Summary

In this activity, students collaborate to complete tic-tac-toe review questions to prepare for a test on the atomic structure unit. The idea behind the activity is to give students choice and you can read more about the inspiration for the activity in the May issue of Chemistry Solutions.

Grade Level

High or middle school

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will have reviewed how to

• Balance simple reactions
• Count protons, neutrons, electrons for atoms and ions
• Be able to calculate average atomic mass given a sample of isotopes
• Draw Bohr models and Lewis dot structures for atoms and ions.

Chemistry Topics

This lesson supports students’ understanding of

• Atomic structure
• Balancing equations
• Isotopes
• Ions
• Lewis structures
• Subatomic particles

Time

Teacher Preparation:  15 minutes

Lesson: one class period

Materials

• Tic-tac-toe sheets (3)
• White boards for answers (optional, if making  hard copies is not desired)

Safety

There are no safety concerns in this activity.

Teacher Notes

• Students work in pairs to achieve three in a row (or complete the whole sheet). I give bonus points for the first team to get a tic-tac-toe (or to get all nine answers).
• I hand them the second sheet, same rules for first to achieve tic-tac-toe/solve all 9. Then I give them a third sheet, same rules.
• The tic-tac-toe boards included in this lesson support the topics listed above, but the same activity could be used to review any concept in a chemistry curriculum.
• Student pairs MUST turn in at least one sheet checked by me. If they turn in only one sheet, at least six answers must be correct. The third sheet is all extra credit.
• This could be played non-co-operatively— student A vs. student B in a more classic tic-tac-toe format. I suggest using timers for this to ensure the game moves along. (I have not tried it this way, yet.)
• Differentiation: Make subsequent sheets more difficult.

Keys to success:

• This is a review activity—make sure the topics covered are not new! I have found this activity to be a poor way to introduce content.
• When a sheet is done, hand out the next sheet before students can think to say no.
• I check all the answers from a static location. Students have to get up to see me to get their sheets checked. I put a check next to right answers and circle the number of the “answers that need work.”