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Hello Michael,
This is likely too late for your lesson, but here goes...
I find it useful to demystify why we use chemical equations.
A chemical equation is simply a communication tool. It isn’t much different than using emojis to write sentences. Instead of emojis chemists use a periodic table and other standard symbols to communicate what is happening when particles of matter interact. Every scientist in the world knows this shorthand and it overcomes language barriers. It is the language of chemistry.
Just like teaching a language you should teach some basic vocabulary. Before teaching chemical equations review some basics: atoms, molecules, chemical change and chemical formulas. Then move on to teaching the notations used in writing out a chemical equation.
A chemical equation is a “recipe” with ingredients, instructions and expected results. Many recipes have the same ingredients but the proportion of each determines whether you get a pancake, scone or loaf of bread. Likewise, a balanced chemical equation gives the exact proportions of reactants to create the expected products. There are actually more details in a chemical equation than a recipe – the symbols indicate exactly how the atoms rearrange, form new bonds and create new products.
In addition to searching NSTA’s The Learning Center, resources at these sites will help teach chemical equations:
American Chemical Society https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education.html
American Society of Chemistry Teachers https://teachchemistry.org/
PhET Colorado Simulations https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-chemical-equations
Hope this helps!
Gabe Kraljevic
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