Electron configuration | OCR A A level | Who am I? Task cards

Make electron configuration practice more engaging with this set of 24 Electron Configuration Who Am I? task cards, designed for OCR A A Level Chemistry students.

Instead of completing a long list of repetitive questions, students work through short, varied clues to identify the element or ion they are looking for. The cards provide structured practice with electron configurations, orbital notation, sub-shells, valence electrons and ions, while encouraging students to apply their knowledge rather than simply recall configurations.

What’s Included
24 task cards
3 levels of challenge: Core, Challenge and Exam
Questions using electron configurations and orbital notation
Practice identifying elements and ions from electron configurations
Questions involving sub-shells and valence electrons
Complete answer key
Student recording sheet with flexible recording

Students can simply answer the specific question(s) on each card, or complete the full recording grid to practise identifying the element/ion, atomic number and electron configuration. Use whichever approach best suits your students and lesson.

Skills Covered
Students will practise:
Writing electron configurations
Interpreting electron configurations and orbital notation
Identifying elements from electron configurations
Using atomic number to determine the number of electrons
Identifying electrons in the outermost shell
Identifying valence electrons
Connecting electron configurations to ions
Determining how atoms gain or lose electrons
Applying electron configuration knowledge to unfamiliar questions

Ways to Use These Task Cards
These versatile task cards can be used in a variety of ways:
Partner Activity – students solve the clues together and explain their reasoning.
Station Activity – place the cards around the classroom for students to rotate through.
Early Finisher Activity – an engaging way to reinforce electron configuration without assigning another worksheet.
Revision Activity – use before an assessment to revisit key electron configuration concepts.
Starter Activity – select a card for students to complete at the beginning of a lesson.
Small Group Support – use the Core cards for guided practice before moving students onto the more challenging cards.
Independent Practice – students can work through the cards at their own pace using the recording sheet.

The three levels of challenge allow you to select cards that suit your students, gradually increase the difficulty, or use the full set as a structured revision activity.

A ready-to-use, low-prep way to make electron configuration practice more active, purposeful and engaging — with students applying their knowledge rather than simply completing another list of configurations.

Great for: OCR A A Level Chemistry • Electron Configuration • Orbital Notation • Atomic Structure • Sub-shells • Orbitals • Valence Electrons • Ions • Revision • Exam Practice • Task Cards