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Elements in the Universe

Time Frame

1 class periods of 60 minutes each

Group Size

Individual

Authors

Utah LessonPlans

Summary

Students will use a graph of the relative abundance of elements in the Universe to determine relationships between size of the atoms and their abundance.


Materials


Student Prior Knowledge

Students need to know what an element is and how they are different from each other.


Instructional Procedures

Attachments

  1. Create a chart showing the abundance of something like shirt colors, hair colors, or types of shoes, etc.. Show students how the total number of objects is divided into the individual type to produce the percentage.
  2. Graph the example on the board. Ask students if they see a trend and can explain what it means.
  3. Read the introduction on the student sheet to the students and discuss any questions they have.
  4. Direct the students to a periodic table and illustrate where the atomic number is located.
  5. Read the procedures and give students time to work.
  6. Have students share their conclusions and select a few to read theirs to the class.
  7. This graph shows the trends for the entire periodic table: You may wish to make an overhead of the graph to share with the students after they are done. There is an enlarged version of it at the end of the activity.


Bibliography

Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.


Created: 12/09/2014
Updated: 02/05/2018
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