Lauren Walkup

October 25, 2020

Lesson #5- Chemical Bonding #1: Covalent Bonds
• State and NGSS Standards
1. 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.
2. S.C.912.P.8.5 Relate properties of atoms and their position in the periodic table to the
arrangement of their electrons.
3. SC.912.P.10.8 Explain entropy's role in determining the efficiency of processes that
convert energy to work.
• Core disciplinary ideas and practices 

Core disciplinary ideas: 

*Atoms have valence electrons that participate in bonding
*The sharing of electrons makes a covalent bond
*Stability based on the octet rule drives covalent bonding
*Making bonds releases energy because of entropy

Practices: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Engaging in Argument from

Evidence

• Learning Goals
1. Students will be able to explain that a reaction between the protons and electrons of two
atoms cause them to bond. 
2. Students will be able to draw a model of the covalent bonds between the atoms and
explain what a covalent bond is in words.
3. Students will be able to explain how breaking and building bonds affects whether energy
is released or required.

Instructional resources:
https://alyandlaurenpbi2020.weebly.com/instructional-resources.html
Modified Lesson #5 (link below to original task)
https://alyandlaurenpbi2020.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/3/7/133773336/4.4_teacher.pdf

I would identify the cognitive demand of the original task as a Guided Integration (GI). I
chose this because the original lesson does require students to work with both practices and
content. The practices include using models, carrying out an investigation, analyzing data, and
constructing explanations. Students are also taken through a direct instruction piece on covalent
bonding to guide them to understand covalent bonding through the experiment. The task is not
doing science, however, because students are still learning about rather than figuring out.
The task I will have students engage in is different in a few ways. Firstly, it differs in
what happens before the task. I would have students do a different engagement piece for the
whole lessons. I would ask them about roller coasters and how they work- having students
discuss how to get a car to the top of a hill versus what happens when the cart reaches the top. In
this way, students will have conversation and access their prior knowledge about entropy and the
release or requirement of energy to get to a more stable or unstable state. I would keep the direct
instruction piece the same. I would use the provided structure to talk about covalent bonding and
make sure to emphasize that covalent bonds are strong because they are stable. This will require
accessing student knowledge about the periodic table and the octet rule (talked about in prior
lessons).
I will restructure the task as a Predict-Explain-Observe-Explain. Students will first see
my materials and make predictions and an explanation about what they think will happen.
Instead of having students do a cookbook lab, I will do the demonstration listed from the original
task and let students see what happens. Hopefully, they will begin to ask why there are bubbles
forming. This will become the mini driving question of our lesson, to figure out why gas bubbles
are forming in liquid water. After students observe the demo, they will revise their explanation as
well. I will have student share out their explanations in a planned order and use a whole class
discussion to come up with a class understanding of the problem.
This task requires that students use the crosscutting concept of energy to figure out why
bonds are broken and formed. This is a much bigger idea and requires much deeper thinking than
learning what a covalent bond is by observing its formation and desecration. In this task, students
have to figure out what they think is going on based on prior knowledge and then explain/argue
their point of view with classmates. This task is a Doing Science task.
MODIFIED TASK
Teachers will… Questions Anticipated Responses

Tell students we are going to What will happen when the There will be smoke/fire
have an investigation today. device enters the water? Why There will be an explosion
The investigation will require do you think so? Nothing will happen
the usage of the information
we have been learning for the Correct response: The energy
past few days. will break down covalent
bonds and release Hydrogen
(PEOE) and Oxygen gas.
Predict/Explain
Show students the materials
and explain that the device
you have built contains a lot
of energy/will add this energy
to the water. Ask students to
PREDICT what they think
will happen to the water
molecules when you put the
device in water and
EXPLAIN why.
OBSERVE Ask students why they think There is uneven energy
Run the demonstration. Make there are more bubbles on one
sure to emphasize that there side than the other? Correct response: Water is
are more bubbles on one side made up of two hydrogen
than the other. atoms and one oxygen atom.

LISTEN to students and write

their questions on the board What do you think these Air
as driving questions for the bubbles contain? Water
lesson. Some other chemical

EXPLAIN Correct response: They

Have students revise their
explanations after the
observation. Students can
turn and share with their
neighbor and add ideas to
their explanation.
Why is this happening?
contain the hydrogen and
oxygen gas from the broken-
down covalent bond of water.
Because of heat
Because of the energy
Circulate the room and
note/sequence student Correct response: The
thinking for the discussion. electrical energy can break
down the covalent bond. In
other words, it takes energy
to break bonds and go back to
something less stable.
Teacher will call on students
in sequenced order and have
students agree/disagree and
share out about their ideas.
Teacher will facilitate
discussion towards
constructing a class
explanation.
Ask students what they think Yes
would happen with H2 and No
O2 in a box together. Would
water form? Why or why Correct response: Yes, but it
not? would need a spark to begin
the reaction. H2 and O2 are
stable in their diatomic forms
and need a little help to get
boosted to the H2O reaction.
Ultimately, energy would be
released.
Solidify the relationship
between bonds forming
releasing energy and bonds
breaking requiring energy.

Ask students if they have any

new ideas about the
anchoring phenomenon’s
explosion…
 Name:__________________
Date:___________________

PREDICT-EXPLAIN-OBSERVE-EXPLAIN
PREDICT: What do you think will happen when the device enters the water? EXPLAIN.
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OBSERVE: What happened when the device entered the water? EXPLAIN.
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