Science Sampler: The Octet Rules-- A dating game for atoms
Wed, Feb 13, 2019 10:11 PM
Good...but it could be great!
This article was about a teaching strategy used to reinforce the concept of ionic and covalent bonding. I was interested in the subject because this is the area my classes are currently working on. I thought the article might help me in finding engaging activities for my students that provide just the right amount of rigor. In this lesson/strategy, the class reads/ acts in a play in which the elements are participants of a dating game, and the object is for the elements to find their perfect "stable" matches.
I liked that the article provided background information about how ionic and covalent compounds are formed. This makes the strategy used- friendly for first year teachers or teachers who are teaching the content for the first time. The idea of the play is creative and appeals to the middle school-ages students with the romance, drama, and gossip. However, I found that the concept of an element dating game could be better presented to the students in a way that would have all students participating instead of a select few while the rest of the class sat as the audience. I think the concept of the dating game should be an actual speed-dating session rather than a play in which the script is provided and the answers are readily available to the students. If students were asked to select an element to become from the Periodic Table and create a bio, they are becoming an expert on that element. Next, students could participate in a few round of speed dating in which they used concepts learned in class to determine their compatibility with other elements. Afterward, they could write write the proper names and formulas for the compounds that were created as a match.
With a few tweaks to the strategy, the lesson would still appeal to the students and would be engaging, but would also provide the rigor needed for the level of academic achievement we want for our students.