Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
MATTER AND ITS PROPERTIES
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MATTER AND ITS PROPERTIES
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Subject: Chemistry
Class: SHS 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 6
Grade code: 1.1.1.LI.5
Strand code: 1
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 1.1.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.1.1.LI.5
Theme: PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
Subtheme: MATTER AND ITS PROPERTIES
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This lesson explores one of the most important foundational ideas in all of chemistry: John Dalton's Atomic Theory. Everything around us, from the salt we use to cook, the water we drink, to the air we breathe, is made of tiny particles called atoms. Over 200 years ago, a scientist named John Dalton proposed a revolutionary theory to describe these atoms. While his ideas were not perfect, they laid the groundwork for our modern understanding of matter. In this lesson, we will learn what Dalton proposed and, more importantly, how later scientific discoveries helped to refine and correct his theory.
Starter: Activating Prior Knowledge (Talk for Learning)
Before we discuss Dalton, let's recall what we learned in JHS about the atom. What is an atom? (The smallest particle of an element that can take part in a chemical reaction). What are the three main sub-atomic particles? (Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons). Where are they located in the atom? (Protons and neutrons are in the central nucleus; electrons orbit the nucleus in shells). What are their charges? (Proton: +1, Neutron: 0, Electron: -1).
Keep this modern picture in your mind. We are going to travel back in time to the early 1800s, before any of these sub-atomic particles were discovered. John Dalton and His Atomic Theory (c. 1803)
John Dalton was an English scientist who proposed a theory to explain the nature of matter based on the scientific laws of his time (like the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Constant Composition). His theory was a major leap forward and can be summarized in five main postulates.