This is the engaging, inquiry-based electron configuration activity bundle that will take your day from drab to dynamic!

This all-in-one, student-centered lesson package includes everything you need to support your students in mastering these complex chemistry concepts.

Designed specifically for high school classrooms, it blends interactive digital activities with traditional content for a seamless teaching experience.

Using this lesson and these tools, your students will be able to:

1. build orbital diagrams for carbon, sodium, and argon using a web simulation.
2. write electron configurations to describe these diagrams given modeled examples.
3. use careful observations to propose the three guidelines for filling orbital diagrams and writing electron configurations.

For a deep dive into all the details of delivering this lesson, check out this blog post.

What’s Included:

PowerPoint Presentation (Fully Editable):

Unlike traditional lecture slides, this PowerPoint is designed to guide students through the learning process. It includes a bell ringer, clear objectives, task instructions, an artifact outline, data-dependent analysis (a series of clarifying questions to help students interpret data and actively engage with the material), and skill practice in addition to essential vocabulary terms.

For more on the framework I use to design all my science lessons, check out this blog post.

*Lesson Plan Framework Highlights*

Bell Ringer (Review & Preview, ~ 5min):  Students analyze electron behavior using Bohr model energy level concepts This connects prior knowledge from a previous lesson to the electron configurations activity they are about to complete.

Task Instructions / Virtual Lab, ~20 min:  Using a web simulation, students build orbital diagrams for sodium, carbon, and argon by adding orbitals according to Aufbau's Rule and fill with electrons according to the Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund's Rule.  

Artifact Outline / Data-Dependent Analysis, ~10 min:  Students record their orbital diagram observations and write electron configurations to describe these diagrams. Using careful observations, students are challenged to articulate the three rules or guidelines for filling diagrams for other atoms. They must also explain what the numbers of each orbital label represents as well as what the letters represent.

Skill Practice, ~10 min: Students identify the maximum number of electrons that occupy one single box, the maximum number of electrons that occupy an "s" orbital, a "p" orbital, and a "d" orbital.

Digital Worksheet (via BookWidget):

This worksheet aligns directly with the PowerPoint presentation, giving you flexibility in how you deliver the lesson. Students can use it to follow along in class, catch up if they’re absent, or work on it in advance of planned absences. It complements both in-person and remote learning environments.

Seesaw Activity:

This in-class digital delivery option allows for easy review of student work, quick feedback, and ongoing family engagement through year-long student portfolios. It's part of the student-centered system I use in my own classroom and model for teachers in my professional development program, the Digital Instructional Design Studio.

For more on how I integrate both of these edtech tools (BookWidgets and SeeSaw), check out this video on YouTube.

Virtual Lab Experience:

This resource simulates real-world lab practices by engaging students in lab-style, inquiry-based activities where they explore and interpret data as scientists would in a physical lab. It's perfect for remote or hybrid learning environments, providing students the opportunity to practice science skills without less stress than activities that require tangible manipulatives.

Before purchasing, CLICK HERE to make sure you're able to access the simulation used as part of the main activity of this lesson.

Why High School Teachers Love This Resource

This complete lesson package saves you hours of prep time while keeping students actively engaged.

It supports science and engineering practices outlined by NGSS, helping students explore and discover core ideas using NGSS cross-cutting concepts.

While not fully aligned with NGSS, this lesson strengthens critical skills and promotes student-driven learning.

➡️Key Features:

• Perfect for high school chemistry (grades 9-12)
• Student-centered, inquiry-based learning
• Strengthens NGSS science and engineering practices related to patterns
• Supports digital and remote learning environments
• Virtual lab component to simulate real-world scientific inquiry
• Fully editable and customizable for your classroom needs

Topics Included:

• Aufbau Principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle, Hund's Rule
• Electron Configurations
• Orbital Filling Diagrams
• Electron Arrangement

How to Use This All-In-One Resource:

• Present the PowerPoint to guide students through the lesson.
• Engage students with the electron configuration activity using a virtual lab to mimic hands-on scientific exploration.
• Assign the digital worksheet for students to make their learning visible in-person or at a distance.
• Use the Seesaw activity for visible learning in real-time if you want to establish a strong feedback loop with your students and families and minimize your scoring time.

What Teachers Have Said About The Virtual Lab Component:

"Thanks for this resource, it came in handy when the school was shutdown, but I used it when the schools were opened again."

"Used item before the update / revision .. am excited to try the new version"

Need More Resources?

Check out my other high school chemistry lessons, designed to make teaching easier while promoting active learning:

• Bohr Model Activity | Inquiry-Based Lesson w/ Virtual Lab
• Electron Configuration Activity | Inquiry-Based Lesson about Periodic Trends

(I'm renovating my store, so my other listings may not be as comprehensive as this one YET ... if you choose to purchase these others, feel free to email me at lisa@labineverylesson.com to ensure you get a complete package similar to what's offered in this listing.)

Ready to Grab This Complete High School Chemistry Lesson?
Download this all-in-one solution and give your students the tools they need to master orbital diagrams and electron configurations! Add it to your cart now!