Subatomic Particles and Alignment with the NGSS
PS1.A-"Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons."
HS-PS1-1-"Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms." |
In this lesson, students will be learn all of the different parts of the atom and use simulations to investigate how the substructure of an atom changes with different elements on the periodic table.
This first day of the unit will introduce students to finding out the number of electrons in an atom based on the atomic number of an element on the periodic table. Students will investigate and discover the connection between the number of electrons and the energy levels of the outer most electrons in the following day of this sub-unit.
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Subatomic Particles Lesson Plan
Start of Class:
At the beginning of class, state the goals for the day. The goals for day 1 of this lesson are:
Students will have come to class having watched the instructional video of the different parts of the atom. The video described the atomic nuclues, the electrons, the neutrons, and the protons in depth and the characteristics of each of the subatomic particles. In addition to stating the goal for the day, pass out the the lab activity worksheet and give any announcements to the class as needed.
Introduction of Lesson:
Start playing this video once you have completed stating the goals for the day. Prior to starting the video, ask student to take out a piece of paper and write down two observations that they see while watching the video. While this video is playing, take attendance for the class:
Introduction Video
This video introduces briefly the basic structure of an atom along with beginning to introduce how we figure out how many proton, neutrons, and electrons there are based on the element symbol.
After the video, ask students to share what they wrote down for their observations. Here the instructor should ask questions like:
Begin describing the activity to the students while passing out the packets for them. To pair the students up, look at the attendance sheet and pair up the students on opposite sides of the alphabet for the purposes of this activity based on their last names. Instruct the students to move to sit next to their partners with their worksheets and make sure that each of the pairs gets a laptop/iPad.
Lesson Instruction:
Within the lab packets, it asks the students to go to the website given below:
"Build an Atom" Simulation
This directs the students to a simulation that allows them to actually create atoms of different elements themselves. The packet asks the students to build certain types of atoms, ions, and isotopes. In the packet, it is important to note that when it asks the students to build Li+ for example, it tells the students that this is an ion. The same is true if it is a neutral atom or an isotope. The packet requires the students to answer questions about how many subatomic particles are in a certain atom, ion, or isotope and the activity also requires students to draw a model of a certain atom, ion, or isotope as well.
After the students finish the atom portion of the packet, the students must move on to the prediction portion of the packet (which is the last page of the packet that is handed out). The prediction portion of the packet asks students for the definition of an atom, an ion, and an isotope. It is important to not help the students during this portion of the lesson because I want to gauge if the students were making connections between the answers they had to write down along with what they were inspecting. Ask the students to turn their packets into the front of the room after they finish.
Assessments/Checks for Understanding:
The next part of the lesson involves the students investigating isotopes with another simulation. Pass out the worksheet that helps guide the students through this assessment activity. Instruct the students that they will be working on this worksheet individually. The worksheet directs the students to go to this website listed below:
"Isotopes and Atomic Mass" Simulation
This simulation helps the students learn more about what an isotope actually is. Much like the first packet, this worksheet asks questions of the students to explore the simulation listed above, asking them to draw certain isotopes or find out how many subatomic particles are located inside a certain isotope. Once the students are completed filling out the questions that are asked of them in the second worksheet, there is a final worksheet to be passed out to the students at the end of the class. The worksheet asks students to assess whether or not their previous prediction of what an isotope is was correct or not. This helps the students assess their own work along with giving me an idea of what they are thinking throughout the progression of the activity. The goal is to hopefully correct the students if their previous definitions were incorrect. Instruct the students to turn in this sheet to the front of the room as well.
Throughout both of the simulations, the instructor should be walking around the room asking students questions that help them uncover different aspects of subatomic particles, atoms, ions, and isotopes. Questions should resemble the following:
Whenever a student gives an answer, ask them to explain their reasoning and provide evidence to the instructor by using the simulation. Don’t just validate their answer on correctness, make sure that their way of processing the information is correct by watching how they explain it by using the simulations they have in front of them.
Closure/Wrap-Up/Review:
Gather all of the students and instruct them to put the laptops/iPads away. Make sure all of the papers/packets are turned in prior to closing the classroom with the final remarks. At this point in the class, it is time to re-mention the goals for the day. Ask the students how to find the amount of subatomic particles within an atom and review the definitions of an atom, an ion, and an isotope. The discussion for this wrap-up will begin with a question regarding carbon. I will point to carbon on the periodic table and say that the carbon atom has an atomic number of 12. Then, I will ask the students what that “12” means. Most of them will say protons and electrons. I will then ask them if an atom contains neutrons. The point of this part of the discussion is for the students to describe neutrons with 0 net charge, but affecting the mass and stability of the atom, creating different isotopes. I will relate back to the packets and ask them what caused the different isotopes of carbon-12, 13, and 14.
At the beginning of class, state the goals for the day. The goals for day 1 of this lesson are:
- Students will be able to explain and model the different parts of an atom.
- Students will be able to know how many electrons, protons, and neutrons there are based on the element symbol.
Students will have come to class having watched the instructional video of the different parts of the atom. The video described the atomic nuclues, the electrons, the neutrons, and the protons in depth and the characteristics of each of the subatomic particles. In addition to stating the goal for the day, pass out the the lab activity worksheet and give any announcements to the class as needed.
Introduction of Lesson:
Start playing this video once you have completed stating the goals for the day. Prior to starting the video, ask student to take out a piece of paper and write down two observations that they see while watching the video. While this video is playing, take attendance for the class:
Introduction Video
This video introduces briefly the basic structure of an atom along with beginning to introduce how we figure out how many proton, neutrons, and electrons there are based on the element symbol.
After the video, ask students to share what they wrote down for their observations. Here the instructor should ask questions like:
- Were there any words in the video that you have not seen before or know the definition?
- Did anybody draw a picture of what they saw in the video?
- What do you think is important about this video?
Begin describing the activity to the students while passing out the packets for them. To pair the students up, look at the attendance sheet and pair up the students on opposite sides of the alphabet for the purposes of this activity based on their last names. Instruct the students to move to sit next to their partners with their worksheets and make sure that each of the pairs gets a laptop/iPad.
Lesson Instruction:
Within the lab packets, it asks the students to go to the website given below:
"Build an Atom" Simulation
This directs the students to a simulation that allows them to actually create atoms of different elements themselves. The packet asks the students to build certain types of atoms, ions, and isotopes. In the packet, it is important to note that when it asks the students to build Li+ for example, it tells the students that this is an ion. The same is true if it is a neutral atom or an isotope. The packet requires the students to answer questions about how many subatomic particles are in a certain atom, ion, or isotope and the activity also requires students to draw a model of a certain atom, ion, or isotope as well.
After the students finish the atom portion of the packet, the students must move on to the prediction portion of the packet (which is the last page of the packet that is handed out). The prediction portion of the packet asks students for the definition of an atom, an ion, and an isotope. It is important to not help the students during this portion of the lesson because I want to gauge if the students were making connections between the answers they had to write down along with what they were inspecting. Ask the students to turn their packets into the front of the room after they finish.
Assessments/Checks for Understanding:
The next part of the lesson involves the students investigating isotopes with another simulation. Pass out the worksheet that helps guide the students through this assessment activity. Instruct the students that they will be working on this worksheet individually. The worksheet directs the students to go to this website listed below:
"Isotopes and Atomic Mass" Simulation
This simulation helps the students learn more about what an isotope actually is. Much like the first packet, this worksheet asks questions of the students to explore the simulation listed above, asking them to draw certain isotopes or find out how many subatomic particles are located inside a certain isotope. Once the students are completed filling out the questions that are asked of them in the second worksheet, there is a final worksheet to be passed out to the students at the end of the class. The worksheet asks students to assess whether or not their previous prediction of what an isotope is was correct or not. This helps the students assess their own work along with giving me an idea of what they are thinking throughout the progression of the activity. The goal is to hopefully correct the students if their previous definitions were incorrect. Instruct the students to turn in this sheet to the front of the room as well.
Throughout both of the simulations, the instructor should be walking around the room asking students questions that help them uncover different aspects of subatomic particles, atoms, ions, and isotopes. Questions should resemble the following:
- What happened when you added electrons to the overall net charge? What does that say about the charge of an electron?
- What happened to the overall net charge when you added the protons? What does that say about the charge of a proton?
- How does adding neutrons affect the stability of the atom?
- Should an ion have an overall net charge? Should an atom have a charge?
Whenever a student gives an answer, ask them to explain their reasoning and provide evidence to the instructor by using the simulation. Don’t just validate their answer on correctness, make sure that their way of processing the information is correct by watching how they explain it by using the simulations they have in front of them.
Closure/Wrap-Up/Review:
Gather all of the students and instruct them to put the laptops/iPads away. Make sure all of the papers/packets are turned in prior to closing the classroom with the final remarks. At this point in the class, it is time to re-mention the goals for the day. Ask the students how to find the amount of subatomic particles within an atom and review the definitions of an atom, an ion, and an isotope. The discussion for this wrap-up will begin with a question regarding carbon. I will point to carbon on the periodic table and say that the carbon atom has an atomic number of 12. Then, I will ask the students what that “12” means. Most of them will say protons and electrons. I will then ask them if an atom contains neutrons. The point of this part of the discussion is for the students to describe neutrons with 0 net charge, but affecting the mass and stability of the atom, creating different isotopes. I will relate back to the packets and ask them what caused the different isotopes of carbon-12, 13, and 14.