Modelling Chemistry

by Helen Gray,
Teacher of Science

Encouraging ‘Scientific thinking’                

In science lessons we prepare lessons for our students to show they can work scientifically and plan activities to develop their scientific thinking.

From the new AQA specification: WS 1.2 the exam board requires students to:

‘use a variety of models such as representational, spatial, descriptive, computational, and mathematical to solve problems, make predictions and to develop scientific explanations and understanding of familiar and unfamiliar facts.'

 

 

As part of the Chemistry ‘Structure and Bonding’ module in Year 9, we prepare students for a modelling assignment. Students create a model comparing ionic and covalent electron diagrams. They are given a selection of crafts and sweets to use and must use their knowledge of bonding to create the best scientific model they can.

 

After the kinaesthetic part of the lesson, students are given the opportunity to ‘describe limitations of using dot and cross, ball and stick, two and three dimensional diagrams to represent molecules or giant structures’ and to evaluate their electron bonding diagrams. As a plenary, students must come up with some study cards to complete their knowledge on bonding and making compounds.

Students really enjoyed the practical aspects of this lesson. In order for students to produce the models, they needed to demonstrate they had a high level of understanding of bonding between metals and non metals, and a degree of scientific thinking to explain the differences between ionic and covalent bonding through electron ‘craft’ diagrams. Students were expected to evaluate their models in groups and work on any misconceptions or areas for development from their group work results.

An enjoyable and successful lesson for all of the students!