Structure of the Atom

A full lesson outlining the basic GCSE structure of the atom, the position and charges of the subatomic particles inside it. A part of the course which is sometimes difficult to teach in a fun and interactive/discovery based way, this lesson will help students to discover information and make connections themselves. Students will hopefully not only learn the charges and masses and positions of subatomic particles, but gain an appreciation of scale and relative mass, as well as understand some of the reasons behind the structure of the atom and the reason we draw it the way we do.

This lesson includes:

• Powerpoint - including key notes, delivery tips, modelling ideas, interactive class activities and key hinge/get-them-thinking questions, tips on dealing with common misconceptions
• Multiple choice interactive plenary activity
• Full answers

Lesson Objectives

• Describe what a subatomic particle is
• Describe the structure of an atom in terms of subatomic particles
• Give the positions, relative mass and charge of the three subatomic particles