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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Science concepts. The student understands the development of atomic theory and applies it to real-world phenomena.

a theory of the nature of matter: all material substances are composed of minute particles or atoms of a comparatively small number of kinds and all the atoms of the same kind are uniform in size, weight, and other properties

a physical property of matter that causes matter to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field, can be positive or negative; like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract each other

a negatively charged subatomic particle that can be either free (not attached to any atom) or bound to the nucleus of an atom and has negligible mass; determines the chemical reactivity of an element

the system of electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom

the quantity of matter contained in an atom of an element, measured in atomic mass units (amu)

a non-charged (neutral) subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, the mass is 1 atomic mass unit (amu); determines the isotope of an element

the positively charged center of an atom, composed of neutrons and protons, and possessing most of the mass but occupying only a small fraction of the volume of the atom

detectable events that are observed through the senses or technology; can be explained through scientific laws, ideas, principles, and theories

a positively charged subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom, the mass is 1 atomic mass unit (amu); determines the identity of an element

Research

Kaya, Ali. "Addressing Student Misconceptions About Atoms and Examining Instructor Strategies for Overcoming Them." Journal of Pedagogical Research 7, no. 4 (2023): 251-262. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202323077

Summary:  This paper examines the misconceptions held by students about atoms and determines the suggestions of the instructors (academics and teachers) to overcome these misconceptions. It is recommended that atomic models not be taught in primary school education and that three new methods could be used in teaching this subject.

Research

Aquilina, G., D.I. Umberto, L. Gabelli, L. Picariello, G. Scettri, and G. Termini. “Romeo and Juliet: A Love out of the Shell: Using Storytelling to Address Students’ Misconceptions and Promote Modeling Competencies in Science." Education Sciences 14, no. 3 (2024):239. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030239

Summary:  In this paper, we present the design of a Teaching—Learning Sequence (TLS) based on storytelling. A qualitative analysis of the data shows that the TLS was able to engage students and helped them reconstruct the atomic model, while the story improved students’ understanding of specific concepts related to the atomic model.