Clark University 11/04/2016
Learning Activity Plan
Chemistry, Mrs. Phillips
I. Content: Electron Configuration
In the second half of this two-part lesson, students will use the information from the previous day’s POGIL activity to make connections to electron configuration. This will begin with a class discussion of the rules of the POGIL and how each relates to the rules of electron configuration, a comparison of the short-hand notation of each, and the introduction of the concepts of spin and energy levels. This will transition into a PowerPoint-led discussion and practice activity with electron configuration and quantum numbers, the Aufbau principle, the Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund’s rule, culminating in a problem set involving electron configuration.
II. Learning Goals:
a. SWBAT make connections between their POGIL activity and the rules of electron configuration and explain how they relate.
b. SWBAT explain which aspects of the POGIL activity did not fully represent electron configuration – ex: spin, energy levels, etc.
c. SWBAT use their periodic table and their knowledge of electron configuration rules to create the electron configuration of the first twenty elements of the periodic table.
d. SWBAT identify the quantum numbers for a given element and define what each quantum number signifies.
III. Rationale:
This activity will help students to understand electron configuration using the POGIL activity from the prior lesson. Students will brainstorm connections between this activity and electron configuration of different elements and describe which electron configuration rules were not represented by the POGIL activity to ensure complete understanding. Students need to have a strong background in electron configuration and its rules to be able to understand later topics, such as periodicity or bonding.
IV. Assessment:
The final assessment for this topic will be in the form of a test on atomic structure, electron configuration, and modern and historical models. Students will know that they have reached the learning goals of this topic when they are able to accurately depict the electron configurations for the first twenty elements of the periodic table, and beyond. Students have already completed their POGIL activity and will now participate in a series of practice problems that will serve as formative assessments to ensure students are understanding electron configuration thoroughly. Students will also participate in small group and full class discussions as we make connections to the POGIL activity to ensure that each group understands electron configuration.
V. Personalization and Equity:
The use of visuals (diagrams) in the powerpoint and the diagrams that the teacher will draw on the board will help students who are visually inclined and my IEP/504 students to understand the concepts being discussed. The direct comparisons between the POGIL activity that the students have already mastered and the rules of electron configuration will help students to transition from the activity to being able to write configurations for each of the first twenty elements. Students will be given the opportunity to pair and share with the students around them during practice problems, pairing up with those seated around them (seating arrangements are heterogeneous, ensuring that students who might struggle more in this class have a high-achiever student near them whom they can ask for help from, which in turn, benefits the high-achiever as they “teach” their peer). This low—stakes practice assignment will help students to engage completely in the activity without fear of being wrong, and the use of groupings will benefit all students, challenging the high-achievers to teach their peers which will aid in their own understanding and helping the IEP and ELL students to comprehend and talk through concepts with their peers. This is also a very student-centered way to introduce notation to students who might otherwise struggle or shut down seeing notation without a real-world context. There will be additional problems provided for the high-achiever students to ensure that everyone remains challenged throughout the activity. Dan will be given a shortened homework assignment to ensure he completes the assignment, as he often doesn’t even try to do repetitive assignments if they look too long.
VI. Activity Description and Agenda:
a. Agenda
Time / Teacher: / Students: / Rationale:0:00 – 0:10 / Teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to write down in their notebooks the rules that they remember from the previous day’s POGIL activity, including the notation, how to place dormers in rooms, and so on. Students will then be asked to “pair and share” with someone around them until they feel they are confident that they have written down with all of the rules and are ready to discuss them. / Students will enter write down in their notebooks the rules that they remember from the previous day’s class, including notation, how to place dormers, and so on. Students will pair and share with someone around them until they feel they are confident that they have come up with all of the rules. / This will get students focused and on task from the start of the lesson and serve as a reminder of the work done in the previous lesson.
0:10 – 0:13 / Once students have written down the rules, the teacher will ask students to share these, writing each on the board as students come up with them. / Students will share the rules that they used in the previous day’s lesson. / This will serve as a list to compare our electron configuration rules to.
0:13 – 0:20 / Teacher will begin the PowerPoint presentation with a slide stating the rules for diagramming electron configuration and ask the students to look at and copy down these rules, noting the similarities and differences between these rules and the POGIL activity rules. Teacher will call on volunteers to comment on similarities and differences that they noticed, ensuring that each is covered. / Students will copy down the electron configuration rules and compare and contrast these with the rules from the POGIL activity. Students will volunteer to describe similarities or differences between these rules and that of the POGIL activity. / This will help students to make connections between the previous day’s activity and the electron configuration activity we will be working on today.
0:20 – 0:40 / Teacher will begin going through the PowerPoint slides, covering the Aufbau principle, Hund’s rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle and connecting these to the POGIL activity as appropriate to help students understand the rules of electron configuration. This will culminate in a slide with practice problems. / Students will take notes on the rules of electron configuration, asking questions as appropriate and drawing connections to the POGIL activity. / This will give students a solid foundation in electron configuration and ensure students know the rules behind it.
0:40-0:55 / Teacher will assign practice problems for the students to work on, drawing the electron configuration and notation for each of the assigned problems. The first problem will be done as an example problem (I do), the second as a class (we do), and the rest as individual practice (you do). The teacher will walk around the room as students work on their problems and ensure that everyone remains on task and understands the problems. / Students will first observe an example being explained by the teacher, and will then help to solve the next problem through class discussion. The remainder of the problems will be done individually, with students asking questions as needed. / This will ensure that students are able to accurately draw the electron configuration and notations for elements and serve as an assessment of their understanding of the topic.
0:55 – 0:60 / Teacher will assign the homework (a problem set on electron configuration) and give students the last five minutes of class to begin working on it so that students can ask questions as needed. Teacher will hold “office hours” in the back of the room for the remainder of the period to give individual or small group help to students who are stuck. / Students will work on their homework and participate in “office hours” as needed. / This will ensure that students have an opportunity to interact with the teacher one-on-one if they remain confused, and allow students time to get out their questions before working on this at home.
Homework: Worksheet on electron configuration.
b. Challenges:
For this activity, I anticipate there may be some problems with students remaining focused on the task throughout the electron configuration activity, and so will be walking around the room to keep groups on task during the individual portion of this task. I also anticipate that some student may have difficulty transitioning from the POGIL activity to the electron configuration activity, and so plan to use “I do, we do, you do” to model the rules and ensure that students understand fully before diving in to the practice problems on their own. Finally, I anticipate that some students may catch on to this more quickly than others, and so will provide extension problems for those who are high achievers so that they do not run out of work.
VII. Frameworks:
2.4 Write the electron configurations for the first twenty elements of the periodic table.
VIII. Reflection:
(Handwritten in Binder)