There are so many models of the atom, and my students need to know A LOT of them. They can be super hard to keep straight. Learning so many models of the atom can help students to appreciate the science and technology developments that brought us to where we are. The models serve as a great explanation as to how chemists use indirect observation. So after giving a run down of the models of the atom my students are supposed to learn in my interactive notebook guided notes we do a lab.
Models of the Atom Lab Activity
And this is the first lab (of many) I give my kids that revolves around food. I think that food is honestly the best way to a tenth grader’s memory, so I use this technique whenever I can. The lab is basically giving the kids five different treats and getting them to pair them up with models of the atom. I’ve done this activity in two ways. The first is where there is (in my opinion) a very obvious correct answer, and the other is where if kids can justify it with enough evidence, I’ll accept it. At this point, I prefer to stick to “there’s a correct answer” so that I can use this comparison throughout the year. You can get a copy of my lab rubric for high school science by signing up with your email.
The five models are the Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr, and Modern/Wave Mechanical Model. The five treats are (in no order) a marshmallow, a chocolate chip cookie, a Blow-Pop or Tootsie Pop, an Everlasting Gobstopper and a gumball.
Can you guess how they pair up? I’m sure you can! I try to connect each of the models’ key and distinguishing features to a feature in the treat.
Food in the Chemistry Classroom
It’s pretty obvious that the chocolate chip cookie strong resembles the JJ Thomson’s Plum Pudding model. The cookie dough is the positive portion of the atom, and the chocolate chips represent the negative electrons dispersed throughout. So whenever I talk about the Thomson model, we talk about the “chocolate chip cookie model.” This really helps my students to distinguish the models from each other without the bogging down of the chemistry language, they are still learning.
Here’s a few more:
The modern model is the marshmallow, because the electrons can be found in a “fluffy cloud of probability,” just like a fluffy marshmallow. The gumball is the Dalton model because all green gumballs are the same as every other green gumball. But every green is different from every blue. You can’t have just half a gumball – it’s all or nothing. Doesn’t that remind you of the Law of Definite Proportions?! See my kids are having their first go at chemistry, so even though they may SEE the differences in the models, they can’t always communicate the differences. The language and chemistry vocabulary is so new to them! By the end of the school year, they can do it SO EASILY, but when we first dip our toes into chemistry vocabulary I like to ease the ride by comparing to sweet treats instead!
You can get this lab activity here, or read more about how I teach the models of the atom here.
