Atom Secrets 4: Advanced Hands-On 3D Molecule Building! ( STEM / STEAM Chemistry)

Please Note:  This course is now incorporated into an 8-week Molecule Building course which bundles together our Beginning and Advanced Molecule Building classes (Atom Secrets 3 & 4). If you have already taken the Beginning Molecule Building course (Atom Secrets 3), you are eligible for 50% off this course. Please message us to arrange the discounted price. The 8-week course is linked below (please copy-paste this link into a web browser to view):
https://outschool.com/classes/atom-secrets-3-hands-on-molecule-model-building-stem-steam-chemistry-XoRhmhya

This advanced model-making course guides students, step-by-step, through the hands-on process of constructing and understanding complex molecular models made with a high school-level chemistry modeling kit! This course builds on the beginning Molecule-Making course, progressing to molecules important to the biology of living things, including sugars, hydrocarbons & proteins! Building 3-dimensional molecule structures will help us explore molecular bonding concepts and molecular biology. We'll discuss the physical and chemical properties of each molecule built, and functions of the molecules in living systems. 

Please Note: If your child has not yet built molecule models, we recommend first taking the beginning molecule model building course, "3D Hands-on Molecule Model-Building", listed below. 
https://outschool.com/classes/atom-secrets-hands-on-molecule-model-building-and-molecular-exploration-XoRhmhya#us9fIT1FTd
If your learner already has experience building molecule models, they are not required to take this prerequiste class. 

The course uses the kit listed below (the same one used in Atom Secrets 3: Beginning Molecule Building):
Organic Chemistry Modeling Kit, Old Nobby brand, $25
Available from Amazon - please search for "Old Nobby Organic Chemistry Model Kit" (239 Pieces) to find this specific kit. 
This kit is also available through other major online retailers (search for "Old Nobby Organic Chemistry Modeling Kit"). If you have any problems finding the kit, please message us for additional help. It is recommended to purchase this specific kit or a similar ball-and-stick type kit with at least 230 pieces, so that students can easily follow along with the instructor. (Note: the "Happy Atoms" kits don't include enough Carbon atoms and have a different magnetic design that doesn't represent bond angles accurately, so they are not a good fit for this course). 

This course includes a wide variety of sensory activities, including lots of hands-on building, plus educational presentations, drawing activities, short visualization videos and question-and-answer time for students. We'll be varying activity types often to keep students engaged. 

Session Overview:
Session 1
The first session will review the various parts of the Organic Chemistry Model Kit and features molecules with the atoms of Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon. In this session, we'll build molecules present in our food and explore how they interact with the molecules present in our bodies. We will construct the molecules of acetic acid (Vinegar) and Glucose (a Sugar) and learn how the shapes of these molecules affect their properties and give them their unique characteristics. 

Session 2
Session 2 explores molecules that we can smell! We'll build the following Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Acetone and Limonene and discuss how our noses work to sense them. We'll also learn about isomers, and how changing the arrangement of atoms in a molecule can produce very different properties. 

Session 3
Session 3 leaps into proteins! Proteins in our body belong to a group of molecules called biomolecules. These are molecules produced by living things and are very important for life. Proteins help generate muscles, transmit messages and the transport of different chemicals. All proteins are made of molecules called Amino Acids. These are the building blocks of proteins. We'll build a template for an Amino Acid and point out the different sections while explaining why the molecules are called Amino Acids. We'll also explore protein structure and protein folding. 

Session 4
Session 4 delves into biomolecules, energy molecules and reactions within living systems. We'll explore ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate. In Session 3, we learnt about the importance of proteins in our bodies. However, to carry out various functions we need energy. In our bodies and the bodies of other living creatures, a molecule called ATP provides energy to drive many processes. ATP is a large molecule made of three parts, a nitrogen base, a sugar called ribose and a phosphorus molecule (triphosphate). We'll make these individual molecules and then assemble them into ATP. Next, we'll discuss the chemical reaction of photosynthesis. The molecule of ATP is also used in Photosynthesis to make food for the plant and release oxygen into the environment. We'll recreate this chemical reaction with our molecule kit.