10 Chemistry

What if we used science to learn chemistry? How did people figure out this chemistry stuff? We do a lot of experiments to find evidence for the concepts we learn: energy in bond breaking, behaviour of solutions, figuring out what the products of a reaction are,  deducing "types" of reactions, evidence for polyatomic ions, behaviour of acids, and more! 

The Big Question:

How do atoms interact?

Core Concepts:

• particle pictures of matter

• energy in chemical processes

• evidence for the chemical ideas we learn

Unit Design Goals:

• Enhanced Content: A focus on energy and particle diagrams adds a deep conceptual basis to the traditional topics.

• Inquiry Focus: Each lesson follows a structure emphasizing observations, finding patterns, developing ideas and terminology, and application

• Hands-On Activities: Each lesson is full of experiments and activities where students develop and test new ideas. Very little chalk and talk left for the teacher to do!

• Cultural Connections: CRRP strategies based on based on ideas of Zaretta Hammond

• Experimental Videos: All experiments and observations that students make are videoed. Instructions for complex experiments are in video format.

• Designed for Pathways: minimal assumed background knowledge, student-centred, hands-on, but lots of sophisticated scientific thinking!

Want to learn more about how I designed this unit? Check out this article: How to design a science unit