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Science at key stage 3    (Year 9)

Unit 9E: Reactions of metals and metal compounds
Section 1: Why are metals useful?

QCA

Objectives
Children should learn:
  • that metals are good conductors of heat and electricity
  • that most non-metallic elements are poor conductors of heat and electricity
  • about the range of metals, their uses and where they are found
  • to use and combine data from a variety of information sources
  • to organise facts/ideas/information into an appropriate sequence

Activities

Outcomes
Children:
  • Provide pupils with a range of questions about metals and non-metals, eg
    • Are metals good conductors of heat/electricity?
    • Are non-metals non-conductors?
    • Are non-metals all gases?
    • Where do we get metals (iron, zinc, copper, lead, gold, silver) from?
    • What are they used for?
  • Suggest sources of information they could use, eg databases, reference books, practical activities.
  • Ask different groups to explore different questions and to produce a factsheet about a particular element or property. Help pupils use these to make a comparison of non-metals and metals and to explain what makes metals useful.
  • Explain to pupils that there are similarities in the ways in which metals react chemically and that they are going to find out more about these in this unit.
  • contrast the conductivity of metals and non-metals
  • identify graphite as a non-metallic conductor
  • produce an information sheet that is correct and well sequenced and contains appropriate information
  • make some generalisations about the properties of metals which make them useful, eg they are hard, they can be flexible

Points to note
  • Pupils often confuse non-metallic elements with other non-metallic materials. It is helpful to restrict this activity to elements.
  • Some pupils will need to do more work to consolidate their ideas about differences between metals and non-metallic elements, while others will be able to move on to consider the chemical reactions of metals and acids and to begin to represent these symbolically. Teachers will need to decide which parts of the unit to emphasise.
  • This activity offers an opportunity to construct a class database about metals and non-metals. This could be used as a starting point for another class.
  • Extension: pupils could be asked to find out about ways in which metals have been used in the past, eg in jewellery.

    • Safety

    • if practical activities are included, appropriate risk assessments must be followed

Sections in this unit

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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.
1. Why are metals useful?
2. What happens when metals react with acids?
3. How do acids react with metal carbonates?
4. What evidence is there of a chemical reaction between acids and metal oxides?
5. Checking progress
6. a. What is a salt?
7. b. What is a salt?
8. c. What is a salt?
9. Reviewing work