Tom Nowak
Atoms: where matter and energy dance
8th Grade
Subject Area Description:
First, the student body covering this course comprises about one hundred and forty eighth graders in a middle class suburban community north of Seattle. About a third of the students have IEPs; most for deficiencies in reading, writing and organizational skills. Prerequisite skills students have experiences with include guided inquiry labs; work with different measuring tools and technology, writing their own labs, and creating their own investigations. Before starting this unit, the students will have had genetics, evolution, geology, forces, heat and pressure. By the eighth grade, students would have had an introductory background of atomic structure.
This unit will explore in more depth how different material’s physical properties can be explained by different atoms’ structure and different molecules’ structure. So, I intend to focus on the reasons for these different material’s physical properties that explain and justify phenomenon such as electrons giving off light, nuclei giving off radiation, magnetite being magnetic, and water being a liquid. Students will look at how atoms bond together to create molecules and compounds and how these different materials can create different physical properties. Lastly, students will use inquiry to explore how these physical properties of emissions spectra can be used in real life applications of astronomical stellar evolution. The length of this unit will be four weeks or twenty days. Yet, because about two weeks are block schedule, there are only fifteen days. The major concepts thus will be atomic structure and electron valence shells, explaining how this atomic arrangement help many atoms bond together, how this atomic structure explains physical properties and how humans can use these properties to create technology and use these properties to our advantage. The formal performance that students will work toward and complete at the end of the four week unit will be creating a model of one atom that they chose. They will research the physical structure, properties of this atom and how this atom can be used as human technology. The students will present this model and the researched information about this atom to the class.
Essential Questions:
Students will initially explore the micro-world of the atom with labs that define an atom, its internal arrangement and relative size, as well as how many atoms in a given sample of graphite. The essential question for this segment is: what is a pencil made of? The students will then explore why graphite is so smooth, why magnetite is magnetic, why gold is so heavy, and why helium is so light. We will define and explore many different physical properties and then explore what atomic configurations contribute to create these physical properties. The activities for this section will be exploring how different atoms may bond with only certain atoms, how the electron valence shells create and propagate an electronic charge, and how changing the numbers and locations of subatomic particles give off energy in the form of radiation. Students will conduct an inquiry into the atomic composition of an unknown star by using what they know about how energy is given off by changing electron locations within stellar atoms. Two essential questions for this segment are: Will the Sun’s nuclear power last forever? And, should humans be able to use nuclear power? Next, students will create their own periodic chart with the essential question: given rules of atomic structure, can there be an organizational chart to arrange the atoms? The students will use what they know about the size, charge, and number of subatomic particles in the different elements to construct an organizational chart that includes all the naturally occurring elements.
Unit Goals and Objectives:
1 Students will understand that all matter is made up of atoms, which can be combined in various ways, kinds, and numbers (EALR 1.2).
1.1 Students will verify the theory of atoms being the smallest particle of matter that still contains all the physical properties of the same element.
1.2 Student will be able to justify the organization of the atomic nucleus as the center of the atom and the vastly greater space that electrons fill outside of the nucleus.
1.3 Students will predict the number of atoms found in a given sample of graphite using Avogadro’s number.
1.4 Students will justify that atoms can combine in various ways into molecules which may change their physical properties.
1.5 Students will use the conservation of matter theory to prove that chemical reactions occur without adding or destroying matter.
2 Students will use properties to identify, describe, and categorize substances (EALR 1.1)
2.1 Students will define different physical properties of matter.
2.2 Students will explain the presence of physical properties using the atomic and molecular structure of graphite, water, and magnetite.
2.3 Students will model an atom of their choice and relate the atom’s structure to its function.
2.4 Students will interpret radiant energy from excited gases as energy given off by electrons moving closer to the atomic nucleus.
3 Students will develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (EALR 2.1)
3.1 Students will generate questions about radiant light energy that will be answered through scientific investigations.
3.2 Students will design and conduct a scientific investigation using diffraction grading lenses and different energized gases.
3.3 Students will use evidence from their own scientific investigations along with professional astronomer data to think critically and develop explanations about how the atoms in the gas can give off energy and absorb energy.
3.4 Students will communicate orally a model of an atom and connect the function of the atom to the physical structure.
4 Students will share their opinions and beliefs about the application of nuclear energy to our everyday lives (EALR 2.2).
4.1 Student will know that the Sun’s energy comes from nuclear fusion and that humans can use a similar nuclear power through nuclear fission.
4.2 Students will critique the benefits and detriments of humans using energy from nuclear sources and provide evidence to substantiate their opinions.
Unit Matrix:
Day 1 (90 minutes)1) What will students do? / Students will share what they know about atoms, their physical properties, how atoms might combine together and how they might organize different atoms in a preassessment test. Then, students will complete a structured inquiry lab on defining an atom by breaking different materials down to the smallest parts that still have the same physical properties. Students will be given the outline for their final project at the end of the unit. Students will define project goals: sign up for an atom and read about the requirements of what is expected for the presentation. Students will be given background information about tomorrow’s activities of defining the size and organization of subatomic particles within the atom. This information will be read individually for the remainder of the class and for homework (inquiry phase 1).
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will verify the theory of atoms being the smallest particle of matter that still contains all the physical properties of the same element (EALR 1.2).
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Lesson is the first in a series of lessons on atoms. The students supposedly had atoms and matter last year and so I wish to elicit their ideas and help organize future activities around their current understanding.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / I want to asses students’ current understanding while also engage them in self discovery and reflection.
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / I will informally assess their oral explanations in a discussion and collect their written labs on atoms.
5) Resources? / Lab materials. 3-D Model of atom to stir questions and answers from class.
Day 2 (90 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will discuss reading from the last class and craft testable questions (inquiry phase 2) to duplicate research findings of a gold foil experiment. This will determine the arrangement of subatomic particles within all atoms. Students will write up their results and conclusions for homework. Second, students will map out a scale model of this atom based on the size of a football field. Students will discuss the lab findings from the day for closure and discuss how small an atom really is.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will be able to understand how small an atom is, the location of the nucleus and the great distance between the nucleus and the electron (EALR 1.2).
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Introduce the size and magnitude of the atom to connect the world of an atom to the students own perspective before exploring electrons and the physical properties of the atoms.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Hands-on activity to reinforce classroom activity and get students excited to explore the world of the atom
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / Students will write a one paragraph account of day’s activity for homework
5) Resources? / Materials for scale model: grapefruit, needle pin, yard sticks.
Day 3 (90 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will hypothesize how many atoms are in a given sample of graphite and find an approximate number of how many atoms are in a material given Avogadro’s number, the mass and volume. The class will discuss what different materials are made of and how atoms are organized in the material. Students will write down a hypothesis and then read about atoms, elements molecules, and compounds. The students will hypothesize in writing how atoms combine in their journals.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will be able to understand how small an atom is and how many atoms are in a given sample of material (EALR 1.1).
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Students are continuing to understand how small an atom is and connect the size of the atom to everyday objects.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Hands-on activity to reinforce classroom activity and get students excited to explore the world of the atom.
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / I will collect student ditto of answers and problem solving techniques used to determine the number of atoms in three different samples.
5) Resources? / Scales, calculators, beakers, water, dittos, pencils
Day 4 (48 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will read a chapter on defining atoms, elements, molecules and compounds. Students will look at different configurations of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and determine what they are made of and what happens when they combine.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will be able to define atom, element, compound and molecule and understand how they help make up different materials (EALR 1.1).
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Students will continue with the question posed in day 3 to explore how an atom is different from a molecule and a compound is different from an element.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Hands-on activity to reinforce classroom activity and get students excited to explore the world of the atom.
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / Students will write a one paragraph essay explaining how a material might be described as a molecule, atom, element or compound and how the material can not be described as such.
5) Resources? / Different forms of carbon, graphite, diamond, coal. Hydrogen and oxygen gas. Text book reading.
Day 5 (48 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will find out how physical properties of materials are different such as magnetism, conducting electric current, malleable, ductility, weight, strength, radioactive. Students will be asked how the atoms and molecules might create these properties.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will be able to define and understand different physical properties of a material and get curious about how atoms and molecules create physical properties (EALR 1.2).
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Students are connecting the idea that matter has properties and that the individual parts of the material help define how it will behave.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Students need to see for themselves how the materials have characteristics as well as read in more depth how atom’s electrons and nucleus create these properties.
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / Students will turn in a lab explaining their observations and ideas as to how an atom can be different from another atom and how that changes its properties.
5) Resources? / Different materials, electric current, pliers, scale, Geiger counter – smoke detector.
Day 6 (48 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will explore chemical bonding and how this may change physical properties of the material. The teacher will lecture on the valence shell and on different rules governing quantum theory. The students will read in the text about the different electron shells and how they bond using electrons. Students will complete an inquiry based understanding of how atoms form ionic and covalent bonds.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will justify that atoms can combine in various ways into molecules which may change their physical properties (EALR 1.2). Students will be able to understand that atoms are in a more stable state when electron charges equal proton charges and that atoms will usually find other atoms that equalize their individual charges.
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Students will begin to connect how physical properties change and how atoms bond together to form molecules.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Students need to have a real-world understanding of atomic bonding and a conceptual understanding of how the bond is formed and why the bond forms.
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / Students will be informally assessed as to how and why materials may bond together.
5) Resources? / Inquiry based instructional activity notes, reading in the text.
Day 7 (48 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will continue exploring electron valence shells by using paper cut outs of atoms and their valence electrons to see which atoms may bond together and which atoms may not easily bond together. Students will discuss in groups how the new molecule has different physical properties from the different atomic structure.In closure, the students will write down if they think all chemical bonds are the same.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will predict the structural bonds a chosen atom may make with other atoms and explain why the physical properties changed after a change in atomic structure (EALR 1.2).
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Students will be curious about how physical properties change and this question leads into how atoms bond together to make different physical properties.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Paper cut-outs are easily manipulated to show different configurations given bonding rules and the students can visually and kinesthetically feel the difference between the atom and the molecule, the element and the compound.
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / The students will be given a ditto describing different atoms and they will be asked to determine which atoms will make bonds and which atoms will not make bonds.
5) Resources? / Paper, scissors, ditto of different electron valence shells
Day 8 (48 minutes)
1) What will students do? / Students will read in the text about how different bonds occur between atoms. Students will explore the difference between ionic and covalent bonds by continuing with the paper cut-outs and placing different cut-out compounds in 2 piles (one ionic and one covalent). In closure, students will discuss in groups if any new material is created or not.
2) Learning objectives for the class? / Students will predict the structural bonds a chosen atom may make with other atoms and define the bond as ionic or covalent.
3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? / Students will continue to explore how atoms bond together and how bonds may be different dependent on the number and placement of the electrons.
(B) Why this instructional strategy? / Students will use reading to explore how bonding can be different dependent on number and placement of electrons
4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will you collect? / I will give out a quiz on atomic anatomy and how this anatomy influences the physical properties and bonding patterns of the different atoms. Further for the daily activity, informal assessments of listening to the students working in groups will allow the students to self-assess what they know about the material and the teacher to gauge their understanding and interest level.