History/Models of the Atom Timeline Assembly (Card Sort)

Students arrange the models of the atom into a timeline and add the statements that describe each model. They can then use this as a scaffold to demonstrate their learning, e.g. by recreating the timeline in their book or writing ‘The Story of the Model of the Atom’. Or they can stick it straight in their books if they have 1 copy each - I laminated because a) I wanted to use the resource again, and b) I wanted my low ability group to draw the timeline themselves to embed the knowledge).

Used with a low-ability Y10 group for both atomic structure and radioactivity topics to help them visualise the development of the atom - I played this video to help them (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4Us5PTb4J8), could also be used with the information sheets or as a revision activity. Stretch: blue boxes contain either an evaluation fo the model or information on how it was developed (e.g. cathode ray tube, alpha scattering experiment). These could be omitted and students asked to write this information on post-it notes instead.

I have tried to organise the boxes in a way that minimise the time taken to cut out.