The Born Identity of Atoms

Teaching students how the invisible world can be very challenging when to date, no single person knows what the atom physically looks like.  The key to getting students to understand atomic structure is to provide them with a variety of learning opportunities that adds depth to their understanding.  This curriculum unit encourages students to take on the identities of atoms and to understand how their identity is deeply rooted in the nucleus.  Students will embark on a journey of discovering how atoms are created through stellar nucleosynthesis and supernovae explosions by creating physical and mathematical models to discover processes such as alpha process, alpha decay, and beta decay.  The goal is for students to realize how studying the origins of the elements inspires scientists replicate those stellar processes in order to make technological and medical advancements.  This curriculum unit is written for high school chemistry students in grade 10 who are studying chemistry.  This unit incorporates rigorous scientific practices aligned with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.