Apologia Chemistry: Ionic Formula Writing Lab (Module 3)

Today, the class did an exercise in ionic compound formula writing with Putting the Ions in Their Hands.  I bought the kit from Flinn Scientific years ago.  I've used this kit to teach ionic compound formulas to eighth graders, high school students--even college students. (Here is the post with the lengthy description of the activity.)

The kids use red and blue cards, cations and anions, to create ionic compounds.  I limit the amount of information I give the kids initially.  Metals form cations; nonmetals form anions.  (See the cat and ant in the photo of the board.)  Then I draw the red Al+3 card with three Cl-1 cards and fill in the first row of the data sheet from the Putting the Ions in Their Hands activity.  (I copy the ion reference sheet on to yellow card stock.) 

Initially, the kids need to build every compound.  Once they work through a few, the kids are able to write the formulas and names without the cards.  It takes longer for some kids than for others.  If one of the answers is incorrect, I have the kid use the cards to create the compound again (and again.).  Putting the Ions in Their Hands has an answer key! 

We did a quick review of conversions at the beginning of class and spent the rest of the class on the Ionic Compound activity.  Most of the kids finished.  Two remained after class to finish.  Here are the photos.

These compounds I added as a quiz to check for understanding.