Shaping My Knowledge

Warm-up
Divide the class in groups of three. Ask students to make a list of things that come to
Science
mind when they hear the word element. Then, ask each group to write their list in Elementary, My Dear
the board. Award groups one point per unique thing they write. The group with the
most points is the winner. How Are the Different Matter consists of atoms. Atoms have electrons, protons,

Elements Arranged?
and neutrons. Electrons have a negative charge and orbit
around the nucleus. The nucleus has protons, which are
positively charged and neutrons, which are neutral.
Elements are distinguished by their atomic number or
01 Work in groups of three. You have one minute to the number of protons in their nucleus.
write everything you remember about matter and its
characteristics in the space below. Then, share and The periodic table was formed by ordering elements
discuss your answers. according to their atomic masses. An atomic mass is
Answers will vary. equal to the number of protons and the number of
neutrons in an element’s nucleus. Atoms can also
gain or lose electrons. If this happens, they become
ions or charged atoms.

In the periodic table, we represent the

Teaching Tip different elements with one or two
letters. The first is always a capital letter.
For Exercise 2 The periodic table has seven rows and
eighteen columns.
After they have read the Concept Box, divide the class into pairs. Ask students to
test each other by taking turns to make up questions about the topic and asking their
02 Read “Elementary, My Dear.” Circle the 03 Read the text again and write a summary using the words in
classmate to answer them without looking at the text again. correct answer in the text. bold. Then, compare your summary with a classmate. Answers will vary.

1. What are protons?

2. How can we tell one element apart

from another?

3. How are elements ordered?

4. What do you call an atom that loses or

gains electrons?

5. How are elements represented?

Differentiation Strategy
For Exercise 3
Go to the Differentiation Strategies Bank, and adapt this exercise using Strategy 7.

04 Work in groups of three. Research the elements

used to make a common object. Then, follow the
instructions below.

1. Research what the molecule of one of the elements

looks like.

2. Represent the element’s molecular structure in any way

you like.
Flexi Exercises
(To adjust to students’ needs, you can choose whether to use the activities below) 28 Week 2

Exercise 4
 Shaping My Knowledge

Teaching Tip
For Exercise 5
Ask students to write the complete sentences in their notebooks and work in pairs to 05 Match the halves to make full sentences.

discuss what they think the grammar point will be this week (i.e. the passive voice). 1. 118 elements had been a. that the atom was
the smallest particle
Encourage students to clarify the form and meaning of the grammar point to each 2. Until the 1800s, scientists of matter.
had been theorizing
other if they can. b. was made of
3. By 450 BC,Greek tiny particles.
philosophers had
already been c. convinced that
hypothesizing that matter atoms could not
be divided.
4. Until Rutherford tried it,
scientists had been d. discovered by the 07 Work in pairs. Research the history and discovery
Language Structures and Functions Tip year 2002. of an element and make a timeline in your notebook using
the models in Exercise 5. Look at the example.
If students need further explanation on the grammar point, use supplementary 06 Write four sentences about the history of
resources, such as multiple choice, matching, or true-false exercises to reinforce chemistry, and the discovery of elements and atoms. After there had been
Use the models in Exercise 5 and the words in the an explosion, “The
meaning. boxes below. Answers will vary. Big Bang,” helium
became the first
atom chemists electron element.

nucleus periodic proton

1.
Differentiation Strategy
For Exercise 7
2.
Go to the Differentiation Strategies Bank, and adapt this exercise using Strategy 7.
3.

4.

Wrap-up
Ask the students to create a short podcast or video based on the timelines they
WATER
created in Exercise 7. Ask them to explain the element they chose, why they chose
Water is one of the most important molecules. Without
it, and the history of its discovery. Finally, allow groups to play their podcasts/videos it, there would be no living things on the planet. It is the
most abundant substance on the earth, and the third in
to the rest of the class and give each other feedback. the universe. Even though water is so abundant, pollution
has had a negative effect over the earth’s water supply.
If water is such a common substance, why do you think
scientists are afraid we could run out of it? Why is it so
fortunate that water can be found so easily in nature?
What can we do to prevent problems in the future?

Flexi Exercises
(To adjust to students’ needs, you can choose whether to use the activities below) 29

Exercise 6