Tom Nowak - University of Washington



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 |I will informally assess their oral explanations in a discussion and |

|you collect? |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 |Students will write a one paragraph account of day’s activity for |

|you collect? |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 |I will collect student ditto of answers and problem solving techniques|

|you collect? |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 |Students will write a one paragraph essay explaining how a material |

|you collect? |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 |Students will turn in a lab explaining their observations and ideas as|

|you collect? |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 |Students will be informally assessed as to how and why materials may |

|you collect? |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 |The students will be given a ditto describing different atoms and they|

|you collect? |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 |I will give out a quiz on atomic anatomy and how this anatomy |

|you collect? |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. |

|5) Resources? |Paper, scissors, quiz on atoms up to this point. |

|Day 9 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |Students will observe a demonstration on separating water into the |

| |ions, hydrogen and oxygen. The students will write down independent |

| |observations and then the class will discuss what happened and create |

| |an equation to describe the reaction. From the paper cut-outs, |

| |students will define the initial atoms as reactants and the atoms |

| |after the reactions as products. The students will transform the paper|

| |atoms to symbols and create equations in their journals. The students |

| |will write down the numbers of the atoms in these equations tell if |

| |the equation is balanced or not and explain if it should be or not. |

| |For homework, the students will read about our sun, what it is made of|

| |and what contributes to its heat (inquiry phase 1). |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |Students will use the conservation of matter theory to prove that |

| |chemical reactions occur without adding or destroying matter. (EALR |

| |1.2). Student will know that the Sun’s energy comes from nuclear |

| |fusion and that humans can use a similar nuclear power through nuclear|

| |fission (EALR 2.2). |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |Students will understand different compounds that atoms can combine |

| |into. The students need to know that different compounds are more |

| |desirable in different conditions and that the same material is still |

| |there but has just bonded differently. |

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |The students need to observe a real-life situation of atoms bonding |

| |together differently in a reaction. The students need to practice |

| |seeing how many different reactions can take place between the many |

| |different atoms and molecules. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |The teacher will informally assess what observations the students |

|you collect? |write about from the demonstration and the students will turn in their|

| |ditto on chemical reactions. |

|5) Resources? |Materials for water ion separation, two pencils, two metal electrodes,|

| |water, two glass tubes, four size D batteries. |

|Day 10 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |Students will discuss what they might see with diffraction grading |

| |glasses, observe white light spectra, ask questions from their |

| |observations (inquiry phase 2), and design an investigation about the |

| |light from different gases. The students will conduct their |

| |investigations in exploring the light spectra of different gases |

| |(inquiry phase 3). |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |Students will know that the Sun’s energy comes from nuclear fusion and|

| |that humans can use a similar nuclear power through nuclear fission. |

| |Students will generate questions about radiant light energy that will |

| |be answered through scientific investigations (EALR 2.1). Students |

| |will design and conduct a scientific investigation using diffraction |

| |grading lenses and different energized gases (EALR 2.1). |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |Students will apply concepts of electron valence shells and explore |

| |how an electron movement may give of energy or absorb energy. Also, |

| |students will connect the previous idea that this energy can be used |

| |to bond atoms but it also can be see as light if it is not used to |

| |bond atoms. |

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |Students will practice a real-life activity of how astronomers |

| |determine the atoms present in different stars. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |Students will turn in a lab report after two days explaining their |

|you collect? |initial ideas, what they wanted to learn, what their testable question|

| |was and what results and conclusions they achieved. |

|5) Resources? |Gases in glass tubes, spectra glasses, ditto on spectra, electricity |

| |source for gases |

|Day 11 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |Students will analyze their data by comparing the results from |

| |different gases (inquiry phase 4). The students will identify if there|

| |are any similarities. I will give direct instruction about why there |

| |are black bands in between the color spectra and why the patterns are |

| |different for the different gases. The students will use this |

| |information to identify the unknown gases found in a star and compare |

| |their data to a professional astronomer. |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |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 (EALR 2.1). |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |Students will apply past understanding to real life situations. |

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |Students need to perform the same actions that real professional |

| |astronomers perform in conducting investigations. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |Students will turn in a lab report after two days explaining their |

|you collect? |initial ideas, what they wanted to learn, what their testable question|

| |was and what results and conclusions they achieved. |

|5) Resources? |Reading on atomic energy, library with internet and different books |

| |and articles on atomic applications. |

|Day 12 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |Student groups will reconsider if their findings follow their original|

| |model and they will present their finding to the class (inquiry phase |

| |5). Next the class will conduct a discussion about nuclear energy and |

| |share their opinion on the positive and negative effects using nuclear|

| |power. |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |Student will know that the Sun’s energy comes from nuclear fusion and |

| |that humans can use a similar nuclear power through nuclear fission. |

| |Students will critique the benefits and detriments of humans using |

| |energy from nuclear sources and provide evidence to substantiate their|

| |opinions (EALR 2.2). |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |Students have explored atomic matter and energy for some time. Now is |

| |the time to share their opinions on its applications. |

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |This is an open ended discussion where opinions need to be respected |

| |and differences are accepted. There is no right or wrong answer with |

| |using nuclear energy, yet the consequences of its use need to be |

| |discussed and understood. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |I will assess the students’ level of participation and involvement |

|you collect? |actively and passively. |

|5) Resources? |Change seating arrangements. |

|Day 13 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |Students will explore different atoms and determine how they are |

| |different. From these differences, they will devise their own chart of|

| |organization and compare it to the periodic table of elements. |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |Students will understand the patterns that different atoms have in |

| |common and organize these similarities into a chart that contains all |

| |the naturally occurring elements (EALR 1.2). |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |The students are concluding the unit on atomic structure and energy |

| |and are reviewing the different ideas that make up an atom and how |

| |atoms are different and how they are similar. |

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |Students need a chance to discuss in groups many of the concepts they |

| |have learned in the past couple of weeks and make connections between |

| |what they have learned in what all atoms have in common. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |Student groups will turn in their initial organization of the periodic|

|you collect? |table and supply a written explanation of its organization. Students |

| |will then correct their chart and offer reasons to the changes in |

| |their chart. |

|5) Resources? |Periodic charts |

|Day 14 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |Students will practice their end of unit presentations in small |

| |groups. Students will critique each other from a list of criteria and |

| |offer suggestions for improvement (inquiry phase 4). The students will|

| |complete a written test on the atomic structure, and chemical bonding |

| |including chemical reactions. |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |Students will evaluate their atom models and reconsider how their |

| |model coordinates evidence with theory in how the atom creates a |

| |physical property and function with its structure (EALR 2.1) |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |Students will deliver their presentations in front of the class and |

| |need to practice the skill of public speaking and presenting research.|

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |The students need audio, visual and kinesthetic practice talking to |

| |the group. The presenters will need to speak without the aide of their|

| |physical models. The observers will learn about the other atoms and |

| |elements in the process. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |The students will be informally assessed in groups about how effective|

|you collect? |their practice is. Also, the final presentation, in part, will be |

| |assessed by how much the students have improved from today and |

| |yesterday. The students will also receive a written test to assess how|

| |much they have internalized how atoms and molecules combine to make |

| |new molecules with chemical reactions. |

|5) Resources? |Test on chemical reactions |

|Day 15 (48 minutes) |

|1) What will students do? |The students will give their formal presentations to the entire class.|

| |The observers will take notes and ask questions about the atom |

| |presentations (inquiry phase 5). |

|2) Learning objectives for the class? |Students will prepare and deliver a presentation on original research |

| |they conduct on a single atom and element of their choosing connecting|

| |the function to the structure of the atom (EALR 2.1). |

|3) (A) Why introduce idea at this time? |This is the final day of the unit and the last chance for students to |

| |explore and express their thoughts on atomic structure, function and |

| |bonding behavior. |

| (B) Why this instructional strategy? |A performance assessment as a culminating project mirrors what real |

| |scientists do after completing research and have learned something new|

| |about their work. This presentation should boost a student’s |

| |confidence in being an expert in one aspect of chemistry and should |

| |give them strong skills in sharing thoughts with others in a formal |

| |setting. |

|4) What evidence of student learning / understanding will |The students will turn in their physical model and written fact sheet |

|you collect? |about the atom. The teacher will formally assess their speaking and |

| |presentation skills. |

|5) Resources? |Laser pointer, podium |

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