Lesson Topic:
Differentiated Lesson Plan
Unit:
Naming Covalent Compounds
Compounds and Bonding
Grade(s):
10-12
Applicable Standard/Benchmark:
Virginia SOL Standard
CH.3 The student will investigate and understand how conservation of energy and matter is expressed in chemical formulas and
balanced equations. Key concepts include:
a) nomenclature;
c) writing chemical formulas (molecular, structural, and empirical; and Lewis diagrams)
Pre-Assessment Tool or Method:
Two different pre-assessments:
1) 10 question SOL quiz from previous SOLs on naming covalent compounds.
2) My students would break into small groups of no more than three students each. I would give them a list of
common covalent compounds like CO2, CO, H2O, NH3. The students would then brainstorm a naming system for the
molecules. Some starter questions would be what is the suffix or ending of all the molecules? How do you represent
how many atoms of each element are in the compound?
Essential or Critical Question(s) for This Lesson:
How are universal names important to communication?
Learning Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
 Write the chemical formulas for simple molecular substance by converting between chemical formula and the name of the
compound and from the name of the compound to the chemical formula.
 Identify that subscripts in a compound relate to the number of atoms of each element in the compound by using prefixes
to represent the subscripts.
 Demonstrate an understanding for nomenclature by making a flow chart for both the naming systems for covalent as well
as ionic bonding.
Learning Assessment(s):
1) Group work on naming covalent compounds where I walk around and take note of students that are struggling and those
who understand the rules.
2) Mini quizzes on going from chemical formula to name and then later from name to chemical formula. Students will
exchange quizzes after they are finished and will peer grade them.
3) Daily warm ups (maybe 2 days) on naming covalent compounds.
4) Quiz on naming covalent bonds. Given the chemical formula students will be able to name the compound and given the
name they will have to write the chemical formula.
5) Designing a flow chart for naming all compounds (covalent compounds come after ionic. They can put all of the rules for
naming compounds together).
Lesson Topic:
Naming Covalent Compounds
Differentiated Lesson Plan
Unit:
Compounds and Bonding
Grade(s):
10-12
Instructional Strategies & Activities:
(a) build on prior knowledge & communicate the relevance of the material?
- Review of naming ionic bonds. The two naming systems have similarities and differences. Using what the students know
about ionic bonds, we can then build on that knowledge and cover the differences.
- Question that students need to write a paragraph on: How can having an international system of naming compounds be helpful
for all scientists as well as the non-scientific community?
(b) enable me to model the skills or strategies that students are to learn and use?
- From now on there are on common names for molecules. Water is not water it is dihydrogen monoxide. I want students to be
comfortable talking like a scientist and have confidence to know that they can name all simple compounds if they can apply the
naming system to the compound. By showing confidence myself, and using chemical formula names only, students will get used
to hearing them and will become more confident as the year progresses.
(c) actively engage students in the content?
- I will use flashcards with compounds written on them and have students name the compound and the reverse where they are
given names and they have to give the chemical formula of the compound. (When I was in high school I remember doing this
with my chemistry teacher. She started with the first two students in the left row and we would have to be the first one to say
the compound correctly. Whoever would say it first correct would move to the next person and so one until the end. The
student that makes it through to the end would get extra credit).
- Playing naming compound Jeopardy. It would have a column for ionic, more complex ionic, covalent, and mixed
ionic/covalent. Students would be broken into three teams and then can be played on Turning Point so each team can get the
points for having the correct answer and lost points for getting the wrong answer.
(d) enable students to learn cooperatively?
- Students will be creating the flow chart in cooperative learning groups that will have a peer participation grade that students
will base off of a rubric (they will need to circle on a scale of 1-5 how they think students did in a number of different areas.
(e) guide them in practicing the skills in class?
- Provide worksheets that students can work on in class independently while I would walk around and see what students are
doing. If a student is wrong then I would quietly circle the questions that are wrong and need to be re-evaluated. If I find that
a lot of the same problems are being missed by students I would go over them on the board for the class.
(f) provide adequate independent practice through homework?
-There will be worksheets and a problem set in the Unit Packet that students will complete.
Lesson Topic:
Naming Covalent Compounds
Differentiated Lesson Plan
Unit:
Compounds and Bonding
Grade(s):
10-12
(g) provide closure including a review of key points, connections between concepts & conclusions?
- Go through a written and verbal review of both ionic and covalent bonding, noting the similarities and differences between the
two naming systems and more flashcard examples with the entire class.
Differentiation/Accommodations:
Gifted Students- Naming common covalent as well as ionic compounds will be very easy for them. I would supplement them
with naming acids and more complex covalent compounds. It is not a topic that is covered in the Standards of Learning but it is
a more challenging concept. I would also give these students more polyatomic ions to know. Polyatomic ions are covalently
bonded compounds that have an overall charge. Students are required to know six different ions. For gifted students I would
have them know different forms of ions that are made of the same elements in different ratios. This will tie into naming acids.
- I would have them to this independently and in small groups if there are a number of students that are gifted or can
handle the extra material and would like the added push.
Inattentive Learners- I would make sure that any student that are identified as have attention disabilities or that seem to me
that they might have some trouble paying attention are seated in the front part of the room closer to my desk. I would keep
changing what we are doing in class so that they are not working on any one task for more than 20 to 30 minutes as a time,
depending on what we are doing.
Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Learners- Students would get a vocabulary list for the lesson. I would encourage them to
include any “regular” words that might come up and add the words to the vocabulary list. There is a Word Wall in the classroom
that includes all the vocabulary words that have been covered so far. I would also print off any notes for them so they can
concentrate on getting the material and not copying the information perfectly.
Delayed/ Unprepared Learners- Students would get a vocabulary list for the lesson. Any reading material- which for this lesson
are mostly directions or the powerpoint presentation, I would modify to make the wording easier to read. I would start these
students off with a review of covalent bonding and what it means to have a covalent bond. They would start off with the
simplest compounds and once mastered they can expand to harder problems. I would pair them with a gifted student so the
gifted student could also do some teaching and reviewing of material with the student.
Instructional Materials & Resources: What print and non-print instructional materials, resources, etc., will students need to
engage in learning? How could the use of technology support, extend or enhance the lesson?
-An online quiz that students can use in class or at home to practice naming covalent compounds at Sciencegeek.net.
http://www.sciencegeek.net/Chemistry/taters/Unit4BinaryNomenclature.htm
- They can use their textbook as a resource although it will go into much more detail then they are required to know. It is more
like a college textbook than a high school textbook.
- A quiz on my Blackboard site that students can do for extra review and extra credit if they complete it.
- Worksheets
- Powerpoint for class that will be available online on my Blackboard page as well