This inquiry activity, study guide, and resource will support your students as they learn to understand ion names and formulas and, if you choose, to memorize the formulas. Students will first learn how to know ions by knowing element symbols and locations on the periodic table. This understanding is a basis for knowing polyatomic ions. Students then learn polyatomic ions by investigating patterns in nomenclature and the formulas themselves.

If you do not require students to know ions from memory, these practices will help students become proficient with resources to help them later learn to correctly and quickly write chemical formulas. They can use the Ion Lists as a resource when writing chemical formulas and equations, with a solid understanding of the ion formulas they are using. Use the quizzes as quick formative assessment, or let students race to finish. Over time, they will come to know the formulas they use most often and will use the Ion Lists as a resource.

If you require students to know some ions from memory, as I do, past students have told me they've found these strategies very helpful. The strategies teach students to find similarities and patterns in ion formulas and names of polyatomic ions.

The Periodic Table Reference, if you haven't already done it with students, is one of my free products and is included here.

It's helpful of students already understand atomic structure and basics of monatomic ion formation as the gain or loss of electrons.

INCLUDED:

1. Two Ion Lists - lists of 65 monatomic and polyatomic ions. List 1 is alphabetized by ion names. List 2 is alphabetized by ion symbols.

2. 63 monatomic and polyatomic ion flash cards (carbon is not included as it is rarely found as an ion in intro chemistry content) to print double-sided on card stock for students or as class sets. There are 32 cards per page. Students like this size as they are easy to carry with them and use to study.

3. 5-page Ion Study Guide for students, using flash cards as manipulatives. Students can work together in pairs or assign as homework.

4. Ion Summary Page – Ions, organized as on the Study Guide. Use as lecture notes, study guide key answer key, or support.

5. Ion Study Hints - handout for students as alternative methods of study, or use strategies for in-class practice

6. 10 ten-question ion quizzes - the more common monatomic and polyatomic ions are included. Some ions repeat as the quizzes are intended for students to study all 63 ions on a regular basis. I give the quizzes as once a week for 10 weeks (I've also done 2x per week) so they are finished with all 10 quizzes before we begin writing chemical equations. I award students perfect scores for all remaining quizzes once they achieve 3 perfect scores in a row.

7. Answer keys to all Ion Quizzes for you, or for students to self-check.

8. Also includes Periodic Table Reference (one of my free products). Includes simple student instructions for annotating the periodic table with ion charges.

STUDENTS WILL

• Create (or cut out) Ion Study Cards
• Work through the Ion Study Guide using their Study Cards to learn patterns in ion formulas and nomenclature
• Use their cards and the strategies from the Study Guide, Ion Summary, and Ion Study Hints to practice their understanding
• Have a familiar resource to use as needed when writing ionic formulas.

Looking for resources to teach moles?

Start with this low-prep lab activity Counting by Weighing.

You will like this interactive lecture/inquiry unit on The Mole.