To find areas of specific interest,
click on one of the outlined topics:

Multiple Intelligences

CELs
(common essential learnings)

Incorporation of Aboriginal/Métis content

Chemistry 20 Curriculum

Assessment & Instruction

Lewis Dot Handout
   The handout is designed to tie orbital filling electron configurations with the Lewis dot challenge that was issued to students at the beginning of the unit. Students practice placing dots on the elemental symbols and we see how elements in Carbon's column correspond to the concept of the excited state.
    The idea of the octet rule is enforced. Everyone wants to be like the cool kids, the noble gases.

Ionization Energies
   Students add ionization energies to a periodic table and look for trends. We try our best to determine why the ionization energies increase as we move right (everyone wants to be like the noble gases, as we move right, electrons are less likely to be lost because they are so close to having an electron shell like a noble gas. Why give up an electron now when you are so close)
    To enforce the rational behind ionization energy decreasing as we move down the columns, we move to the gym or multipurpose room. It is understood that everyone in a column is in a similar situation when we think about the number of electrons to be lost/gained to become the same as a noble gas. We look at H's column. H has one proton and one electron (a boy is in the nucleus, a girl walks around him). She is able to remain close, the nucleus only has one electron to keep track of, it is hard to strip that electron. We then look at Li, three electrons, three protons, the electrons have to be spread a little further from the nucleus, there is more confusion, it is easier to strip an electron. We then look at Na, 11 electrons, 11 protons. The situation is very chaotic, it is simple to see how an electron is easier to strip in such a situation with all the movement and the outer electrons being so far from the nucleus.
    We then go back the the room and as a class, put our findings into words that explain the trends we saw on the periodic table.

Atomic Radius
   Students add the atomic radius of atoms onto the periodic table and look for trends. We try our best to determine why the atomic radius increase as we move down the columns and to the left across the rows. After discussion ionization energies, the latter makes much more sense.
    As we move down a column, naturally atoms get larger since there are more electrons swarming around the nucleus. But as we move to the right, the atomic radius decreases as the number of electrons also increase, how can this be? Well, we are getting closer to the noble gas, and as stated in the ionization energy rationalization, it becomes tougher to strip an electron as we move right across a row. Since the atoms want to hold on to their electrons as we move right, they hold their electrons tighter...closer to the atom. As an aid, a foam ball is used to symbolize the atom, and as electrons are added, orbiting the atom, elastic bands are wrapped around the ball making the model smaller and smaller.
 

back to A&E title page