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Chemical Bonding

Tenth graders learn the two main ways atoms join together, by transferring electrons or sharing them, and sort the properties that tell ionic and covalent compounds apart.

Grade 10Chemical Bonding55 minutes1 class period5E ModelExplicit teaching4 StandardsNGSS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define ionic & covalent bonds.
  • ✓Explain electron transfer vs sharing.
  • ✓Predict bond type.
  • ✓Sort by property.
Essential Question

Atoms rarely travel alone; they bond into the substances that make up everything. What are the two main ways atoms bond, and why do the results behave so differently?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Sort the Bonds

Project this and sort each property into ionic or covalent bonds — tap a property, then tap the bond type it describes.

⚗️ Sort each property: ionic or covalent?Try it
🧂 Ionic bonds
💧 Covalent bonds
Tap a property, then tap whether it describes an ionic or a covalent bond.
The Lesson · 5E Instructional Model (Engage · Explore · Explain · Elaborate · Evaluate)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Salt vs Sugar

5 min

Table salt and sugar look alike but behave very differently. Why?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show salt and sugar.
  • Ask what makes them differ.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Sort the Properties

12 min

Students sort properties into ionic or covalent.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Sort the Bonds.
  • Drop each property.
  • Explain each choice.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Explain.
3

Modify — Transfer or Share

13 min

Students model electrons in each bond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Draw a metal + nonmetal.
  • Draw two nonmetals.
  • Show transfer vs sharing.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Draw.
  • Draw.
  • Show.
4

Create — Predict the Bond

15 min

Students predict bonds for new pairs.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick three element pairs.
  • Predict ionic or covalent.
  • Justify with electrons.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Predict.
  • Justify.
5

Reflect — Why Properties Differ

5 min

Students reflect on structure and properties.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Why do ionic solids melt high?
  • Why share vs transfer?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (High School Life Science).

NGSS
HS-PS1-2

Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms.

NGSS
HS-PS1-3

Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.

NGSS
HS-PS2-6

Communicate scientific information about why the molecular-level structure is important in designed materials.

CCSS
RST.9-10.4

Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and domain-specific words and phrases in a science text.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Property + bond-type cards.
  • Sentence frame: “Ionic bonds ___ electrons.”
  • Sort two properties at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with transfer vs sharing.
  • Use dot diagrams of electrons.
  • Sort ionic fully before covalent.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add polar vs nonpolar covalent.
  • Explain electronegativity.
  • Predict bonds from the periodic table.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • ⚪Electron-dot models
  • 💻Sort the Bonds
  • 🧂Salt & sugar samples
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

chemical bonda force that holds atoms together in a compoundionic bonda bond formed when electrons transfer from one atom to anothercovalent bonda bond formed when atoms share electronsionan atom with a positive or negative charge from losing or gaining electronsmoleculea neutral group of atoms joined by covalent bondsvalence electronsthe outermost electrons that take part in bondingmetalan element that tends to lose electrons and form positive ionsnonmetalan element that tends to gain or share electrons
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is the key difference between an ionic and a covalent bond?
In an ionic bond electrons are transferred; in a covalent bond electrons are shared.
QUESTION 2
Which kinds of atoms usually form an ionic bond?
A metal and a nonmetal, because the metal gives up electrons to the nonmetal.
QUESTION 3
Why do ionic compounds like salt have high melting points?
Strong attractions between the oppositely charged ions take a lot of energy to break apart.

Create: predict the bond.

Have students pick three pairs of elements, predict whether each pair forms an ionic or covalent bond, and justify the prediction using whether electrons are transferred or shared. A printable chemical-bonding worksheet is in the Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Chemical BondingFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Chemical BondingQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

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.

🖨️ Chemical BondingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: chemical bond, covalent bond, ion, ionic bond, metal, molecule, nonmetal, valence electrons
  1. an atom with a positive or negative charge from losing or gaining electrons
  2. a neutral group of atoms joined by covalent bonds
  3. an element that tends to lose electrons and form positive ions
  4. an element that tends to gain or share electrons
  5. a bond formed when atoms share electrons
  6. the outermost electrons that take part in bonding
  7. a force that holds atoms together in a compound
  8. a bond formed when electrons transfer from one atom to another

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the key difference between an ionic and a covalent bond?
  2. Which kinds of atoms usually form an ionic bond?
  3. Why do ionic compounds like salt have high melting points?
Answer key — Part A: 1) ion · 2) molecule · 3) metal · 4) nonmetal · 5) covalent bond · 6) valence electrons · 7) chemical bond · 8) ionic bond
Part B: 1) In an ionic bond electrons are transferred; in a covalent bond electrons are shared. 2) A metal and a nonmetal, because the metal gives up electrons to the nonmetal. 3) Strong attractions between the oppositely charged ions take a lot of energy to break apart.