Have you ever wondered what "things" are made of? What is that chair you are sitting on made of? What is the water we drink made of? The simple answer... an atom! What is an atom? The atom is the basic building block for all matter in the universe. Atoms are extremely small and are made up of a few even smaller particles. The basic particles that make up an atom are electrons, protons, and neutrons. Want to create your own atom? Follow the step by step instructions below.

Gather the materials you need to create your own Atom Structure.

• Paper

• Four color crayons or markers

• Question: What is an Atom? What makes up an atom?

Answer: The Atom is the basic building block for all matter in the universe. Atoms are extremely small and are made up of a few even smaller particles. The basic particles that make up an atom are electrons, protons, and neutrons. They can change and undergo chemical reactions, sharing electrons with other atoms.

• Now that we know what makes up an atom let's draw our very own.

• Draw the Nucleus (center of an atom) by drawing a circle with a Black (maker or crayon).

• Tip: Use a small cup to create the perfect circle!

• Fact: The Nucleus is at the center of the atom. It is made up of protons and neutrons.

• Next, let's create the protons inside of the nucleus.

• Use one of your colors to draw three circles. I used blue in my example.

• Question: What is a proton?

Answer: The Proton is a positively charged particle that is located at the center of the atom in the nucleus.

• FUN FACT: The hydrogen atom is unique in that it only has a single proton and no neutron in its nucleus!

• Next, we will complete our nucleus by drawing our neutrons.

• Grab a different color to draw three circles to create your neutrons. I used red in my example.

• The nucleus is now complete!

• Question: What is a Neutron?

Answer: The neutron doesn't have any charge. The number of neutrons affects the mass and the radioactivity of the atom.

• Next, we will create the first ring that surrounds the nucleus.

• Draw an oval that starts from the bottom left of your page and ends at the top right of your page.

• Use a black crayon or marker to create this.

• Questions: What is a ring?

Answer: The rings, also known as electron shells, can hold a variable amount of electrons depending on its shell number.

• Next, we will create the second ring that surrounds the nucleus.

• Draw an oval that starts from the top left of your page and ends at the bottom right of your page.

• Use a black crayon or marker to create this.

• Next, we will create the third ring that surrounds the nucleus.

• Draw an oval that starts from the top of your page and ends at the bottom of your page.

• Use a black crayon or marker to create this.

• The rings are all complete!

• Now, we are going to create the electrons.

• Grab a color that has not been used before.

• In my example I used the color yellow.

• Draw three circles on the rings. These are your electrons.

• Question: What is an electron?

Answer: An electron is a negatively charged particle that spins around the outside of the nucleus. Electrons spin so fast around the nucleus, scientists can never be 100% sure where they are located, but scientists can make estimates of where electrons should be. Electrons are attracted to the nucleus by the positive charge of the protons. Electrons are much smaller than neutrons and protons. About 1800 times smaller.

• Lastly, we will add the labels on the Atom structure.

• Challenge: Use a pencil to label the parts of your atom structure without looking at the notes above.

• Answers:

  • The big circle in the middle of your picture is the "nucleus"

  • The blue circles inside of your nucleus are the "protons"

  • The red circles inside of your nucleus are the "neutrons"

  • The three oval shapes around your nucleus are the "ring"

  • The yellow circles on the rings are the "electrons"

  • You did it! You completed your Atom Structure.