Students explore the structure of the atom — protons, neutrons, and electrons — discovering how the number of protons defines an element, and how changing neutrons or electrons creates isotopes and ions.
Students will be able to…
Everything is made of atoms, and every atom is made of the same three particles. So what makes gold different from oxygen — and where does an electric charge come from?
Project this and change the protons, neutrons, and electrons. Watch the element, atomic number, mass number, and charge update.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
All atoms share three particles — so what makes elements different?
Students investigate.
Teacher explains.
Apply.
Three quick checks.
Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (High School Chemistry) and Common Core literacy in science.
Use the periodic table as a model to predict properties based on electron structure.
Develop models to illustrate changes in the atom’s nucleus.
Plan investigations to gather evidence about particle-level structure.
Translate information in a text into a visual model.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students calculate an element’s average atomic mass from the masses and abundances of its isotopes. A printable atomic-structure sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.