Lesson 1

Unit Title: Atoms and Elements
Caretaker:  PMC

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  What is pure?

NC Ref: 

Sc3 1b.
 

Objectives:    

MK -  Large variety of materials. Small number of elements from which all other things are made. Element is something that cannot be broken into something simpler using chemical reactions.
SK -  There are 100 elements. Some elements have been know for a long time, but others only recently.
CK -   Why some elements were discovered after the others.  

Lesson outline: Pupils will know the definition of an element

Starter activity:

Show pupils a lump of chalk and ask them if it is pure. Probably get yes. Set up boiling tube and side arm with lime water to show that carbon dioxide gas is given off when chalk is heated by testing with limewater. Ask if they think water is pure. Show the Hoffman set up to show that water splits into hydrogen and water. (hydrogen will work but takes a while to collect enough oxygen.) This needs to be on about 5 minutes.

Main course:
Pupils should copy down the definition of an element as something that cannot be broken down into something simpler using chemical means. There are 100 different types of element and they are the building blocks for every substance in the universe.

Using the table as shown on worksheet Ea/1, pupils tour the room and put the objects into the table. Discuss as a class and point out it's sometimes difficult to know if something is an element just by looking. e. g. brass.

Pupils use worksheet Ea/4 to draw a timeline of when some of the elements were discovered.

***Could know pupils could also use worksheet Ea/6 and Ea/5. This shows why some of the elements have  their name, eg. Francium = France.

Draw out the diagram/ bar chart on page 55 exp sci 8 which shows the elements that make up a human being.

Plenary: definition of element.
 

Timings:

10

5

20

10

10 mins.

5

Homework Suggestion: 
get a bottle of mineral water and write down the number of elements present in it.

Resources: 
sulphur, carbon, wood, copper, polythene, water, brass, granite, woodlice, a green plant, mercury (sealed boiling tube), gas jars with oxygen, air,

Lesson 2 

Unit Title:  Atoms and Elements
Caretaker:  PMC

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  What is an element?

NC Ref: 

Sc 3 1b, c
 

Objectives:    

MK -  Atoms of each element are the same. Elements can be represented by a symbols, and some chemical symbols.
SK -A mixture of metals is called an alloy. 
CK -Why the periodic table is the shape it is. the meaning of the word periodic. 

Lesson outline: Pupils will gain a familiarity with the use of the periodic table and the use of symbols to represent elements.

Starter activity:

Pupils draw out the three diagrams for solid liquid and gas. Focus on the solid. Using a piece of aluminium foil (an element) tear up the foil into smaller and smaller pieces. The smallest piece of foil we can get (one particle) is called an atom. Elements are made up of one type of particle, so aluminium is made of aluminium atoms.

Main course:

Pupils write down the definition of an atom as the smallest part of an element. Atom means un-cuttable.

Write L.U.F.C on the board. Pupils should recognise this as a symbol. We use symbols to represent the elements. The first letter must always be a capital, the second in lower case. Could highlight the difference between Co and CO. one is cobalt, the other is carbon and oxygen. (no need to mention compounds at this stage.) Give out a copy of the periodic table which pupils stick in their book. Could use mini whiteboards/hands up session as who can find the symbol for Neon? or what element has the symbol F?
 

Use worksheet 8eb/1 so pupils can play pairs matching symbol with the element.

or

Use trump cards. The five sections are atomic number (element number), atomic size (in nm), reactivity rating (1-24 for the 24 cards), amount on Earth (1-24) and the year it was discovered. Pupils play in groups of 4 with six cards each. Turn over the top card of each pile and one person nominates a category, the higher the number, the winner takes the cards and puts them under their pile. Keep going until all the cards have gone. Make sure that pupils keep their book open so that they associate the symbol with the name.

or play element bingo (see plenary).

Show pupils a collection of alloys (steel, bronze, brass) and a few metals. Ask them to find brass in the table. It's not there!!!. GO back to diagram of solid particles and explain the difference between an element and an alloy as a mixture of elements. Exploring science 7 page 56 has good diagrams on this.

Plenary: go to elements.swf and play the Lehrman song on the elements. Or, play element bingo. This can be used as a starter or plenary for any lesson from now on. See PMC if unsure.
 

Timings:

10

15

20

10

5

Homework Suggestion: 
Use worksheet 8Eb/5 or 8Eb/6

Resources: aluminium foil, trump cards, copies of periodic table, samples of brass, steel, copper, aluminium, mini white-boards and pens
 

Lesson 3  

Unit Title:  Atoms and Elements
Caretaker:  PMC

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  Atom symbols

NC Ref: 
 

Objectives:    

MK -  Elements are either metal/non-metal. some properties of metals eg. shiny, magnetic, heat conductor electrical conductor, high melting point..
SK - see above  
CK - where metals and non-metals can be found in the periodic table. 

Lesson outline:  Pupils determine the difference between metals and non-metals.

Starter activity:
hold up a block of aluminium and aluminium foil, and also show a lump of sulphur. Pupils describe what makes a metal a metal. Discuss. properties are shiny, conduct heat and electricity, malleable (bendy), ductile, high melting point, sonorous, strong. Highlight the word brittle as the opposite of bendy as most pupils believe that metals are brittle.

Main course:
Pupils use worksheet Ec/1 or Ec/2 to conduct a few tests to see if the samples are metals or non-metals.

Alternatively, pupils tour the room and observe several samples and try to determine if objects are metals,  non-metals or not sure using a table, also include symbol. Some of the properties could be discussed as pupils tour the room. calcium, mercury and iodine should remain on the front bench. Discuss results and go through the strange ones! eg. mercury liquid, carbon and salt water conduct.

Pupils are given a copy of worksheet Ec/5. Pupils pick an element and on the side of each cube they are to write on if the symbol, state at room temperature, metal/non-metal, magnetic or not, its appearance or other useful info.

or

from data collected in the table, colour all metals in red and all non-metals in blue on the periodic table pupils stuck in last lesson. Input the steps for pupils and tell them anything on this line is a metalloid. Pupils should realise that all metals are on the left and all the non-metals are on the right. All 15 gases should then be labelled g and the two liquids l. The three metals that are magnetic should also be labelled (iron nickel cobalt.). Pupils could then answer questions from exploring science 7 page 60 and 61, or play element trumps.

Plenary: Use slides 34 and 35 from atoms and elements on boardworks. or get pupils to find water/ steel on the periodic table. It isn't there because water and steel are where atoms combine.

Extension:

If time, there is an opportunity to spend an extra lesson using the trump cards. This can be split into three tasks where the pupils play top trumps. They could then use the trump cards to do a sorting exercise: Name the five most reactive elements in the pack, name the five most reactive metals or what are the most common elements on Earth. The third exercise involves the use of drawing a bar chart which shows how the melting point changes as you go across a period or down a group.

Timings:

5

25

20

20

5

Homework Suggestion: 
worksheet 8Ec/6

Resources: 
1. glass rod, plastic rod, wooden rod, aluminium rod, iron rod, copper rod, kettle, stopwatches, cells, leads, croc. clips. bulbs. balance. lump of sulpur. trump cards.

2. sample of copper, aluminium, iron, magnesium, calcium, tin,  mercury, iodine, sulphur, carbon, nickel, zinc, gold and silver (or piccys of gold and silver) gas jars of nitrogen, helium, oxygen,  (need labels of names, conduct/non-conduct elec)

Lesson 4 

Unit Title:  Atoms and Elements
Caretaker: PMC 

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  Element or compound.

NC Ref: 
 

Objectives:    

MK -  new substances are made when substances react together. compounds are formed when elements combine. How to distinguish between a symbol and a chemical formula.
SK -different non-metals combine to form molecules. a chemical formula shows the number of different types of atom in a compound 
CK - the use of symbol equations 

Lesson outline: Pupils are to work out if a given substance is an element or a compound.

Starter activity: Pupils are told that a new substance has been discovered and that they must work out if this substance is an element or a compound. Brainstorm a few ideas.

Main course:

Pupils use worksheet 8ed/1. The idea is that the pupils are trying to break the substance down into something and that if they can do that, the substance cannot be an element.

Plenary:

Go through the results as a class, is it possible to name any of the substances?

Timings:

10

40

10

Homework Suggestion: 
 

Resources: copper carbonate, carbon electrodes, croc clips, leads, power packs, dil. sulphuric acid, balance (2dp) spatulas.

Lesson 5 

Unit Title:  Atoms and Elements
Caretaker:PMC 

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  Making compounds

NC Ref: 
 

Objectives:    

MK -  new substances are made when substances react together. compounds are formed when elements combine. How to distinguish between a symbol and a chemical formula.
SK -different non-metals combine to form molecules. a chemical formula shows the number of different types of atom in a compound 
CK - the use of symbol equations 

Lesson outline: Different Elements combine to form compounds.

Starter activity: True or false worksheet 8Ed/2

Main course:

Gather pupils around the front and make chocolate crispide. Use formula chocolate (metal) + crispies (non-metal) these are both reactants --> chocolate crispide. The non-metal changes its name to end in ide. This is the product. Show how at the start we have a mixture as the chocolate and crispies can be easily separated. When heated a compound is formed. Pupils write up chocolate crispide experiment whilst chocolate is melting.

Now show a similar reaction, eg. sodium + chlorine --> sodium chloride. fume cupboard/ video. Highlight the change in name. Could also show the particle diagram for sodium chloride. Higher groups could also do symbol equations. Could show a variety of metals burning in pure oxygen eg. magnesium, lithium, sodium. Show an old piece of magnesium. It will be tarnished, pupils are to work out what has happened to the magnesium and write a word equation. magnesium + oxygen --> magnesium oxide. Oxygen is the active part of air.

Pupils write word and symbol equations. Pupils get down the definition that two or more different elements join together to make compounds.

Plenary:

Pupils eat the new compound!!

Using metals and non- metals on a word list on the board do some imaginary reactions and name the products formed from the reactants named. eg. list of iron aluminium zinc copper magnesium, list of chlorine, oxygen, sulphur, iodine and fluorine. React say iron and oxygen what are the products --> iron oxide.

Extended lesson, use worksheets 8Ee/1, to heat magnesium to make magnesium oxide. ideas are to prove conservation of mass and to show that mass increases on heating. will need accurate balance and about 8-15cm long piece of magnesium.

Timings:

Homework Suggestion: 
sheet 8d/3

8e/2

Resources: chocolate, rice crispies, sacuepan, bun cases, wooden spoon, sodium, gas jar of chlorine, pippette, deflagrating spoon
 

Lesson 6

Unit Title: 
Caretaker: 

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  Element or compound?

NC Ref: 
 

Objectives:    

MK -  New substances are made when substances react together. compounds are formed when elements combine. How to distinguish between a symbol and a chemical formula.
SK -different non-metals combine to form molecules. a chemical formula shows the number of different types of atom in a compound 
CK - the use of symbol equations 

Lesson outline: When non-metals combine they make simple small compounds called molecules.

Starter activity: Demo of exploding hydrogen balloon. Hydrogen and oxygen are in a mixture then combine to make a new compound water. Use diagrams/exploring science 8 page 68.
Main course:

At this stage, could now go onto discuss the fact that non-metals combine to form molecules like oxygen (O2) and water (H2O) which some pupils will have heard of. Remember that O2 is still an element because the atoms are of the same type. Highlight the importance of capital letter followed by lower case, and drawing the number in as a subscript and that if it comes after the element, this tells us the number of atoms per particle of substance. eg. sodium chloride NaCl has one sodium in it. Avoid the misconception of molecules of sodium chloride which do not exist. worksheet 8Ee/5 is very good for going over formula and molecules.

Could then expand showing overhead 1 on the board, pupils must identify elements, compounds, mixtures, solids liquids, gases and a few named molecules and compounds. water, sodium chloride helium and mercury.

Plenary:
draw out a molecule on the board and pupils must id. the number of different atoms,

Timings:

10

25

15

10

Homework Suggestion: 
8e/3

Resources: hydrogen balloon, metre ruler
 

Lesson 7 

Unit Title: 
Caretaker: 

Unit No   
 

Lesson Title:  Topic review

NC Ref: 
 

Objectives:    

MK -  definitions of element, atom and compound
SK -  different non-metals combine to form molecules. a chemical formula shows the number of different types of atom in a compound 
CK -  the use of symbol equations 

Lesson outline: Review

Starter activity: element bingo
or use slide 12 of boardworks

Main course:
use boardworks starting at slide30 to review the topic and to compound any ideas.

Plenary:
Could then re-do metals and non-metal activity. List of metals list of non-metals, what is made when ach are reacted?

Timings:

10

Homework Suggestion: 
 

Resources: