Teachers' Corner

Periodic Table ADventure Unit Plan

Grade Level:
7-12

Curriculum:
Science/Chemistry/Physical Science/General Science/Language Arts

Key Topics:
Elements, atomic structure, organization of the periodic table of the element , Dmitri Mendeleev, metals, nonmetals and metalloids

Brief Overview:
In the Periodic Table ADventure unit, students will use a teacher-developed interactive website to learn and practice key concepts related to atoms, elements, and using the periodic table of the elements. The unit consists not only of interactive web activities, but also consists of lesson plans for the traditional classroom. Students will first examine the history of the periodic table and the life of Dmitri Mendeleev. Next, students will learn about elements and atomic structure. Once students have shown a mastery of atomic structure, they will then proceed to learn how to read and interpret the periodic table of the elements, including information about the many families and groups of elements contained in the periodic table. Also included in this information are descriptions of the properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. Finally, as a culminating activity, students will be put into teams and perform internet-based research on an element from the periodic table. This research will then be used for each team to develop and present a two-minute advertisement for that element.

Goals and Objectives:

1.	Students will be able to identify an element as a pure substance that may either be found naturally or may be man-made.
2.	Students will learn how the original periodic table was developed and be able to identify elemental properties used by Mendeleev to organize the original periodic table.
3.	Students will be able to describe the structure of an atom, including the presence of electrons, protons, and neutrons.
4.	Students will be able to determine atomic number and atomic mass when given information about the atomic structure of an element.
5.	Students will be able to determine the proton, electron, and neutron numbers when given the atomic mass and atomic number for a given element. Consequently, students will learn that an isotope of an element will have a different atomic mass because it contains a different number of neutrons.
6.	Students will be able to identify physical and chemical properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
7.	Students will be able to identify the locations of groups and periods on the periodic table.
8.	Students will perform internet-based research and apply their research and knowledge acquired in this unit to the development and presentation of a commercial on a specified element.

Daily Lesson Plans (Click here to view the more detailed daily lesson plans):

1.	History of the Periodic Table
2.	Mendeleev Autobiography Writing Assignment
3.	Inside the Atom
4.	Organization of the Periodic Table
5.	Metals, Nonmetals, & Metalloids
6.	Element ADventure

Standards of Learning:
Taken from the Middle/Junior High Science Proficiencies for Indiana

Standard 2 - The Nature of Science and Technology

2.1 The Scientific World View
Scientific knowledge is subject to modification as new information challenges prevailing theories and as a new theory leads to looking at old observations in a new way.

Standard 3 - The Physical Setting

3.4 The Structure of Matter
All matter is made up of atoms, which are far too small to see directly through a microscope. The atoms of any element are alike but are different from atoms of other elements. Atoms may stick together in well-defined molecules or may be packed together in large arrays.

There are groups of elements that have similar properties, including highly reactive metals, less reactive metals, highly reactive nonmetals (such as chlorine, fluorine, and oxygen), and some almost completely nonreactive gases (such as helium and neon). An especially important kind of reaction between substances involves a combination of oxygen with something else -- as in burning or rusting. Some elements don't fit into any of the categories; among them are carbon and hydrogen, essential elements of living matter.

Indiana 8th Grade Language Arts Standards

Standard #6
Write using a variety of forms. Use interviews and reference materials for writing reports and articles. Use accepted report formats. Use varied word choices. Write for different purposes and audiences.

Additional Materials Needed:
Computer workstations with internet access, video camera to tape commercials, other reference books or CD-ROMS

Technology Connections:
Word Processing program of choice
Microsoft Encarta
Netscape Navigator

URL(s) of Web Sites:
URLs: Web site addresses and links may be found both in the text of the web site (for students) and on the "Resources" and "Related Sites" links on the
Teachers' Corner page found at http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/resource.html and/or http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/relsites.html.

Description of Student Use of the Internet:
Students will use the internet to access and browse the Periodic ADventure website at http://web.buddyproject.org/web017/web017/. Students will also be required to use the internet to access interactive games and quizzes which will test their knowledge of the concepts learned in the sites. Students must use the internet to research an element and the life and career of Dmitri Mendeleev.

Assessment:
Students will complete an online quiz at http://www.quia.com/t/111124.html which will ask them to perform calculations based on the number of subatomic particles in a given atom. These scores may be collected for a formal grade or as an informal assessment tool to check student progress.

Students will be formally assessed on their Mendeleev autobiographical writing. The assignment will be worth 30 points, and each class will determine and vote on a scoring rubric appropriate for the assignment. The student will receive two preliminary scores: the teacher's assessment of the student's work based on the class rubric, and a peer assessment of the student's work based on the class rubric. These two scores, both ranging from 0-30, will be averaged together to obtain the student's final score.

Furthermore, student teams will be assessed on their element commercials following a similar assessment procedure as stated for the Mendeleev autobiographical writing above. This assignment will be worth 50 points, and each student's final score will be based on an average of the teacher's rating and the peer rating. Allowing students to design a rubric as a class allows them to utilize their collaborative and decision-making skills, as well as take more ownership in the authentic assessment of their work.

Finally, students will be given a 100 point test consisting of both subjective and objective questions relating to: atomic structure; subatomic particles; atomic numbers; mass numbers; element names and symbols; history of the periodic table including the work of Dmitri Mendeleev; organization of the modern periodic table; and properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.

 

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Last updated on 4/18/00

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If you have any questions or comments, 
please e-mail D. Gibson, 
Grade 8 Science Teacher at 
dld1999@excite.com