What's included
16 live meetings
13 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Review Handouts and Activities will be provided after each class session. Completion is optional.Certificate of Completion
Students may request a Certificate of Completion from the instructor at the end of the course.Class Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
This course includes Levels 1-3 of our top-rated Atom Secrets courses, meeting once a week over 16 weeks with a consistent teacher and learner group. The course offers a fun and engaging introduction to the fields of Chemistry and Physics, while covering key foundational concepts to support further academic study. The classes incorporate a wide variety of sensory activities, including educational presentations, hands-on activities, student discussion, short instructional videos, quizzes, visual aids and printable review handouts. Course materials include 54 full-color cartoon Atom Flash Cards and a full-color illustrated Periodic Table of Elements, downloadable as printable PDFs. The tuition price includes a 10% discount for learners (compared to registering for each 4-week Atom Secrets course separately). Each class session's content is described in detail below: Sessions 1-4 - Atom Secrets 1: Atoms & The Periodic Table of Elements Sessions 1-4 introduces learners to 54 atomic elements, while exploring advanced concepts such as electron orbitals, covalent and ionic molecular bonds, and the structure of the Periodic Table. Why is the Periodic Table shaped the way it is? Students learn the atomic "secrets" behind the underlying organization of the Periodic Table, and how to read it. The course materials include 54 full-color cartoon Atom Flash Cards and a full-color illustrated Periodic Table of Elements, downloadable as printable PDFs. In addition, Review Handouts are provided for each class session. These printable resources are included with course registration (printing is optional and not required to participate). Each class session will focus on specific atoms and rows of the Periodic Table: Session 1: Rows 1-2, Hydrogen (1) to Neon (10) Session 2: Row 3, Sodium (11) to Argon (18) Session 3: Row 4, Potassium (19) to Krypton (36) Session 4: Row 5, Rubidium (37) to Xenon (54), plus overview of structure for the remaining Periodic Table elements Sessions 5-8 - Chemical Reaction Experiments & Molecular Exploration Through interesting and fun chemical reaction experiments, we'll continue exploring molecules and their formation! The hands-on chemical reaction experiment (using safe household ingredients) will be demonstrated by the instructor, and students are invited to follow along at home. (Please note: participation is encouraged but totally optional; younger learners may need assistance). We'll also learn how to play a fun Molecule Match card game with our Atom Element Flash Cards. The weekly experiments include: Session 5: Making Carbon Dioxide Bubbles via a chemical reaction Session 6: Making Ice Cream with Salt, using a chemical reaction Session 7: Acid and Base Investigations using pH Paper: understanding acids and bases Session 8: Cleaning Dirty Pennies with a chemical reaction Sessions 9-16 - Hands-on Molecule Model Building and Molecular Exploration Sessions 9-16 involves students in the hands-on process of constructing and understanding molecular models made with a high school-level chemistry modeling kit! These 3-dimensional molecule structures explore molecular bonding concepts and help students understand more complex molecules. We'll discuss the physical and chemical properties of each molecule built, and discuss conditions for molecule formation. Session activities include: Session 9: - Introduce modeling molecules with Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon - Building 2-atom molecules with Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon; review chemical and physical characteristics of the molecules built Session 10: - Building 3-atom molecules with Hydrogen, Oxygen and Carbon - Building the molecule of Ethene and learning about the process of polymerization; review chemical and physical characteristics of the molecules built Session 11: - Building Allotropes of Carbon: Diamond, Graphite and Graphene - Learning how the arrangement of carbon atoms affects the properties of the allotrope - Building models with Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine; review chemical and physical characteristics of the molecules built Session 12: - Building more complex models with Boron, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulfur - Learning about exceptions to the Octet Rule of Molecular formations; review the chemical and physical characteristics of the molecules built Session 13: - Building molecules present in our food and exploring 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 14: - Exploring 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 15: - Building 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 16: - Our final session delves into biomolecules, energy molecules and reactions within living systems. We'll explore ATP: Adenosine Triphosphate. 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. Note: Sessions 9-16 uses the kit listed below: Old Nobby Organic Chemistry Modeling Kit, $22 Available from Amazon - search for OLD NOBBY Organic Chemistry Model Kit (239 Pieces) to find this specific kit. 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).
Learning Goals
Learning goals include: atoms and subatomic particles (protons, neutrons and electrons), structure of the Periodic Table of Elements, covalent & ionic bonding, and properties of specific elements & molecules. Please see the syllabus for more details.
Syllabus
16 Lessons
over 16 WeeksLesson 1:
Session 1: Rows 1-2, Hydrogen (1) to Neon (10)
The first class session introduces students to atomic elements Hydrogen (1) to Neon (10), the first two rows of the Periodic Table, as well as significant molecules formed from these atoms, such as water and carbon dioxide. We'll draw electron orbitals and learn about the importance of the outer "valence" electron shell.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Session 2: Row 3, Sodium (11) to Argon (18)
In Session 2, we'll explore atomic elements Sodium (11) to Argon (18). We'll discuss covalent and ionic molecular bonding and unique characteristics of atoms, along with important molecules that they form. We'll draw a Bohr model of Argon and review the major electron shell levels for rows 1-3 of the Periodic Table. The various atoms and molecules will be linked to practical uses in life and modern technology.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Session 3: Row 4, Potassium (19) to Krypton (36)
In Session 3, we'll explore atomic elements Potassium (19) to Krypton (36). We'll continue discussing covalent and ionic molecular bonding and unique characteristics of atoms, along with important molecules that they form. We'll draw a Bohr model of Kypton and review the major electron shell levels for rows 1-4 of the Periodic Table. We'll also introduce the concept of suborbitals (s, p, d, f). The various atoms and molecules will be linked to practical uses in life and modern technology.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Session 4: Row 5, Rubidium (37) to Xenon (54), plus overview of Periodic Table
In Session 4, we'll explore atomic elements Rubidium (37) to Xenon (54), plus provide an overview of structure for the remaining Periodic Table elements. We'll discuss unique characteristics of selected atomic elements, along with important molecules that they form. We'll draw a Bohr model of Kypton, and we'll further explore the concept of suborbitals (s, p, d, f). The various atoms and molecules will be linked to practical uses in life and modern technology.
50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Supply List
The following learning materials are included with registration and posted as downloadable PDFs in the Classroom: - Printable Atom Card PDFs for atomic elements 1-54 (Hydrogen to Xenon) - Printable Periodic Table PDF Handouts (simplified version & complete version) - Printable Review Handout PDFs after each session Please note: These PDF handouts are too large to be emailed, so please visit the Course Classroom to download them. For sessions 9-16, we'll use the kit listed below: Old Nobby Organic Chemistry Modeling Kit, $25 Available from Amazon - please search for "OLD NOBBY Organic Chemistry Model Kit" (239 Pieces) to find this specific kit. It is recommended to purchase this kit or a similar ball-and-stick type kit with at least 230 pieces, so that students can easily follow along with the instructor. Any similar ball-and-stick type kit may be used, since color-coding of atoms is fairly standardized (there may be minor differences between kits which can be clarified in class as needed). Please 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.
6 files available upon enrollment
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
We're dedicated to introducing young students to the amazing world of quantum physics, invention & science research! We've been offering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) classes and creating educational materials for students of all ages for over 15 years. We're excited to share this course content with more students through Outschool.
Reviews
Live Group Course
$16
weekly or $256 for 16 classes1x per week, 16 weeks
50 min
Completed by 34 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-13
6-13 learners per class