Lesson Plan Title: Molar Mass and Molar Conversion Calculations

Date: 02/28/17
Subject: Physical Science 20 Grade: 11
Topic: How to calculate molar masses for a mixture of ionic, covalent, and
molecular compounds, and use those molar masses to convert from gram weight
to a molar equivalent. Essential Question: N/A

Materials:
- Calculating Molar Masses for Elements and Compounds ppt.
- Smartboard and electronic writing utensils
- Loose-leaf and writing utensils
- Periodic Table of the Elements/Ions, Table of Common Ions

Stage 1- Desired Results you may use student friendly language

What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
Students need to be able to understand where on their Periodic Tables to locate the
molar masses of elements, how these molar masses can be manipulated to determine
the molar masses of; ionic, covalent, and molecular (polyatomic) chemical compounds,
and begin to develop understanding of why this will be important (i.e. t their later
lessons in stoichiometry and previous lessons on particles Avogadros number) They
need to know how to use mathematical operations to manipulate molar masses and
define the significance of molar masses using their prior knowledge of sig. figs.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Lifelong Learners: during this lesson students are asked to work as part of a small
cooperative group to solve a comprehension problem using new knowledge they
acquired during the lesson. In life, students must work will all manner of persons with
varying levels or ability and task comprehension, which is amplified when learning of a
concept for the first time.
Sense of Self, Community, and Place: developing students sense of self and place in
this lesson is centralized around the idea that we are just one very small part of a much
larger world and universe, much like a particle or atom is a smaller component of a mole
or compound.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Developing Thinking: students must critically think about concepts that they are not
able to visualize with the naked eye. Using molar masses students are dissecting
knowledge of particles not visible to them and as such in developing relationships
between varying quantities of mass can translate just what it takes for them to visualize
these chemical constructs. It also forces the applied use of mathematically constructs in
a scientifically relevant application of knowledge.
Developing Identity and Interdependence: as always with group work, students are
dependent upon one another for success or failure. The failure to grasp the knowledge
applied in this lesson as a new concept will mean that students become heavily
dependent on other members of their group. These dependable group members can
engage in leadership roles and effectively peer-teach their fellow students as a way of
supplementing teacher instruction.
Developing Literacies: communicative literacy is present in the cooperative group
work strategy of this lesson. As well; written, scientific, and mathematical literacy are
used in conjunction with one another during completion of the molar mass related
exercises.

Outcome(s):
PS20-FC2 Construct an understanding of the mole as a unit for measuring the amount of
substance.
g. Calculate the molar mass of various molecular and ionic compounds.
h. Perform molar conversions, including mass to mole, number of particles to mole,
volume to mole, concentration of a solution to mole and their inverse operations, using
the correct number of significant figures.

PGP Goals:
2.2 proficiency in the Language of Instruction
2.4 ability to use technologies readily, strategically, and appropriately

4.1 knowledge of Saskatchewan curriculum and policy documents and applies this understanding to plan
lessons, units of study and year plans using curriculum outcomes as outlined by the Saskatchewan Ministry of
Education.

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help
determine next steps.
The assessment for learning formative component of this lesson, is the grouped
completion of the Fill in the Blank activity by students as a part of the concept
introductory power-point. Students are given either the name, or chemical formula for a
series of; ionic, covalent, and molecular (polyatomic) compounds from which they must
discern the molar masses for the; cationic, anionic, and total compound composition.
They are also asked to formally show their understanding of chemical nomenclature and
formula creation by producing the reciprocal of that which is given, as well as display
comprehension of the meaning of subscripts in chemical formulas.

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate

what they have learned.
The summative assessment of learning for this lesson will take place during the one of
the following class periods, where students will be given a worksheet to be handed in for
evaluation asking a mixed variety of molar mass computational questions. This will be
furthered by their completion of additional molar conversions operations worksheets
upon coverage of that material.
Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students) (~10-15

min)
The motivational set for this lesson occurs as a co-taught instructional evaluation by my
partner teacher (Carmen), wherein she will be summative, assessing students on their
comprehension of last days lesson with a short quiz on Avogadros constant. Avogadros
constant will be vital to students later work in molar conversions following this
introductory lesson on molar mass.

Main Procedures/Strategies: (~35-40 min)

- Students will receive a period of direct instruction where they are introduced to
the concepts of molar mass calculations through the Calculating Molar Masses
for Elements and Compounds ppt. (~15-20 min)
- From there students will be divided into semi-random groupings using ordered
numbering and asked to move into pods around the classroom for completion of
the Fill in the Blank activity at the end of the power-point. Using a scrap sheet of
paper, students must work together to compete the fill in the blank sections
coordinated to their group number. It will be asked that each student from the
group come up to the board a minimum of one time to fill in their groups blanks
before returning to their seat. (~15-20 min)

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- If students suffer from social anxiety or depression, they may be unwilling to
participate in the presentation of the group material for the fill in the blank. In this case
the adaptation can be made that a single presenter can be nominated by group
consensus for presentation of the fill in the blank answers so as to avoid placing any one
student in an uncomfortable situation.
- The outcome itself is currently adapted for any students who have difficulty with
cognitive processing in the breaking down of larger complex molar calculations into a
stepwise process. If any students are still showing difficulty, pairing with additional
educator support present in the room is a possible adaptation.

Closing of lesson:
The closing of the lesson will be an exercise in critical thinking; students will be
presented with a gram weight mass of sodium metal, and using their newfound
information on molar mass calculation, be lead in a teacher-centered demonstrations of
a molar mass conversion. Going first from the given gram weight of sodium, to moles,
and then using their previous understanding of Avogadros constant to particles.

Personal Reflection:
Immediately after starting this lesson, I made the realization that students did not have a
basic understanding from the previous lessons materials, the utilization of Avogadros
number in molar/particle conversion calculations. Instead of moving on after the
motivational set, two question quiz, I took additional time to go through the quiz on the
board with the students as two exemplars for how to properly use Avogadros number for
these types of calculations, also placing a direct emphasis for the need to remember the
number itself as their teacher was not going to be giving it to them on future assessments.
This tailored to my PGP goal for proficiency in the language of instruction, knowing when
to deviate from a planned lesson for the betterment of student comprehension and having
a means for instructing to develop a better understanding. From this point on, the entire
lesson was somewhat thrown into flux, as it dramatically elongated the motivational
set/added an additional component to the main procedural component of the lesson. I
made the recognition that I was not going to be able to complete the formative
assessment component initially planned for the lesson, the fill in the blank exercise. So
instead of trying to force my way through the notes to get to a point where I could assess
student understanding of something that we were not able to go into detail with. I elected
to allow more time, for the student that were feeling anxiety to take down the notes, and
worked through each of my examples on the board, showing students where to find each
piece of information (i.e. molar mass values) essential to answering each of the questions.
The downside of not completing the formative assessment meant that as a TC I was not
going to be there to complete the lesson the following day, and Carmen was also not going
to be there. This in-turn meant there was going to be a substitute teacher who would have
to have a base understanding of the subject material if the formative assessment was to
be completed at all. If I were to be teaching this class on a regular basis and the initial lack
of understanding had been made apparent, I may have spent a longer portion of the
lesson working on example from Avogadros number, before moving onto a more complex
topic like molar mass calculations and conversions. Giving additional worksheets for
practice on both would then become a necessitation to give students more practice in a
differentiated timeframe and give me supplemental means of assessing their
understanding.

*Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)