Covalent Bonding Basics Manipulatives

TEACHER NOTES
I made these covalent bonding ‘puzzle’ card manipulatives to help my students to visualize the single, double, and
triple covalent bonds that occur between the various non-metals. My students seemed to find it much easier to
draw the Lewis Dot Diagrams and ball-and-stick diagrams for different molecules when they had the options for
electron arrangement in front of them. I used this activity the day after doing my Cornell Doodle Notes on
Covalent Bonding, which provides the opportunity to do some drawing of covalent bonds. But even so, some
students have a really difficult time processing this new concept, so the next day I wanted to give them a chance
to try this hands-on method of creating covalent bonds.

To facilitate this activity, print one copy of page 2 per pair of students. I laminated these sheets and cut apart the
cards. I suggest labeling the back of each set with a number so you can find the home for cards that go rogue
from their set. Put the cards in a sandwich bag.

Print pages 5 and 6 double-sided for each student. Quickly point out the examples at the top, stressing that the
bond lines need to match up in order for a bond to work! The students should follow the example for the oxygen-
oxygen bond to complete the remaining problems.

Maybe give the students a chance to struggle a bit with the first one or two problems and then review the
answers. Then, they will start to catch on and you can let them discover the answers to the rest with minimal
prompting. They don’t need to name the molecules, but I like to introduce them to the idea that the prefix ‘di-’
means two and the prefix ‘tetra-’ means four, etc.

As and extension activity for early finishers, have them jump online and look up the names for the CH4 molecule
(methane), the NH3 molecule (ammonia), and the others!

Thank you for your purchase! If this resource has met your needs, please
consider returning to TeachersPayTeachers.com to leave feedback! If
you have any questions or concerns, please also feel free to reach out to
me via email at [email protected]! Thanks! Karla 
H H H H

O O N N

O N C C

C Cl Cl

Cl Cl
© Sunrise Science 2019
 KEY
Name ________________________________ Class _______ Date __________
Covalent Bonding Basics Manipulatives
Directions: For each set of atoms, use the Lewis Dot Diagram manipulatives to form the bond(s) between
them. Only the SAME number of electrons from each atom can bond to make a ‘handshake’.

O O O Cl

After some trial and error and you figure out the bond(s) that will work between the atoms, draw arrangement of
valence electrons in the space and circle the new valence shell of each atom. Re-draw the bond as a Lewis
Structure (ball and stick diagram), being sure to draw in any lone pairs. Then, write the molecular formula for the
molecule.

Example: Oxygen and Oxygen

O O O O O2
Oxygen molecule

#1: Hydrogen and Chlorine

H HCl
Cl
H
Cl
Hydrochloric acid

#2: Nitrogen and Nitrogen

N N
N N
N2
Nitrogen molecule

© Sunrise Science 2019

 KEY
#3: Carbon and Oxygen

O C
O
O C
O
CO2
Carbon dioxide

H
#4: Hydrogen and Carbon H
H C
H
H
H
C CH4
H
Methane

H
#5: Hydrogen and Nitrogen
H

H
N N
H H
NH3
Ammonia

H
H

#6: Hydrogen and Oxygen

H O H O H2O
H H
Water
(dihydrogen
monoxide)
Cl

#7: Carbon and Chlorine Cl

C CCl4
Cl
Cl Cl C Cl
Carbon tetrachloride

Cl
Cl

#8: Carbon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen with chemical formula HCN

H C N H C N HCN
Hydrogen cyanide

© Sunrise Science 2019

Name ________________________________ Class _______ Date __________
Covalent Bonding Basics Manipulatives
Directions: For each set of atoms, use the Lewis Dot Diagram manipulatives to form the bond(s) between
them. Only the SAME number of electrons from each atom can bond to make a ‘handshake’.

O O O Cl

After some trial and error and you figure out the bond(s) that will work between the atoms, draw arrangement of
valence electrons in the space and circle the new valence shell of each atom. Re-draw the bond as a Lewis
Structure (ball and stick diagram), being sure to draw in any lone pairs. Then, write the molecular formula for the
molecule.

Example: Oxygen and Oxygen

O O O O O2
Oxygen molecule

#1: Hydrogen and Chlorine

#2: Nitrogen and Nitrogen

© Sunrise Science 2019

#3: Carbon and Oxygen

#4: Hydrogen and Carbon

#5: Hydrogen and Nitrogen

#6: Hydrogen and Oxygen

#7: Carbon and Chlorine

#8: Carbon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen with chemical formula HCN

© Sunrise Science 2019

 Terms of Use
© Sunrise Science
Thank you for your purchase! The original purchaser of this document/product is granted permission
to reproduce the pages in needed quantities for the purchaser’s classroom/home use only. By
purchasing this resource, you are agreeing that the contents are the property of Sunrise Science
and licensed to you only for classroom/personal use as a single user. I retain the copyright, and
reserve all rights to this product.

YOU MAY:
o Use items (free and purchased) for your own classroom students, or your own personal use.
o Reference this product in blog posts, at seminars, professional development workshops, or other
such venues PROVIDED there is both credit given to myself as the author and a link back to my
TPT store is included in your post/presentation.
o Distribute and make copies of free items only to other teachers PROVIDED there is credit given
to Sunrise Science and a link back to my TPT store.

YOU MAY NOT:

o Claim this work as your own, alter the files in any way (unless this has been advertised as an
editable resource), or remove/attempt to remove the copyright/watermarks.
o Sell the files or combine them into another unit for sale/free.
o Post this document for sale/free elsewhere on the internet (this includes public classroom
websites and Google Doc links on blogs).
o Make copies of purchased items to share with others is strictly forbidden and is a violation of
the Terms of Use, along with copyright law.
o Obtain this product through any of the channels listed above.

Thank you for abiding by universally accepted codes of professional ethics while using this product.

If you encounter an issue with your file, notice an error, or are in any way experiencing a problem,
please contact me at [email protected] and I will be more than happy to help sort it out!

Thank you ☺ Karla @ Sunrise Science

/SunriseSciences @SunriseScience @SunriseScienceClassroom

Credit for fonts and graphics
Thank you to these amazing artists!

Want to Save Money on Future Purchases?

Earning ‘TPT Credit’ saves you money on future purchases! You can simply apply the credits
you earn to a purchase at checkout. To earn your credit, go to your My Purchases on
TeachersPayTeachers.com and click on ‘Provide Feedback’ underneath each purchase. You will
be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a comment about the product.
Easy peasy!