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).