If You’re Not Part of the Solution You’re Part of the Precipitate
At a Glance
Discipline
- STEM
- Chemistry
Instructional Level
- College & CEGEP
- University
Course
- General Chemistry
Tasks in Workflow
Social Plane(s)
- Group
Type of Tasks
- Solving problems
- Reviewing & assessing peers
Technical Details
Useful Technologies
- Interactive whiteboards
- Whiteboards
Time
- Single class period (< 90 mins)
Instructional Purpose
- Application & knowledge building
Overview
The aim of this activity is to present the concepts of solubility and the skills for writing proper chemical equations in an engaging and memorable way.
The students form groups of two and obtain a card with a compound written on it from the teacher. Each group is then tasked to find another group whose compound will form a precipitate with theirs. Together the group of 4 students write out the chemical equation in various ways (molecular/formula, complete ionic and net ionic equation). Upon completion, students review another group’s work.
Instructional Objectives
- To better understand solubility and precipitation;
- To know how to write chemical equations.
Workflow & Materials
Activity Workflow
Contributor's Notes
Benefits
Challenges
Tips
Benefits
- It increases student engagement with the material;
- It facilitates discussion using the correct terminology;
- It encourages stronger students to help weaker ones.
Challenges
- It can be challenging to keep students on task;
- The groups finish at different rates.
Tips
- Laminate the cards so they can be reused;
- Groups that finish the exercise early can either obtain another set of cards, or can be asked to carry out a stoichiometric calculation assuming 100g of each compound in their reaction to determine % yield.
Applied Strategies
Published: 18/06/2019
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