ALEX Classroom Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (5) 1 :

1 ) Plan and carry out investigations (e.g., adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water, evaporating salt water) to provide evidence that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

In this lesson, students discuss the meaning of “chemistry” and “matter.” Students investigate a drop of water hanging from a dropper and drops of water beading up on wax paper. They also look at a molecular animation that models the motion of water molecules. Students are introduced to the idea that matter is made up of extremely tiny particles that are attracted to one another.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 4 :

4 ) Design and conduct an experiment to determine changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

In this lesson, students add food coloring to hot and cold water to see whether heating or cooling affects the speed of water molecules. Students watch molecular model animations to see the effect of heating and cooling on the molecules of a liquid. Students will also draw their own molecular model.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 4 :

4 ) Design and conduct an experiment to determine changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

In this lesson, students will look closely at the parts of a thermometer. After placing a thermometer in hot and cold water, students will look at molecular model animations of the liquid in a thermometer. Students will then draw a model of the molecules of a thermometer after it has been placed in hot and then cold water.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 4 :

4 ) Design and conduct an experiment to determine changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

In this lesson, students will see a demonstration with a metal ball and ring showing that heat causes atoms to spread a little further apart. They will also see that cooling solid causes the atoms to get a little closer together. The same rules they have discovered about liquids also apply to solids. Based on their observations students will describe, on the molecular level, how heating and cooling affect the motion of atoms in a solid.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

In this lesson, students will focus on the first 20 elements of the periodic table. Students will first look at a diagram and animation to understand the basic pattern of the arrangement of electrons on energy levels around an atom. Students will be given cards with information about the electrons and energy levels for each of the first 20 atoms. They will try to correctly match cards with each element.

Students will be able to interpret the information given in the periodic table to describe the arrangement of electrons on the energy levels around an atom.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

In this lesson, students will put a static charge on a strip of plastic by pulling it between their fingers. They will see that the plastic is attracted to their fingers. Students will be introduced to the idea that rubbing the strip with their fingers caused electrons to move from their skin to the plastic giving the plastic a negative charge and their skin a positive charge. Through these activities, students will be introduced to some of the characteristics of electrons, protons, and neutrons, which make up atoms.

Students will be able to explain, in terms of electrons and protons, why a charged object is attracted or repelled by another charged object. They will also be able to explain why a charged object can even be attracted to an uncharged object. Students will also be able to explain that the attraction between positive protons and negative electrons holds an atom together.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

In this lesson, students will begin to look closely at the periodic table. They will be introduced to the basic information given for the elements in most periodic tables: the name, symbol, atomic number, and atomic mass for each element. Students will focus on the first 20 elements. They will try to correctly match cards with information about an element to each of the first 20 elements. Students will then watch several videos of some interesting chemical reactions involving some of these elements. Students will identify different atoms by the number of protons in the nucleus and realize that the number of electrons equals the number of protons in a neutral atom. They will also be able to explain the meaning of atomic number and atomic mass.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

In this lesson, students will look at animations and refer to the energy level models they have been using to make drawings of the process of covalent bonding. Students will consider why atoms bond to form molecules like H₂ (hydrogen), H₂O (water), O₂ (oxygen), CH₄ (methane), and CO₂ (carbon dioxide).

Students will be able to explain that attraction between the protons and electrons of two atoms cause them to bond. Students will be able to draw a model of the covalent bonds between the atoms in H₂ (hydrogen), H₂O (water), O₂ (oxygen), CH₄ (methane), and CO₂ (carbon dioxide).

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

In this lesson, students will look at animations and make drawings of the ionic bonding of sodium chloride (NaCl). Students will see that both ionic and covalent bonding start with the attractions of protons and electrons between different atoms. But in ionic bonding, electrons are transferred from one atom to the other and not shared like in covalent bonding. Students will use Styrofoam balls to make models of the ionic bonding in sodium chloride (salt).

Students will be able to explain the process of the formation of ions and ionic bonds.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] CHEM (9-12) 3 :

3 ) Use the periodic table as a systematic representation to predict properties of elements based on their valence electron arrangement.

a. Analyze data such as physical properties to explain periodic trends of the elements, including metal/nonmetal/metalloid behavior, electrical/heat conductivity, electronegativity and electron affinity, ionization energy, and atomic-covalent/ionic radii, and how they relate to position in the periodic table.

b. Develop and use models (e.g., Lewis dot, 3-D ball-and-stick, space-filling, valence-shell electron-pair repulsion [VSEPR]) to predict the type of bonding and shape of simple compounds.

c. Use the periodic table as a model to derive formulas and names of ionic and covalent compounds.

In this lesson, students will be introduced to the basics of Lewis dot diagrams as they compare the energy level models to dot diagrams. Along with the teacher, they will review the Lewis dot diagrams for a few common covalent and ionic compounds.

Students will be able to interpret and draw Lewis dot diagrams for individual atoms and both covalent and ionic compounds.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] PSC (9-12) 1 :

1 ) Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties and trends (e.g., reactivity of metals; types of bonds formed, including ionic, covalent, and polar covalent; numbers of bonds formed; reactions with oxygen) of main group elements based on the patterns of valence electrons in atoms.

[SC2015] CHEM (9-12) 3 :

3 ) Use the periodic table as a systematic representation to predict properties of elements based on their valence electron arrangement.

a. Analyze data such as physical properties to explain periodic trends of the elements, including metal/nonmetal/metalloid behavior, electrical/heat conductivity, electronegativity and electron affinity, ionization energy, and atomic-covalent/ionic radii, and how they relate to position in the periodic table.

b. Develop and use models (e.g., Lewis dot, 3-D ball-and-stick, space-filling, valence-shell electron-pair repulsion [VSEPR]) to predict the type of bonding and shape of simple compounds.

c. Use the periodic table as a model to derive formulas and names of ionic and covalent compounds.

In this lesson, students learn the meaning of the term element and discover that all elements on Earth were formed in stars. They examine the structure of atoms and discover that scientists' understanding of this structure has changed over time--and will likely be refined even further. Lastly, they begin to explore the sometimes strange arrangement and behavior of electrons and to connect these characteristics to the chemical properties of elements. This activity is the second of three lessons. The first, The Periodic Table of the Elements, explored the origin of the periodic table. The third, Repeating Patterns: The Shape of the Periodic Table, shows how quantum electron structure determines the arrangement of elements in the periodic table.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] PSC (9-12) 1 :

1 ) Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties and trends (e.g., reactivity of metals; types of bonds formed, including ionic, covalent, and polar covalent; numbers of bonds formed; reactions with oxygen) of main group elements based on the patterns of valence electrons in atoms.

[SC2015] CHEM (9-12) 1 :

1 ) Obtain and communicate information from historical experiments (e.g., work by Mendeleev and Moseley, Rutherford's gold foil experiment, Thomson's cathode ray experiment, Millikan's oil drop experiment, Bohr's interpretation of bright line spectra) to determine the structure and function of an atom and to analyze the patterns represented in the periodic table.

[SC2015] CHEM (9-12) 3 :

3 ) Use the periodic table as a systematic representation to predict properties of elements based on their valence electron arrangement.

a. Analyze data such as physical properties to explain periodic trends of the elements, including metal/nonmetal/metalloid behavior, electrical/heat conductivity, electronegativity and electron affinity, ionization energy, and atomic-covalent/ionic radii, and how they relate to position in the periodic table.

b. Develop and use models (e.g., Lewis dot, 3-D ball-and-stick, space-filling, valence-shell electron-pair repulsion [VSEPR]) to predict the type of bonding and shape of simple compounds.

c. Use the periodic table as a model to derive formulas and names of ionic and covalent compounds.

This lesson--the third in a series of three lesson plans about the Periodic Table of Elements--explains why the elements exhibit periodicity, why the periodic table of elements is shaped the way it is, and how we are able to predict the characteristics of elements yet to be discovered or created. Students create electron configuration diagrams that describe the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus. This lesson is the third of three lessons and is intended as an enhancement activity following the completion of the first two lessons. The first lesson, The Periodic Table of the Elements, explored the origin of the periodic table. The second lesson, The Strange World of the Electron, described the structure of the atom.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

[SC2015] CHEM (9-12) 1 :

1 ) Obtain and communicate information from historical experiments (e.g., work by Mendeleev and Moseley, Rutherford's gold foil experiment, Thomson's cathode ray experiment, Millikan's oil drop experiment, Bohr's interpretation of bright line spectra) to determine the structure and function of an atom and to analyze the patterns represented in the periodic table.

The periodic table is an essential part of any chemistry course. Its simple chart-like appearance belies the wealth of information that it contains. In this lesson, students learn about the origin of the modern periodic table of elements and explore an interactive version that teaches them how to extract information from it. This activity is the first of three lessons. The Strange World of the Electron and Repeating Patterns: The Shape of the Periodic Table will help to further students' understanding of this powerful tool.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (5) 1 :

1 ) Plan and carry out investigations (e.g., adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water, evaporating salt water) to provide evidence that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

An atom is a tiny particle in matter, and atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Some matter, like your body or your book, is made of lots of different kinds of atoms, but elements are made up of only one kind of atom.

The classroom resource provides a video that will explain atoms and how they are made of smaller particles called protons, electrons, and neutrons. This resource can provide background information for students before they construct their own models and/or carry out their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 1 :

1 ) Analyze patterns within the periodic table to construct models (e.g., molecular-level models, including drawings; computer representations) that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms and molecules.

The periodic table is a chart that scientists use to organize the elements. The chart shows each element's name and symbol, the number of protons in its nucleus, and its characteristics. The elements are listed in order by atomic number.

The classroom resource provides a video that will introduce students to the elements organized by the periodic table. This resource can provide background information for students before they create their own models. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.