Lesson Plan | Teachy Methodology | Chemical Formulas

Objectives

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

This stage of the lesson plan establishes the main learning objectives that students should achieve. The goal is to provide a clear and structured foundation for students to understand what is expected of them, facilitating a more focused direction during the class. The objectives are both main and secondary, ensuring that students not only learn to identify and differentiate chemical formulas but also understand their relevance in the context of chemistry and develop associated digital skills.

Main Objectives

1. Identify and find the chemical formula of two main compounds based on their constituent elements.

2. Differentiate the different forms of representation of a chemical formula, such as molecular, empirical, and structural formula.

Side Objectives

1. Understand the importance of chemical formulas in describing the properties and reactions of chemical compounds.
2. Encourage the use of digital tools and chemistry apps to assist in the visualization and construction of chemical formulas.

Introduction

Duration: 15 - 20 minutes

This stage aims to warm up the students for the class, connecting the theme to their everyday life and stimulating curiosity through a quick search on their phones. By answering the key questions, students revisit and share their prior knowledge, creating a collaborative foundation for the upcoming practical activities.

Warming Up

💡 Start the class by briefly explaining that chemical formulas are symbolic representations of the elements that make up a substance and their proportions. Chemical formulas are essential for understanding the composition of compounds and the chemical reactions between them. Then, ask students to use their phones to find and share an interesting fact related to chemical formulas. Encourage them to look for curiosities that connect the topic to their world, such as compounds present in food, cleaning products, or even in medicines.

Initial Reflections

1. 🧪 What is a chemical formula and why is it important?

2. 🔍 What is the difference between molecular, empirical, and structural formulas?

3. 🌍 Do you know any common chemical compound in your daily life and do you know its chemical formula?

4. 📝 How can the representation of a chemical formula influence the understanding of a compound's properties?

5. 📱 What tools or digital apps do you know that can help in building and visualizing chemical formulas?

Development

Duration: 70 - 80 minutes

This stage of the lesson plan aims to engage students in practical and collaborative activities that contextualize the learning of chemical formulas with the use of digital technologies. The goal is to promote a deeper and applied understanding of the concepts, making knowledge more relevant and interesting through the creation of creative scenarios.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended that only one of the suggested activities be carried out

Activity 1 - 🔬 CSI: Chemical Investigation

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Apply knowledge about chemical formulas in a practical and collaborative scenario, using digital tools for research and presentation.

- Description: Students will act as forensic scientists in a scenario where they need to identify chemical substances found at a crime scene. They will use chemistry apps and online research to discern the molecular and empirical formulas of the compounds found.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Present a fictional crime scene scenario, with descriptions of chemical samples found (e.g., white powder, unknown liquid).

• Each group should use chemistry apps, such as ChemDraw or MolView, to research and find the molecular formulas of the described compounds.

• Students should create a digital report using a tool like Google Docs, detailing their findings and justifying the formulas found.

• Groups will share their reports on an online platform, such as Google Classroom, and discuss their findings with the class.

• Conclude with a mediated discussion about how chemical formulas are crucial in identifying substances in real contexts.

Activity 2 - 💡 Chemical Influencers

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Develop communication skills, creativity, and the application of chemical knowledge in modern and accessible formats.

- Description: Students will become digital influencers and create content for social media explaining a chemical compound of their choice, highlighting its formulas and uses in daily life.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Each group will choose a chemical compound present in everyday life (e.g., H2O, NaCl, CO2).

• Groups will use video editing apps, such as TikTok or Instagram, to create short videos explaining the molecular, empirical, and structural formulas of the chosen compound.

• The videos should include information about the importance and uses of the compound in everyday life.

• After creation, the videos will be shared on an internal school platform or a private YouTube channel.

• Students should watch their peers' videos and leave constructive comments, promoting an online discussion about the different chemical formulas presented.

Activity 3 - 🏆 Chemical Quiz Show

> Duration: 60 - 70 minutes

- Objective: Reinforce knowledge about chemical formulas in a playful and interactive manner, using gamification as a learning tool.

- Description: Students will participate in an interactive quiz on a digital platform, competing to see which group can identify the most correct chemical formulas in a Q&A game.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Use a platform like Kahoot! to create an interactive quiz with questions about chemical formulas (e.g., identify the formula of a compound given its name, differentiate between molecular, empirical, and structural formulas).

• Each group should use their phones to answer the quiz questions in real-time.

• At the end of the quiz, the winning group will be the one that answered the most questions correctly.

• Promote a discussion about the correct and incorrect answers, reviewing the concepts of chemical formulas.

• Conclude with a reflection on how gamification can make learning more engaging and fun.

Feedback

Duration: 35 - 45 minutes

🎯 Purpose: This stage of the lesson plan aims to promote a deep reflection on the activities carried out, reinforcing collaborative learning and the practical application of acquired knowledge. The group discussion and 360° feedback allow students to evaluate their own performance and that of their peers, fostering an environment of continuous and collective learning. Additionally, this stage provides an opportunity for the teacher to assess the overall understanding of the class and adjust future lessons as necessary to better meet students' needs.

Group Discussion

📢 Group Discussion: Promote a group discussion with all students, where the groups share what they learned while conducting the activities and their conclusions. Use the following script as a guide:

1. Introduction: Ask each group to present a brief overview of the activities they carried out, including 'CSI: Chemical Investigation', 'Chemical Influencers', and 'Chemical Quiz Show'.
2. Discoveries: Encourage students to share the main discoveries and conclusions from each activity. Ask how they used digital tools to reach their conclusions.
3. Challenges: Inquire about the challenges encountered during the activities and how they overcame them. Address technical problems, group collaboration, and understanding of concepts.
4. Practical Applications: Discuss how the knowledge of chemical formulas can be applied in real-life situations and in future Chemistry classes or other subjects.

Reflections

1. ❓ Reflection Questions:

1. What was the most challenging activity and why?
2. How did the use of digital tools assist in understanding chemical formulas?
3. **How did the representation of different chemical formulas (molecular, empirical, structural) influence your understanding of the studied compounds?

360° Feedback

🔄 360° Feedback: Conduct a 360° feedback stage, where each student will receive constructive comments from their group peers. Guide the class to ensure that feedback is provided constructively and respectfully, using a model of 'Strengths' and 'Areas for Improvement'. Each student should mention something positive about their peer's contribution and a suggestion for improvement for future activities. Feedback can be noted and shared in a collective online document, like Google Docs, to promote transparency and continuous collaboration.

Conclusion

Duration: 10 - 15 minutes

🎯 Purpose: The purpose of this stage is to consolidate learning, reinforce the relevance of the discussed concepts, and connect this knowledge to the current world. By summarizing the content in a fun way and relating what was learned to practical applications, students leave the class with a clear and motivating understanding of the importance of chemical formulas, as well as being better prepared to apply them in different contexts.

Summary

🎉 Summary of Main Content: Today, we transformed the Chemistry class into a digital adventure! Students immersed themselves in the world of chemical formulas, taking on roles as forensic scientists, digital influencers, and competitors in a quiz show. They understood the importance of differentiating between molecular, empirical, and structural formulas, and how these representations describe the composition and properties of chemical compounds. It wasn't just about memorizing formulas, but understanding how they connect with the real and digital world around us!

World Connection

🌐 Connection with the Current World: The digital methodology used during the class brought students closer to the reality they live in. Through apps like ChemDraw, MolView, TikTok, and Kahoot!, they not only learned fundamental concepts of Chemistry but also how these digital tools can be used to solve real problems, communicate complex ideas, and collaborate with peers. This reflects the modern dynamics of learning, where technology is a powerful ally in building knowledge.

Practical Application

🧩 Applications in Daily Life: Knowing how to identify and differentiate chemical formulas is crucial not only for those pursuing careers in science, but for all of us. From understanding the labels of the products we consume to making informed choices about medications and personal care, knowledge of chemical formulas helps us make more conscious and safe decisions in our everyday lives.