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

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

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

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 nonmainstream 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

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

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.

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 Bakhtins view, 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

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, atomic structure 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 is made 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 other electron 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 at least this energy in order to take the molecule apart (National Council for Research, 2012). Outline: 1. Investigating the Particulate Nature of Matter 2. How small are particles? 3. How did the model of the atom develop? 4. Modeling the Atom 5. Development of the Periodic Table 6. Review of Atomic Structure and Introduction to Electron Orbitals 7. Electron Orbitals Practice 8. Writing Activity on the Structure of Atoms 9. Valence Electrons and Ions 10. Octet rule, Stability and Lewis Dot Diagrams 11. Lewis Dot Diagrams continued and Bonding 12. Graphing Periodic Trends 13. Reading Primary Literature 14. Lab on Relationship between Electron Configuration and Periodic Trends 15. Revise Paper on the Atom to Incorporate New Information 16. Design review glogs

Lessons: 1. Investigating the particulate nature of matter Learning 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 students preconceptions. b. Body of the lesson: Divide students into lab groups of two. Each group will be sent 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 does food coloring spread out in a glass of water? 2. Station two: Thought experiment with manipulatives: What happens when a balloon is inflated? 3. Station three: Thought experiment with manipulatives: Does matter exist when you cant see it? 4. Station four: Thought experiment with manipulatives: what would 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 explore and think for 25 minutes, students will gather with the other students who studied 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

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 todays lesson? 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 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBqHkraf8iE or Rutherford's gold foil experiment: The structure of an atom. (2011, 5 18). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn0xGIxoZSo

Fansler, D. (n.d.). Chemistry: Electrons in atoms. Retrieved from http://www.dvfansler.com/Teaching/Chemistry/Chemistry Lesson Plans 12 - Electrons in Atoms.pdf 4. Modeling the atom Learning 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 table Learning 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 looks the way it does? (It just does, someone made it that way, its organized based on mass etc.) b. Body of the lesson: Let us assume it looks the way it does for a reason. Lets see if 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

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 are acceptable but if the students do not say in so many words that: The periodic table 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 orbitals Learning 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 the atom. 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 electrons are 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-

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 different shapes. 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 S P D F Shape Sphere figure eight Butterfly VeryDifficult to draw number of electrons 2 6 10 14 number of electron pairs 1 2 5 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 in special 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 they remember them. 7. Electron orbitals practice Learning objectives: Students will recall how to determine the electron configuration of elements.

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 atoms Learning objectives: Students will review and recall the information they have learned about the structure of the atom, the development of the periodic table and electron configuration. a. Introducing the lesson: We have spent the last few days discussing what the atom 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 to discuss 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 them dive 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 write their 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 anyone wants 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

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 metacognitive activities 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 ions Learning 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 is introduced 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

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 bonding Learning 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) non metal 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 periodic trends Learning 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,

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 take an 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 will make 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 what type 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 literature Learning 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

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 trends Learning 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 and electron 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 the directions 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 the students 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 information Learning objective: Students will review the information they have learned and practice their writing skills.

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 grade average 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 glogs Learning 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.

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,

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

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 from http://preparatorychemistry.com/Bishop_Home.htm Boo, H. K. (1997). Students understandings of chemical 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, 237248 Chattaraj, P. K., & Maiti, B. (2001). Electronic structure principles and atomic shell structure. Journal of Chemical Education, 78(6), 811-813. Clement, J. (1989). Learning via model construction and criticism: Protocol evidence on sources of 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 its relationship 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.

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.dvfansler.com/Teaching/Chemistry/Chemistry Lesson Plans 12 - Electrons in Atoms.pdf Green, H. (Director) (2012). Mendeleev's periodic table[Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wu0LixSBpk&feature=fvwrel Khan. (Producer). (n.d.). Orbitals and electrons. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/orbitals-and-electrons/v/orbitals Kind, V. (2004). Beyond appearances: students misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. (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 from http://betterlesson.com/lesson/36939/atomday-1-2 Miller, L. D., & England, D. A. (1989). Writing to learn algebra. School Science and Mathematics, 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

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 from http://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.