Summary Students are given molecular model parts. They can build suggested real molecules and find out the function of what they have built, or can make up their own. Science content Chemistry: States of Matter, Properties of Materials (K-7) Chemistry: Atoms, Molecules (3-7) Science competencies (+ questioning + manipulation + others that are in every activity) Processing/analyzing: classifying data, finding patterns (1 up) Lessons activity is in Chemistry activities selection Properties of materials: sticky, stretchy, floating, long and strong The Particles of Matter Resource Indigo Instruments Materials molecule model pieces. I limit to black carbons, red oxygens and white hydrogens, maybe with a blue nitrogen, along with grey bonds. All made by Molymod - suggestion is CO2 and H2O from previous molecule building plus an N-H sheet of molecule functions (see attachment) or separate molecule cards with drawings, or the internet Procedure Allow students to play with the molecule models. They are an attractive building toy, and have a similar appeal to lego. Students can build molecules from images and learn about the function of the molecules they build. Students can make up their own. I ask them to fill all the holes on the molecules, and find a hole for all the bonds, so that their molecule is more likely to be stable. Sometimes students will make something that can be looked up and described, but often they will build larger structures that don't exist. A superb book discussing the function and uses of simple molecules, building into complex: Molecules by P.W. Atkins, published by Scientific American Library. Ideas for chemical reactions to demonstrate with these molecule models attached. Attached documents molecule_models_and_their_functions.pdf Molecule models and their functions list with N.pdf Molecule models and their functions cards.pdf Chemical reactions with molecule models_2.pdf Grades taught Gr K Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7
