Modelling Types of Covalent Compound - (Representation and conversion)

Representing molecules in chemistry can often be a minefield for students, with sometimes five or six different ways of representing the same substance, and we can sometimes take our own fluency with identifying and converting models for granted.

In this lesson, students will gain a better understanding and fluency with identifying and representing molecules using dot-and-cross diagrams, molecular formula, ball-and-stick models, and displayed formula. Through explicit instruction and scaffolded modelling students will also gain confidence with converting between these different types of model when discussing covalently bonded substances.

This lesson is a stand-alone lesson, and can be done at any point to strengthen student’s chemical and modelling literacy. However this lesson is well suited to being done before teaching organic chemistry at GCSE.

NOTE: This lesson assumes students can already count the number of atoms of each element in a molecular formula, and have a basic understanding of dot-and-cross diagrams to represent simple covalently bonded molecules.

Lesson objectives
• State the number of bonds formed by carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and halogens
• Represent different covalently bonded molecules in a variety of different ways
• Convert the representation of molecules between different formats

Resource contains:
• Lesson powerpoint (.pptx)
• Student worksheet (PDF)
• Student worksheet answers (PDF)
• NOTE: It is advised that Molymods or a similar hands-on molecular modelling set is used in conjunction with this lesson

Lesson contains:
• Challenge tasks throughout
• Mini-whiteboard and other student-led formative assessment tasks
• Delivery hints and tips in the “notes” section of slides
• Explicit instruction, modelling and scaffolding built in for you
• Complete answers for all tasks
• Student-led independent practice task
• Plenary task