Download Matt Knorr 2/3/2014 Summary: This lesson will explore the smallest

Matt Knorr
2/3/2014
Summary: This lesson will explore the smallest building block of all matter- the atom, and will delve
into some of the subatomic particles that make them up and what different outcomes are created
when varying combinations of these building blocks are assembled.
Essential Questions / Learning Goals:
Make sure students know:
How does the structure of an atom determine its physical properties?
How might atoms of a single element differ?
Main Curriculum Tie / Core Standard:
High School Chemistry
Objective 2: Relate the structure, behavior, and scale of an atom to the particles that compose it.
d. Generalize the relationship of proton number to the element’s identity.
Objective 3: Correlate atomic structure and the physical and chemical properties of an element to
the position of the element on the periodic table.
a. Use the periodic table to correlate the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.
b. Compare the number of protons and neutrons in isotopes of the same element.
Acceptable Evidence of Learning:
Students should use appropriate vocabulary words to accurately describe isotopes of their selected
elements. Additionally, students’ sketches should include proper labels using keywords found in this
lesson plan.
Keywords to use:
Element, cation, anion, ion, isotope, neutron, proton, electron
Student Prior Knowledge:
Students should have a basic understanding of the atom and should know that it is the basic building
block of all physical matter.
Instructional Procedures:
5-7 minutes
Direct students’ attention to board to the diagram included below. Ask students to
recall what they know about atoms to fill in as much information as possible, entering
“yes” or “no” into each field for items they are confident about, and “?” in fields they
aren’t so sure about.
8 minutes
Watch short video about the composition of atoms.
5-7 minutes
Re-engage students into discussion on the table on the board and lead students to
correct discrepancies that may exist.
5-10 minutes Have students draw depictions of lithium atoms in their journal. Instruct them to
Matt Knorr
2/3/2014
include elemental lithium, a lithium-7 isotope, and a lithium ion of their choice (further
instruct them to label whether their illustration of an ion depicts an anion or cation
and). For each illustration, have students label them accordingly and note their net
charges.
5-10 minutes pass out handout on basic meanings and derivations of the vocabulary words. Test
students’ intuitions on guessing definitions of other words in physics and chemistry,
namely “neutrino”, meaning small neutral particle, “nucleon”, meaning particles in the
nucleus, or “prototype”, meaning the first of its kind.
5 minutes until end of class
Have students read the article detailing the differences between chemical reactions and
nuclear reactions. Further instruct students to keep those concepts in mind while
preparing their homework.
Homework: have students each select an element from the periodic table, and have them visit the
corresponding Wikipedia page for each respective one. Each student must independently learn about
a chemical reaction that their selected element is known to participate in, and outline the reaction on
the appropriate Wikipedia page. Have students take a snapshot of their entry for submission, and
finally have students write a short summary of any known stable or unstable isotopes of their selected
element for submission in a later class. This summary should include labeled sketches of at least one
stable and one unstable isotope of student’s selected element.
Matt Knorr
2/3/2014
*The proton is generally not chemically reactive unless it is functioning as a hydrogen ion (ie. hydrogen
nucleus without an electron). Also, by definition an ion always has a single net charge. Hence it must
be represented as having a net positive or negative charge but not neither or both.
Ion:
An ion comes from the Greek root ón, meaning “going”, suggesting a propensity to
react [chemically].
Isotope:
The term isotope is formed from the Greek roots isos “equal" and topos "place",
meaning "the same place". Thus, different isotopes of a single element occupy the same position on
the periodic table.
Anion:
An anion comes from the Greek root ánō, meaning "up", and ón, meaning “going”. Put
together, it implies that this particle will chemically react by going up (gaining elections). Since it is
implied that it “goes up”, it must start at a lower level, hence the negative charge.
Cation:
the Greek word katá, meaning "down", and ón, meaning “going”. Put together, it
implies that this particle will chemically react by going down (losing elections). Since it is implied that
it “going down”, it must start at a higher level, hence the positive charge.
Proton:
from the Greek prôton, meaning first. This particle was arbitrarily designated with a
positive charge opposite of that of the electron.
Electron:
An electron possibly comes from electric + on, which like an ion comes from the Greek
root ón, meaning “going”, suggesting a propensity to react [chemically]. This name is somewhat of a
hybrid of Greek meaning and contemporary understanding
Neutron:
a neutron comes from the Latin neutr, meaning without gender or affinity, and the
Greek ón, meaning “going”. This correctly implies that a neutron doesn’t prefer to go anywhere
Matt Knorr
2/3/2014
chemically. After neutrons were named, however, it was discovered that they do play critical roles in
nuclear reactions.
Nucleus:
a nucleus comes from the Latin nucu ( la ), meaning kernel or little nut. This suggests
that a nucleus is at the center.