Science at key stage 3 (Year 8)
Unit 8E: Atoms and elements
Section 1: How many different materials are there?
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Objectives |
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- that there is a huge variety of materials
- that there is a small number of elements from which all other materials are made
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Activities |
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Outcomes |
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Children: |
- Show pupils a collection of elements and materials of different kinds, including some elements, some living things and some rock samples, to illustrate the huge variety of materials that exists. Ask pupils to suggest names of other materials. List a number of these, separating out any elements mentioned, and ask pupils to suggest why these have been listed separately. Introduce the term 'element'. Ask pupils to suggest names of other elements and explain that in this unit they will be finding out why elements are important and how they are different from other materials. Establish with pupils that there are approximately 100 elements and that these are the building blocks of all materials. Point out that we can't possibly count the number of materials that can be made from them.
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- name a wide variety of materials
- describe elements as the materials from which everything else is made
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Points to note |
- It is helpful to include gases,
eg chlorine, in the collection so pupils recognise these as materials.
- At key stages 1 and 2 pupils will have begun to distinguish between an object and the material from which it is made. Some pupils will continue to need help with this.
- Some pupils are likely to be familiar with the word
'element'. It may be helpful to point out that many, but not all, elements are metals and to classify materials simply as 'metals' and 'other elements' or 'metals' and 'non-metals' at this stage.
Safety
- elements that are hazardous, eg chlorine, bromine, sodium, can be used as sealed samples if the teacher keeps careful control
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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of
activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by
moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
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