Elementally School

A WebQuest for 7th and 8th Grade Science

Introduction:

You have been assigned to recite the first familiar forty elements of the periodic table in front of your classmates. However, you see the elements as colored blocks of forgetfulness. The curtain goes up tomorrow, but your memory has become your enemy. Is there any hope? There can be! Simply go back to school...Elementally School. There, the teachers are fun, the classes are small, and there's never any homework.

The Tasks:

As you go through this Webquest you should be able to accomplish:

to know the names of all the parts of the atom and subatomic particles.
to recite the different charges of the particles and spin of electrons.
to learn the information found in the elements' symbol in the periodic table.
to identify the element's symbol.
to recall the elements symbol in the periodic table.
to recite the element's information.

The Process:

The following sites can be used to accomplish the tasks listed above. There are approximately 2 to 3 websites per process to help you on your endeavor.

1. CHEM4KIDZ- This website introduces to the learner the atom, its structure, and other critical details. It describes the atom's outer shells. This page then describes the shell capacity for electrons. It begins to introduce the charges of the particles and the electrons spin. Open this page and introduce yourself to the different parts of the atom. Be sure to know what a quark is. If you need a little tutorial in the beginning, there is another Atom Page.
2. All About Atoms- This website is very visual oriented. It has a very large display of the atom's particles. It also will allow you to learn each of the parts: neutrons, electrons, and protons, which are displayed for you. Each part has its respective charges stamped on the particle. You will also see an explanation for each of the particles. Go to this site and learn more about the charges of the particles and the electron's spin. If you feel confident, you can go to this construction page and
Build A Stable Atom. But first, Read the Guide.
3. Elements4Kids- This page has a list of the first 18 elements with information present as an introductory to this task. Each element block leads the learner to a page describing the various items of the element. It has the pronunciation of the element, it's atomic number, and directional arrows to previous or next element found on the periodic table. Hit this website to learn more about the elements Atomic Number or test your new knowledge of the elements and play the Hangman game.
4. Funbrain.com- This website is an interactive game. The game will ask you the symbol of an element. You must move your mouse to the appropriate symbol on the periodic table of elements. This game allows you to learn the symbols and to become acquainted with the location of certain elements. At this site, you need to play this game. It is not only entertaining, but you won't even realize that you're learning. And if you want another exciting challenge to help you retain the symbols, I have a Flashcard Game that will do the job.
5. Concentration/Matching- This page has a display of overturned cards. The object of the game is to match up the cards as you turn them over. The Player touches one card to turn it and see the chemical name or symbol. The commands at the bottom right allow the player to manipulate the game. You will find the game to be challenging, yet fun. When you're ready to test your element intelligence, try my Chemistry Quiz or my Quick Quiz.
6. It’s Elemental/Math Game- This website is interactive. The elements have different numbers of particles, which make them unique. You are to use the information from thePeriodic Table of Elements and solve the math problem. The math problems that you will be encountering will assist you in learning the different particle quantities, i.e. protons, neutrons, and electrons, using the atomic number or weight. Take a look at the game. If it seems to be out of your reach, use some help from the chemical elements page to answer those difficult questions.

The Evaluation:

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Name the five particles inside the atom.	You should be able to identify at least 1 subatomic particle.	You should be able to identify 2 to 3 out of 5 subatomic particles.	You will identify 4 out of 5 subatomic particles.	You will identify all 5 of the subatomic particles.
Identify the 3 different charges of the subatomic particles and the spin of the electrons.	You should be able to recite 1 out of the 3 charges of the subatomic material.	You should be able to recite 2 out of the 3 charges of the subatomic material.	You will be able to recite 2 out of 3 charges and the electron's spin.	You will be able to recite the 3 charges of the particles and the electron's spin.
Identify first 18 elements of the Periodic Table.	You should be able to identify at least 6 out of the first 18 elements in the Periodic Table.	You should be able to identify 10 out of the first 18 elements in the Periodic Table.	You will be able to identify 14 out of the first 18 elements in the Periodic Table.	You will be able to identify the first 18 elements of the Periodic Table.
Identify the first 40 elements of the Periodic Table.	You should be able to identify 10 of the first 40 elements in the Periodic Table.	You should be able to identify 20 out of the first 40 elements in the Periodic Table.	You will be able to identify 30 out of the first 40 elements in the Periodic Table.	You will identify the first 40 elements of the Periodic Table.
Explain the information found in the PeriodicTable of Elements for any of the first 40 elements.	You should be able to identify the symbol and its name.	You should be able to identify the symbol and its name, plus the number of protons.	You will be able to identify the symbol and its name, the atomic number, and the number of protons/electrons.	You will identify the symbol and its name, the atomic number, the number of protons/electrons, and the number of neutrons if given a Periodic Table of the Elements.

Conclusion:

Upon completion of this Webquest, you should have a better understanding of the atom, its particles, elements, and its properties. If you do feel more confident about your journey through my site, then you are probably 1 person out of 20 who actually knows more than simply protons, neutrons, and electrons. I hope you've enjoyed your stay. If you discover an informative site that I don't have, please go to my mail link and send me the URL. Thanks.

Credits & References:

Due to the fact that this is my first Webquest, I want to sincerely thank these sites for the invaluable information and images they provided me. First, I would like to thank Google for the quick access, images, and the many informational sites. I also appreciate the outstanding work of these sites: Chem4kids, Quia, Jefferson Lab, FunBrain, and PBS. If it were not for their work in getting the information out there, this page would have never been accomplished.

Teacher Advice:

This webquest was intended for the upper middle school grades. Namely, the seventh and eighth grades were my target. The lesson to be attained from this Webquest crosses the curriculum. It touches upon spelling, math, and mostly science for both the seventh and eighth grade.

Before you begin touching the links to different activities, I expect you to know the three basic parts of the atom. I must also insist that you have seen the inside of a science book within the past year. This Webquest is fairly comprehensive in its construction. It is obviously meant for students in the seventh and eighth grades as a supplemental resource during their study of atoms, quarks, elements, and electrons.

This lesson is organized in this manner: Start with the Atom, move to the Elements, and end with thePeriodic Table of Elements. Due to the extensive links, you should expect to spend at least ten to fifteen minutes on each link. Therefore, if your class uses my Webquest as an activity for a science class, they should expect to spend at least two fifty minute class periods on it.

This lesson is designed so that a teacher can use this Webquest as the lesson is being covered. It takes no more than one teacher to run their class through this Webquest. All links are running fine as of this day, October 27, 2001.

Created by John B. Zubiate for EDU 506 @ FHU School of Education by Dr. Bruce Lewis on November 10, 2001.