For example, we could have a group

brainstorming session to come up with topics and important pieces of

information. Another thing I could do to help students organize their thoughts is

to provide an outline with the topics already filled in. The students would then

just have to decide what information was important enough to include.

Alternatively, I will have students create an outline with a partner and then writetheir own paper. Regardless of how much support I offer, the students will be

allowed to use their notes, assignments, and book for ideas.

c. Wrapping up the lesson: In the last ten minutes of class I will ask if anyonewants to share their paper. We should have time for 2 to 3 students to read

their papers. We will then discuss if what was included, what could have been

included etc. I will assign the paper as homework if students did not complete it
http://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htmhttp://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htmhttp://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htm


15/24

in class. I will also impress upon the students that we will continue to add to this

paper as we move thought the unit.

Design Rationale: Pugalee (2001) as well as others have noted the positive connection

between metacognitive activities and content retention and understanding. Research

has not advanced to the point where we know exactly what type of metacognitiveactivities are most beneficial, but it does seem that when students engage in thinking

about their thinking whether by speaking aloud as they solve problems or by organizing

their thoughts through writing they tend to remember and understand information

better. Therefore I feel that including a writing intensive lesson will benefit students. It

will also allow them to practice written scientific discourse, one of my main foci.

9. Valence electrons and ionsLearning objectives: Students will recognize that valence electrons are the most

important part of the electron configuration for determining element behavior.

Students will also recall that when an atom gains or loses electrons it becomes an ion.

In this lesson, students will build 3-D models of elements in groups. We will use round

and long balloons of different sizes to simulate the various orbitals. We will then use

the models the students built to illustrate how the valence electrons are the important

ones because those are the electrons that can interact with other atoms. The models

should demonstrate physically why elements cannot interact with interior electrons.

Once we have modeled the interaction of valence electrons we will briefly touch on

gaining or losing electrons to create an ion, a charged particle. The students will study

ions in more depth in a later unit, but I think they will be more successful if the idea isintroduced naturally here. They will see the connection between structure and

potential to become an ion. They will then be able to draw upon this information when

the subject is studied in depth.

10.Octet rule, Stability and Lewis Dot Diagrams (This lesson might take several days)Learning objectives: Students will comprehend that (in general) having eight electrons

in the outermost shell leads to a stable atom. Students will comprehend how to create

and interpret Lewis dot structures. Particularly, students will realize that Lewis dot

structures are a model where the element symbol represents the nucleus and the inner

electrons. The dots represent the valence electrons.

In this lesson students will be assigned part of the section of the textbook that discusses

the octet rule. A few students will be given the hand out: CI 541 Steps for Drawing Lewis

Dot Structures.docx instead of a book passage. They will read their section (it will be

short) or the handout and decide how to teach their peers the information. Once they

have done that, students will be grouped so that each section is represented and they


16/24

will then teach their peers about the octet rule. (The mechanics of bonding will only

briefly be touched upon here. The next lesson will explore the idea of bonding more

thoroughly.) This project may require two days depending on the general reading ability

of the group; one day for reading and designing their method of teaching, the next for

presenting to their group.

Lewis dot structures and covalent bonding. (2012). Retrieved from

http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/14045/view.ashx

11.Lewis dot structures continued and bondingLearning objectives: Students will recall that elements are (generally) most stable when

they have full valence orbitals. Students will comprehend that elements bond to obtain

the elements they need to be stable.

In this lesson we will briefly review how to draw Lewis dot diagrams for individual

atoms. Then I will show the students that if you put two (or more on occasion) nonmetal Lewis dot structures together you symbolically have full outer shells. I will explain

that in real life these types of atoms join together in covalent bonds where they share

the electrons; sometimes they share more than one pair of electrons so they have

double or triple bonds. Then I will introduce the idea of ionic bonds where one element

steals anothers electron(s) and they are joined together because of the difference in

their charges. I will demonstrate with Lewis dot diagrams. Hopefully, a student will ask

how do you know if a bond is going to be covalent or ionic? Otherwise I will have to

ask that question. Regardless of how the topic is brought up, we will then have a

discussion on what electronegativity is. I will hand out the periodic table with

electronegativity numbers on it now. We will use the electronegativity numbers to

determine as a class whether a particular bond will be ionic or not (an electronegativity

difference greater than 1.8 leads to ionic bonds usually). Students will practice in pairs

with examples I put up on the board.

Periodic table with electronegativities. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.thecatalyst.org/electabl.html

12.Graphing periodictrendsLearning objectives: Students will be able to recall information about the periodic table

and apply their knowledge.

a. Introducing the lesson:What do we remember about the periodic table?(elements are arranged by increasing numbers of protons, elements are grouped

based on similar characteristics, the periodic table has mass, element name and

symbol and atomic number on it etc)

b. Body of the lesson: We will start with a mini review/lecture on what atom size,
http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/14045/view.ashxhttp://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/14045/view.ashxhttp://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/14045/view.ashx


17/24

mass, ionization energy and electro negativity are. I will write definitions on

board and ask students to copy. Atomic radius is essentially the amount of space

an atom takes up. Mass is how much stuff is there. Ionization energy is the

amount of energy needed to take an electron from an atom. Said another way

the Ionization energy is how much energy is required to make the atom an ion, a

charged particle. Electronegativity is a measure of how readily an atom will takean electron from another atom. Refer back to the Lewis dot diagrams and the

discussion on covalent and ionic bonding.

Briefly explain the directions on the graphing worksheet. In small groups of

three they will create six different graphs. If things are not going well, I may

have to call them together and discuss independent variables and dependent

variables as well as how some graphs are better than others for showing

different information. For example, pie charts are good for showing percents

but not some quantity that varies over time, like distance from a starting point.

That could be better represented with a line graph.

c. Wrapping up the lesson: Students will share their graphs with the class. We willmake a list of generalizations (atomic mass increases from left to right across the

table and down the columns. Etc) So now we know that the periodic table

contains some useful information. We will check the list of questions to see if we

can check any off as answered or if we need to add some more. Tomorrow we

will be discussing an article about some of these trends. Please read article and

answer the questions along the way.

Design Rationale: I want to throw the students into the graphing activity to get an idea

of what their comprehension and knowledge of graphs are. This will help me judge whattype of support I will need to offer in future lessons. I also want them to struggle a little

with which graph type they will choose because I want them to think about the

relationship between the element and the quality they are graphing. Finally, I want

them to work in groups of three because it will force them to collaborate. Very few

students could complete all six graphs in 30 min on their own. This gives them the

opportunity to practice collaboration skills.

13.Reading primary literatureLearning objectives: Students will recognize scientific behaviors and practice scientific

discourse.

Students will have read an adapted scientific journal article for homework. In class we

will discuss the article, first in small groups and then as a class. The purpose of this

lesson is to expose students to the scientific process and allow them to practice

scientific discourse. Inquiry is an important aspect of science. Students should not only

be exposed to what we know, but also how we know and the paper provides a good

entrance into that subject. I also want to reinforce the idea that scientific claims need


18/24

to be based on evidence. By asking the students to share their evidence for their

thoughts I will foster a logical, evidence based method of argumentation, much like the

one found in scientific communities. At the end of the hour we will have a small prelab

lecture to prepare for the next day. Essentially I will hand out the lap plans and explain

that they are expected to read it and prepare their lab notebook for the lab.

Chattaraj, P. K., & Maiti, B. (2001). Electronic structure principles and atomic shell

structure.Journal of Chemical Education, 78(6), 811-813.

Yarden, A., Brill, G., Falk, H. (2001). Primary literature as a basis for a high-school

biology curriculum. Journal of Biological Education, 35(4), 190-195.

14.Lab on relationship between electron configuration and trendsLearning objectives: Students will apply their knowledge of periodic trends and

electron configuration to explain what they see in the lab.

a. Introducing the lesson:We have been talking lately about periodic trends andelectron configuration. Today we are going to look at these in the lab.

b. Body of the lesson: In small groups of two or three students will follow thedirections on the lab hand out and will perform the experiments. The

experiments should reflect the expectations we developed by studying the

trends of the periodic table. If the students finish the lab portion early they can

work on their lab report. The lab is labeled CI 541 PeriodicTrendslab it is

modified from (Berenato, n.d.).

c. Wrapping up the lesson: In the final 10 min of class students will share thestudents lab data and discuss their findings. We will keep a table of results on

the board. Any anomalous data will be discussed. We will also discuss the

results and what they mean.

Design Rationale: Inquiry is an important aspect of science. As mentioned in lesson

thirteen students need to see the process of science. This lab does not truly incorporate

all the aspects of inquiry but it does introduce the students to the lab skills and mental

habits which will be important when they do more involved and less structured labs

later in the year.

Berenato, G. (n.d.). Periodic trends in reactivity. Retrieved from

http://www.berenato.net/Labs/PeriodicTrendslab

15.Revise the writing assignment on the atom to incorporate new informationLearning objective: Students will review the information they have learned and

practice their writing skills.


19/24

Today the students will revise their papers from lesson eight to include the new

information on electron orbitals, valence electrons and periodic trends. Again, how I

structure the lesson will be based on the students level and writing abilities. Some

classes will be allowed to dive in. Others will participate in a group brainstorming or

outlining secession before beginning to write. For students who are well below gradeaverage I may provide an outline template with the subjects we covered already on

there. This would support them in their review of the material and in writing the paper.

16.Design review glogsLearning objectives: Students will recall, organize and present what they have learned

in this unit.

Today students will focus on making a glog, which is a digital, interactive bulletin board.

I will frame it as a resource that they might use to teach someone about matter,

elements and atoms. I will also suggest that it will help them study for the exam and the

final. The basic idea of the glog will be to creatively organize the information from this

unit into a coherent whole. Some students should be able to dive right in, but others

will need a discussion on what sort of resources they have available (textbook, notes,

assignments) and how they should organize the information (lists, concept map etc.)

Students will be encouraged to make the glog as interactive as possible.

Discussion:

The lesson plan that I have composed is an attempt to incorporate some of the major

issues one needs to consider when teaching. As I mentioned above, the major points I focused

on were student preconceptions, the diversity of learners, the process of science (inquiry) and

models. Below I will discuss how I incorporated each of these considerations into the unit plan.

In an effort to discover what ideas students brought with them into the classroom I

scheduled times when we would discuss the subject before we studied it. For example in lesson

one, we have a discussion on what matter is made of before opening the textbook or lecturing.

Another example of this type of pre-discussion can be found in lesson five when we brainstorm

ideas on why the periodic table looks as it does. I can then either build upon the ideas or see

exactly where students will need greater support in order to develop scientifically sound ideas.


20/24

A final example of pre-assessment occurs in lesson twelve, graphing trends. Here I ask

the students to graph the data without giving them much support. This is a deliberate choice,

because I expect that this will be the first time we encounter graphs in this course. I want to

know how much support students will need on future assignments that involve creating or

interpreting graphs. If they dont need much, then we will be able to devote the time reserved for

graphs to other subjects. On the other hand if the students need lots of support then I will adjust

my future lessons to include more opportunities to use and create graphs so that students will

gain this vital skill.

I incorporated inquiry into the lessons in several ways. For example, in lesson eight and

fifteen the activity, writing about what we had learned, engages students in the process of

scientific discourse, because they have to provide the evidence and present it in a logical way.

Lesson thirteen involves the students in reading a scientific paper allowing them to see the

process of real science. They also engage in a verbal, evidence based discussion much like the

type of discussion that occurs in the scientific community. Lesson one engages the students in

thought experiments where they have to expose their thinking and reconcile it with their

findings. In short, I wanted to actively engage the student in their education and expose them to

the practices of the wider scientific community.

As I noted in the introduction, there is a great deal of overlap between activities

incorporated in order to involve the student in inquiry and those used to support diverse learners.

In fact, it often happened that an activity incorporated in order to expose the students to inquiry

could also be used to support diverse learners. For example the activities in lessons one, eight,

thirteen and fifteen also supported the diversity of learners by using different methods of

presenting the material. Students also had to express their learning in different way: writing,


21/24

discussion, building models ect. By using a variety of lesson activities I provided different entry

points into the material.

I also attempted to engage as many learners as I could by incorporating several

presentation modes in a single lesson. For example I used a fairly traditional lecture style in

lesson three, ten and eleven but I also made an effort to engage the students more thoroughly by

having multimedia presentations. Thus I, hopefully, was able to reach visual as well as auditory

learners. In other lessons, like lesson fourteen (a lab) and nine (building a model) I encouraged

the students to develop their own knowledge though hands-on activities.

While many of the above mentioned activities were incorporated so that students who

were auditoraly, visually, kinetically or otherwise focused would have oppertunites to engage

with the material in the method that suits them best, many of the activities also addressed the

process of science and modeling.

Finally, I gave a lot of attention to the scientific practice of model development and

revision. I and others (National Research Council, 2012) feel that is it very important that

students understand that scientists do not just arrive at correct conclusions. They create models,

acquire new data and adjust their models accordingly. As mentioned above, models are at the

heart of learning chemistry and so it is important to give students experiences where they can

engage with models in an explicit way. For example, lessons three and four discuss in detail the

process of development and revision which scientists went through to develop the current model

of the atom. Lesson five discussed the development of the periodic table; another fundamental

chemistry model. Lessons nine and ten deal with Lewis dot diagrams; yet another model system.

In short, I believe it is very important that students gain a solid understanding of the

particulate nature of matter. Developing a good idea of how matter is at the atomic level is key


22/24

to conceptualizing how chemical reactions occur. It is my hope that by spending a large amount

of time on the atom, electron configuration and periodic trends this lesson plan will aid students

in overcoming misconceptions. Students should also become comfortable with using different

types of representations. I also hope that by engaging in metacognitive writing activities

students will be better able to recall and comprehend important chemical concepts. It is my hope

that by spending time on the very basics students will be able to understand the broader concepts

of chemistry without resorting to memorization.

References:

Bishop, M. (2010).An introduction to chemistry. Retrieved fromhttp://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htm

Boo, H. K. (1997). Students understandings ofchemical bonds and the energetics of chemical

reactions. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 35 (5), 569-581.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning.

Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42.

Chandrasegaran, A.L., Treagust, D.F., Mocerino, M. ( 2008). An evaluation of a teaching

intervention to promote students ability to use multiple levels of representation when

describing and explaining chemical reactions. Research in Science Education, 38, 237-248

Chattaraj, P. K., & Maiti, B. (2001). Electronic structure principles and atomic shellstructure.Journal of Chemical Education, 78(6), 811-813.

Clement, J. (1989). Learning via model construction and criticism: Protocol evidence on sourcesof creativity in science. In Glover, J., Ronning, R., and Reynolds, C. (Eds.),Handbook of

creativity: Assessment, theory and research. NY: Plenum, 341-481.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1990). Anchored instruction and itsrelationship to situated cognition.Educational Researcher, 19(6), 2-10.

Cooper, M. N et al. (2012) Development and assessment of a molecular structure and properties

Learning progression. Journal of Chemical Education. 89. 1351-1257

Driver, R., & Easley, J. (1978). Pupils and paradigms: A review or literature related to concept

development in adolescent science students. Studies in Science Education. 5, 61-84.
http://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htmhttp://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htmhttp://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htm


23/24

Eybe, H. and Schmidt, H.J. (2004). Group discussions as a tool for investigating students

conceptions. Chemistry Education: Research and Practice. 5(3). 265-280.

Fansler, D. (n.d.). Chemistry: Electrons in atoms. Retrieved from http://www.dv-

fansler.com/Teaching/Chemistry/Chemistry Lesson Plans 12 - Electrons in Atoms.pdf

Green, H. (Director) (2012).Mendeleev's periodic table[Web]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrel

Khan. (Producer). (n.d.). Orbitals and electrons. [Web Video]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitals

Kind, V. (2004).Beyond appearances: students misconceptions about basic chemicalideas.

(2nd ed.). Durham, England: Durham University.

Kubli, F. (2005). Science teaching as a dialogue -- Bakhin, Vygotsky and some applications in

the classroom.Science & education, 14, 501-534.

Lee, K.W. L. (n.d.) Particulate representations of a chemical reaction mechanism. Research in

Science Education. 29(3), 401-415.

Lee, O., & Buxton, C. (2010).Diversity and equity in science education: Research, policy and

practice. New York: NY: Teachers College Press.

Lesson: Atom (day 1 & 2). (2012). Retrieved fromhttp://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-

day-1-2

Miller, L. D., & England, D. A. (1989). Writing to learn algebra. School Science andMathematics, 89(4), 299-312.

National Research Council (2012).A framework for k-12 science education: Practices,crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New

K-12 Science Education Standards. Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral

and Social Science and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies.

(n.d.).Idea of the atom: Timeline. [Web Graphic]. Retrieved from

http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/

Pianfetti, E. (Producer) (2012). Module five: integrating technologies for diverse learners. CI335

S/T/T2 FA12: Content area application of education technology. [Video podcast].

Retrieved from https://learn.illinois.edu/course/view.php?id=1042

Periodic table with electronegativities. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.thecatalyst.org/electabl.html
http://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitalshttp://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitalshttp://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/http://hi.fi.tripod.com/timeline/http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atom-day-1-2http://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitals


24/24

Pugalee, D. K. (2001). Writing, mathematics, and metacognition: looking for connections

through student's work in mathematical problem solving. School Science and

Mathematics, 101(5), 236-245.

Questions and answers. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://education.jlab.org/qa/electron_config.html

Ready Set Science. http;//www.nap.educ/catalog.php?record_ie=11882. Ch 5

Rutherford gold foil experiment- backstage science . (2011, 4 14). Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iE

Rutherford's gold foil experiment: The structure of an atom. (2011, 5 18). Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSo

Yarden, A., Brill, G., Falk, H. (2001). Primary literature as a basis for a high-school biology

curriculum. Journal of Biological Education, 35(4), 190-195.
http://education.jlab.org/qa/electron_config.htmlhttp://education.jlab.org/qa/electron_config.htmlhttp://education.jlab.org/qa/electron_config.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iEhttp://education.jlab.org/qa/electron_config.html

ci 541 unit plan: matter, atoms and the periodic table

Documents