![]() ![]() You can download instructions, an example grid and game cards below. One such game is based on the classic Connect 4 game. Using games and an element of competition can be helpful to bring some variety to the necessary student practice. Owing to the interweaving of the terms atom, ion and molecule when describing the different particles, it is unsurprising that students get confused. Introducing the electron now, before students meet the other sub-atomic particles, can help to embed the idea that the loss of electrons results in a positively charged ion, and may help reduce confusion later on. ![]() This latter point is something students often struggle with later on in their studies. When an atom/molecule loses negatively charged electron(s), a positive ion is formed. When an atom/molecule gains negatively charged electron(s), a negative ion is formed. However it may be worth introducing students to the electron at this point. At this level students only need to know that an ion is a positively or negatively charged particle. Venn diagrams help students organise their understanding of the different particle types, as described in Atoms, elements, molecules, compounds and mixtures (rsc.li/2wzLsxS).Īn atom or a molecule can lose or gain electron(s) to form an ion. Use of colour helps to distinguish between the atom types further. In fact even Dalton in the 1800s proposed a series of diagrams to represent the elements and compounds known at the time (Figure 1). Particle diagrams can be used to help the students visualise the difference between an atom, a molecule of an element and a molecule of a compound. ![]()
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