HCPSS Curriculum Framework*
(using essential components identified by DOI and MSDE structure)
Title.*Atomic Structure
Overview* This is a brief description of the unit. It explains the unit's focus and/or theme and provides a summary of what students will learn.
This is a scholarly explanation of the highlights of the unit content illuminating the content challenges and connections for teaching the unit.
Enduring Understandings: Substances are composed of tiny, divisible particles that influence the characteristics of that substance.
Essential Questions*
○ Where did the ideas of the first atom come from?
○ How has the structure of the atom changed over time?
○ How did someone come up with the idea of a proton, a neutron, and an electron?
○ Are there any particles smaller than protons, neutrons or electrons?
○ What kind(s) of radiation are we exposed to on a daily basis?
○ Can superheroes (created from radioactive substances) really exist?
○ How is the average atomic mass of an element calculated?
○ What are nuclear fusion and fission used for?
Interdisciplinary Connections* This section can broadly list the content areas the unit covers and suggest opportunities for "making
interdisciplinary connections.” This should be both inter and intra connections, for example the disciplines of social studies create intra
connections and inter connections to ELA within almost every lesson.
Social Studies Connection:
○ Atomic Structure can lead to a discussion in History classes over the dropping of the Atomic Bomb and the politics at that
time in History.
Fine Arts Connection:
○ The idea of finding something that cannot be seen by the visible eye could be used to draw connections in Art. The art
teacher could pick something else that exists that we are unable to see with the human eye and have students draw their
interpretation of the object.
Science and ELA Connection:
○ Incorporating both Science and ELA, students could research the invention of the Hydrogen Bomb and it’s uses and do a
research paper on how that scientist influenced the science community today.
Mathematical Application:
○ Math teachers could design a lesson to calculate the relative size of an atom of a particular element and have students
perform calculations to determine how many atoms are in known objects (like a football field or a basketball)
Content Curriculum Map
Curriculum
Standards
MSDE Core Learning
Goals:
Unit III: Atomic
Structure
Goal 1: The
students will
demonstrate the
ability to trace the
history of the
development
of the modern
atomic theory and
model.
Goal 3: the
student will
demonstrate the
ability to analyze
the fundamentals
of radioactivity.
Concepts/Topics/Vocabulary*
(What will you teach?)
These are concepts and terms that will be encounteredoften for the first time, over the course of the unit. The
list is not comprehensive; it is meant to highlight terms
that either are particular to the unit, are introduced
there, or that play a large role in the work or content of
the unit. These terms and concepts are usually implied
by the standards, but not always made explicit in them.
History of the Atom:
Dalton, Rutherford, Bohr, Thomsen,
Quantum mechanical model,
Components of the Atom:
Atom, Proton, electron, neutron
Nuclear Chemistry:
Student Outcomes
Skills/Engagement*
Assessment*
(What will students do?)
(How will you teach it and how will you
engage students?)
(How will students show you
what they know?) These are
formative (pre and on-going)
and summative
(graded
post/unit
assignments)
assessment
SWBAT create a
historical timeline of
the history of the
atom and research
the significance of
one scientist’s
contributions to the
modern atomic
model.
Students will read and gather
information from a given text,
to create a timeline which
shows the development of
the atom throughout history.
Students will be
assessed based on
the accuracy of their
timeline as well as
their explanation of
the significance of
the scientist of their
choice.
Students will select one
scientist and be able to
explain the significance of the
scientist’s contribution to the
modern atomic model.
SWBAT calculate the Students will use a given rem
amount of radiation
chart for various activities and
Radiation, rem, roentgen, alpha
they are exposed to
calculate their exposure to
particle, beta particle,Gamma particle,
on annually.
radiation annually.
fission fusion, nuclear power plant,
SWBAT compare
radioactive decay, ½ life
and contrast fission
Students will complete a
and fusion.
nuclear reaction activity
Students will also
take a quiz after the
timeline activity to
measure their
understanding of
historical events.
Students will be
given a quiz over
rem exposure as
well as nuclear
reactions at the
conclusion of these
activities.
SWBAT write and
complete nuclear
equations.
SWBAT calculate
the ½ life of dice.
where they will complete
various nuclear reactions
using cards.
Students will write an
argumentative essay
comparing and contrasting
the benefits/disadvantages of
using fission or fusion as a
nuclear power source.
Students will be
assessed based on
their argumentative
writing.
Students will be
assessed based on
their laboratory
investigation results.
Students will perform a
laboratory investigation
where they will determine the
half life of numbers on dice.
Goal 2: the
Isotopes:
SWBAT determine
student will
Isotopes, average atomic mass,
the average atomic
demonstrate the
atomic number, ion, atomic mass unit, mass and the various
ability to determine
mass number, subatomic particle,
isotopes of a given
the
atom
“element”
composition of
an atom, ion, or
isotope.
Students will be given a
fictitious element “Beanium”
and be required to find the
average atomic mass of the
element using what they
know of isotopes.
Students will be
assessed on their
correct calculations
of the avg. atomic
mass.
Students will also be
given a unit test over
all the covered
material.
Lesson Plans/Seeds. The lesson seeds are ideas that can be used to build a lesson. They are designed to generate evidence of student
understanding and give teachers ideas for developing their own activities. Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they
substitutes for instruction.
● Foldable on Atomic Scientists
●
●
●
●
●
Beanium/Candium Lab
½ Life of Dice/Licorice/Pennies/M&Ms Lab
Research information about the scientist’s experiments and their connection to the development of the history of the atom
Argumentative Writing – Fossil Fuels vs. Nuclear Power?
Think of something in your daily life that would resemble the plum pudding model of the atom, Bohr’s model of the atom, or the
quantum mechanical model?
How will you teach the content or how will students learn the content independently? (Multiple Means of Representation)
Auditory Learners
● Lecture and note taking
● Group work
● Pair/share activities
Kinesthetic Learners
● Hands-on activities (Beanium, Nuclear Reaction Cards, Historical Timeline, ½ life of Dice)
● Inquiry based learning
Visual Leaners
● Individual research and problem solving
● Hands-on activities (Beanium, Nuclear Reaction Cards, Historical Timeline, ½ life of Dice)
● Reading of given articles/texts
How will students be engaged in the content? (Multiple Means of Engagement)
● Lecture and note taking
● Group work
● Student labs and activities
● Given articles and texts
● Teacher Demonstrations
How will students show you what they know? (Multiple Means of Action and Expression)
●
Class discussions and individual sharing
●
Creating Historical timelines
●
Written responses to prompts
●
Student responses to activities, labs, and class discussions
●
Written tabulation and graphing of data
●
County assessment
●
Quizzes/Tests
Resources: Substantial lists of suggested literary and/or informational texts and other supporting resources.
Suggested Texts (Literary and/or informational)
Holt (2012)
Article: “
Suggested Media to support this unit
Technology resources