Clark University 02/02/2017

Learning Activity Plan

Chemistry, Mrs. Phillips

I. Content: Chemical Bonding – Covalent Review

Today, students will participate in an activity to get some more practice with all of the topics
we have been discussing this week – first using the criss-cross method to predict the chemical
formula of a compound, then naming it according to our nomenclature rules, and then using
manipulatives to create Lewis Dot structures for these compounds. Students will be placed
into small, intentional groups to work through their activity packets, with groups designed to
ensure that students of all abilities are involved and engaged in the activity. This will serve as
a review and assessment of student understanding of this past week’s topics, and will give
students additional practice with each of these areas before we move on to ionic compounds.

II. Learning Goals:

a. SWBAT predict the number of valence electrons that an atom has by looking at its position
on the periodic table and use this number to predict a compound’s chemical formula.
a. SWBAT analyze the chemical formula of a given molecular compound and use the atomic
symbols and subscripts to determine the name of the compound.
b. SWBAT create Lewis Dot diagrams by calculating the total number of valence electrons in
a compound and creating double and triple bonds where needed to form full octets.
c. SWBAT assess their own understanding/evaluate their work with Lewis Dot diagrams by
checking each atom for a full octet and ensuring all valence electrons are used.

III. Rationale:
Chemical bonding is a central topic in chemistry that students will need to understand to be able
to succeed in future lessons (for example: stoichiometry, chemical reactions, etc.). Information
gained through this unit will also help students to connect chemistry with many real-life
scenarios, making chemistry more relevant and exciting. The review and constant use of terms
in this lesson, such as bonding and nonbonding pairs, Lewis Dot diagram, valence electrons,
and more (which have been introduced via powerpoint, notes, and class discussion) will ensure
that students have a solid foundation on chemical bonding before moving on to concepts that
build upon this (stoichiometry, chemical reactions, and more). The hands-on activity that
students are participating in today will provide visual and collaborative learners with much
needed, hands-on practice and will ensure a complete understanding of the topics we have
covered this week before moving on.

IV. Assessment:
The students and I will know that the students have reached the learning goals when they are
able to complete their activity packets, identifying the molecular formula, the molecule’s
name, and the Lewis dot structure of each covalent compound. Students will use
manipulatives to help make their thinking visual and to help them become accustomed to
creating structures without having to erase and rewrite their electrons constantly, which will
help me to see any disconnects in their thinking. The final assessment for this unit will be in
the form of an exam covering all topics in the chemical bonding unit.
 Clark University 02/02/2017
Learning Activity Plan
Chemistry, Mrs. Phillips

V. Personalization and Equity:

The use of step-by-step instructions and a modeled example will help my IEP and ELL
students to engage fully with the lesson, and the visual, hands-on nature of the activity will
help students who are more kinesthetic, visual learners to understand the concepts we have
been discussing this week. The use of “I do, we do, you do” to model an example problem
will help ensure that students understand the material fully before they begin working
independently. The activity will also give me the opportunity to check in one-on-one with my
students who tend to struggle or become distracted, such as Dan, Kennedy, Clay, and
Brandon. As always, all students will be encouraged to come for extra help in the morning or
afternoons as needed, and Clay will be allowed to e-mail his completed assignment to me as
usual to ensure this gets handed in (if not completed in class).

VI. Activity Description and Agenda:

a. Agenda

Time Teacher: Students: Rationale:

0:00 Teacher will begin the lesson by telling students Students will take out This will serve to
– that they will be doing an activity today that their notebooks and engage students
0:15 will tie into everything they have been doing make some notes in today’s lesson
this week. Teacher will explain to students that about what they and serve as an
they will be using manipulatives to create Lewis notice/any patterns easy entry point
Dot structures – after they have determined the they see in these into the lesson for
molecular formula and nomenclature for each structures before all students.
set of atoms that they are given. Teacher will sharing with the class.
ask students to remind her how to determine the Students will make
molecular formula of an example compound, suggestions as to how
CCl4, and then ask students to name this they would go about
compound using their nomenclature notes. creating these
Teacher will then review the creation of Lewis diagrams.
Structures using this molecule and the activity
manipulatives, modeling what is expected of
students in this activity.
0:15 Teacher will assign groupings of students, hand Students will get into This will help me
– out the activity packets, and provide each group their assigned groups to assess
0:55 with a bag of manipulatives, a laminated Lewis and begin working on students’
structure handout, and a dry erase marker. their activity packets, understanding of
Teacher will circulate the room and ensure first calculating the the topics we
students are focused and on-task throughout the chemical formula, have been
activity, answering questions as needed and then naming the discussing this
prodding groups in the right direction if they compound, and week and serve to
become stuck. creating a Lewis highlight areas
structure for each. where we need to
review or spend a
little more time
before moving on
to ionic
compounds.
 Clark University 02/02/2017
Learning Activity Plan
Chemistry, Mrs. Phillips

0:55 Teacher will ask students to fill out the last page Students will complete This will help me
– of their packet before handing it in, completing their self-evaluations to see where
0:60 a “self-evaluation” of their understanding of and turn in their students feel
these topics using the “red light, yellow light, worksheets before most confident
green light” icons to indicate their leaving for the day. and see where we
understanding of each topic. Teacher will need to focus our
remind students about their blue books and ask attention moving
students to turn in their packets before heading forward.
out.
Homework: Blue Books – Due Tomorrow

b. Challenges:
I anticipate that there may be problems with students forgetting the procedure for
predicting chemical formula, nomenclature, or creating Lewis Dot Structures, and so will
model each of these using the same compound at the start of class to avoid any confusion
once the activity begins. I believe that some students may have trouble focusing for the
duration of the practice activity and so will walk around the room and assist as needed
and ensure that students remain on task. Finally, I anticipate some students may not
understand exactly what to do with their manipulatives, and so will model this at the start
of the lesson as well.

VII. Frameworks:

4.1 Explain how atoms combine to form compounds through both ionic and covalent
bonding. Predict chemical formulas based on the number of valence electrons.

4.2 Draw Lewis dot structures for simple molecules and ionic compounds.

4.6 Name and write the chemical formulas for simple ionic and molecular compounds,
including those that contain the polyatomic ions: ammonium, carbonate, hydroxide, nitrate,
phosphate, and sulfate.

VIII. Reflection:
This activity was designed to help me assess my students’ current level of

understanding with regards to the many different topics surrounding covalent compounds that

we had been covering, such as naming covalent molecules, predicting the chemical formulas

of covalent molecules, and drawing lewis dot structures of covalent molecules. To address the

different needs of students in my classroom, I provided each group with a set of tools to

choose from to help them model their thinking – including white boards and markers, bingo

chips to model electron dots, and detailed worksheets with step-by-step instructions. These
 Clark University 02/02/2017
Learning Activity Plan
Chemistry, Mrs. Phillips

different options were met with enthusiasm by students, some of whom opted to use the

chips, while others preferred to simply model on the white board. I am glad that I decided to

give the students these options to use rather than requiring that students use one medium or

the other, as students seemed to really do well with their chosen method and I think requiring

them to use one or another would likely have hampered their progress.

Another way I tried to meet the needs of my students was that I made sure to

involve the whole class in a mini-review of the concepts I was assessing in this activity to

make sure expectations were clear before students began, which I believe played a large part

in how smooth this activity went. Students were able to reference the examples on the board

when they got stuck throughout the activity, and the groupings I created gave students an

intentional support system that was beneficial to all students – my high flyers readily took on

the role of “teacher” in groups where students were struggling and worked collaboratively

with their peers to ensure all group members understood the material.

This activity gave me a great deal of feedback about student progress and the

worksheets showed me that students needed to spend some more time focusing on the

symmetry of Lewis structures, on simplifying when predicting chemical formulas, and would

benefit from just a little more practice to make sure students were completely confident in

their knowledge of covalent compounds. I will definitely use this activity again – the nature

of the activity allowed student thinking to become easily visible for assessment and helped

me greatly in planning my lessons going forward.