Unit Lesson Plans- Chapter 3: Atoms and Moles

During this unit students will explore the structure of the atom and its history, subatomic particles and their location in an atom, and how the mole allows one to calculate the number of atoms in a sample. This unit will lay the groundwork for the rest of the students’ work in chemistry. The skills and concepts they learn here are the fundamentals to understanding how compounds are formed and how chemical reactions occur. The lessons below were conducted during my student teaching at SHHS and the content covered reflects that which is included in Chapter 3 of Chemistry (Holt).

At the end of this unit, students will be able to:

  1. identify the historical models of the atom, including Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford and Bohr
  2. determine the atomic number and mass number of an element, given a Periodic Table
  3. differentiate between two isotopes of an element and two atoms of an element
  4. compute the average atomic mass of an element, given the relative abundances of its isotopes
  5. calculate the following:
  6. the mass of a sample given the number of moles
  7. the moles of a sample given the mass
  8. the atoms in a sample given the mass
  9. the mass of a sample given the number of atoms
  1. compare and contrast Bohr’s model of the atom and the quantum-mechanical model of the atom
  2. explain how light exhibits the behavior of both a particle and a wave
  3. distinguish the ground state from the excited state
  4. identify the shapes of s and p orbitals
  5. perform a flame test and examine why different compounds produce a different color light using their knowledge of ground and excited states and the properties of light
  6. draw the energy orbital diagram for an element
  7. write the electron configuration and the noble gas configuration for an element using the Periodic Table

Day 1 (Note: During the first half of this block students were presenting their unit project for Chapter 2.)

Objectives:

  • Introduce Chapter 3 and the fundamentals of atomic structure

Activities:

  1. Hand out Chapter 3 Packet which outlines the chapter and contains I CAN Statements and vocabulary for the unit
  2. Film: The Atom

-students will complete a worksheet that accompanies the film

Assignments:

Fill in notes “History of the Atom” as you read Chapter 3 Sections 1&2

Day 2

Objectives:

  • Identify parts of the atoms that students already know
  • Introduce atomic number and mass number

Activities:

  1. Have each student choose a piece of colored card stock and have them draw a labeled diagram of what they think an atom looks like. In addition, students must write a few brief sentences describing their diagram.
  2. Crossword puzzle: History of the Atom
  3. Notes: Atomic Theory
  4. Practice: Atomic Structure worksheet

Assignments:

Complete Atomic Structure worksheet

Day 3

Objectives:

  • Review Atomic Theory
  • Explore the history of the atom

Activities:

  1. Atomic Structure I CAN Statement (Ch. 3 packet)
  2. Review homework: Atomic Structure worksheet
  3. Fill in Sections 1 and 2 vocabulary (Ch. 3 packet)
  4. History of the Atom jigsaw; each student was given a colored index card with a number. Students with the same color index card were responsible for becoming an expert on one scientist and his model of the atom. Once each group filled in their section of the packet, students were re-grouped according to the number on their index card. In the new group, each expert taught the others about their scientist, his experiment, and his model of the atom.
  5. Class discussion of the four models and preview of the Bohr and quantum-mechanical models (overhead)

Assignments:

Read the remainder of Section 2; complete p. 89 #s 1-5, and 7

Day 4

Objectives:

  • Review Atomic Theory and History of the atom
  • Introduce isotopes and calculating average atomic mass

Activities:

  1. Atomic Structure warm-up
  2. History of the Atom Crossword puzzle; this crossword puzzle was designed to be done with a partner. One person was given the answers to the “across” words and one person was given the answers to the “down” words. Each person in the pair took turns giving his/her partner a clue to help them fill in either the “across” or “down” words.
  3. Notes: Isotopes and average atomic mass (on board)
  4. Practice: Isotopes and Weighted Average Practice

Assignments:

Complete p. 89 #s 6, 8 and p. 108 #s 34-37; Read Section 3

Day 5

Objectives:

  • Practice average atomic mass calculations
  • Review vocabulary
  • Reinforce concept of isotopes

Activities:

  1. Isotope I CAN Statements (Ch. 3 packet)
  2. Vocabulary quiz (practice)
  3. Lab: Isotopic Mass vs. Atomic Mass

Assignments:

Study for Sections 1 and 2 Quiz

Begin lab conclusion

Day 6

Objectives:

  • Assess student knowledge of Atomic Theory
  • Re-visit the model of the atom
  • Explore a more complicated isotope problem

Activities:

  1. Sections 1 and 2 Quiz
  2. Hand back students models of the atom. Have students add more information based on class discussion of subatomic particles.
  3. Classwork: Organize students into groups and have them work on an isotope challenge problem. This problem asks the students to find the percent abundance of one isotope of an element, given the other isotope abundances and a periodic table. Students must recall that the atomic mass reported in the periodic table is the average atomic mass and work backwards to solve this problem.

Assignments:

Lab conclusion

Day 7

Objectives:

  • Introduce the concept of a mole
  • Learn to convert between grams and moles

Activities:

  1. Review Quiz
  2. Notes: The Mole and Molar mass
  3. Practice: Mole Practice 1

Assignment:

Complete p. 104 #s 1-4, 11

Lab conclusion

Day 8

Objectives:

  • Review conversions between grams and moles
  • Learn to convert between moles and atoms

Activities:

  1. Warm-up: Converting between grams and moles
  2. Review homework
  3. Notes: Converting between moles and atoms
  4. Practice: Mole Practice 2

Assignments:

Complete p. 104 #s 6-10

Begin studying for Chapter 3 Part 1 Test

Day 9

Objectives:

  • Review for Chapter 3 Part 1 Test
  • Practice mole conversions

Activities:

  1. Review notes (overhead)
  2. Group work: Mole Workshop

Assignments:

Study for Chapter 3 Part 1 Test

Day 10

Objectives:

  • Assess students’ knowledge of atomic theory, the history of the atom and their proficiency of mole conversions
  • Introduce the Bohr model of the atom and the quantum-mechanical model of the atom

Activities:

  1. Chapter 3 Part 1 Test
  2. Reading Assignment and Questions: Atomic Models

Assignments:

Fill in Chapter 3 Section 3 vocabulary

Day 11(Note: Day 11 was 10/23, so we had a “Mole Day” party)

Objectives:

  • Introduce the quantum-mechanical model of the atom

Activities:

  1. Review Chapter 3 Part 1 Test
  2. Notes: Quantum Mechanical Model of the Atom

Assignments:

Read Chapter 3 Section 3

Day 12

Objectives:

  • Introduce waves, light and the electromagnetic spectrum

Activities:

  1. Notes: Introduction to Waves
  2. Computer Activity: Quantum Mechanics

Assignments:

I CAN Statements about light and waves (Ch. 3 packet)

Day 13

Objectives:

  • Review light, waves and the electromagnetic spectrum
  • Introduce ground and excited states
  • Begin quantum numbers

Activities:

  1. Review warm-up (overhead)
  2. Worksheet: Introduction to Waves packet
  3. Notes: Bohr Model of the Hydrogen Atom, Probability and Orbitals (Quantum Mechanical Model of the Atom Part 2 packet)
  4. Notes: Atomic Orbitals and Quantum Numbers (independent from textbook—QM Model of the Atom Part 2 packet)

Assignments:

Complete p. 99 #s 2, 3, 9, 10

Study vocabulary

Day 14

Objectives:

  • Understand how energy, light and frequency are related

Activities:

  1. Review homework
  2. Lab: Flame Tests

Assignments:

Begin lab conclusion

Study vocabulary

Worksheet 4-4: A New Approach to the Atom (Q-M Model of the Atom Part 2 packet)

Day 15

Objectives:

  • Understand how electrons move around the nucleus
  • Introduce energy orbital diagrams and electron configurations

Activities:

  1. Review homework
  2. Vocabulary quiz
  3. Computer simulation: Bohr and Q-M models of the atom
  4. Notes and Practice: Electron Arrangement (Q-M Model of the Atom Part 2 packet)

Assignments:

Complete Electron Configuration worksheet (started in class)

Lab conclusion

Day 16

Objectives:

  • Learn how to write electron configurations using the Periodic Table

Activities:

  1. Warm-Up: Worksheet 4-5: Electron Configurations (Q-M Model of the Atom Part 2 packet)
  2. Tutorial: Electron Configuration (laptops)
  3. Practice writing electron configurations (as a class)

Assignments:

Worksheet: Writing Electron Configurations (Q-M Model of the Atom Part 2 packet)

Lab conclusion

Day 17

Objectives:

  • Learn to write noble gas configurations using the Periodic Table
  • Practice using the Periodic Table to determine the electron configuration of an element

Activities:

  1. Warm-Up: I CAN Statements for Electron Configuration
  2. Practice noble gas configurations
  3. Electron Configuration Battleship

Assignments:

Begin studying for Chapter 3 Part 2 Test

Day 18(Note: On Day 18 I had a short conference with each student about their progress)

Objectives:

  • Review for Chapter 3 Part 2 Test
  • Begin Nuclear Unit

Activities:

  1. Complete Chapter 3 Section 3 Review Packet
  2. Fill in Nuclear Vocabulary (Nuclear packet)

Assignments:

Study for Chapter 3 Part 2 Test

Day 19

Objectives:

  • Assess students’ knowledge of quantum-mechanics
  • Begin discussion of radioactive decay

Activities:

  1. Chapter 3 Part 2 Test
  2. Bookwork: Radioactive Decay (Nuclear Packet)

Assignments:

Complete half-life problem (Nuclear packet)