The Elements: Ingredients of the Universe
The Elements: Ingredients of the Universe provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of chemistry, combining “meaty” content with whimsical humor. The text is kid-friendly without being patronizing. (Students will love the Atomic Chef!) The coursebook contains all the information students need to know, so there is no extra teaching required by the adult administering the program.
No previous knowledge of chemistry is required! Pencil and paper activities, hands-on activities and experiments, and specific safe websites to visit are included. All of these activities provide high-quality learning; they are not “fluff.” The overall theme of the curriculum is cooking and recipes, using cooking to explain chemistry concepts. The curriculum is intended to prepare students for high school chemistry.
Topics covered:
- The definition of an element
- The structure of an atom
- The invention of the Periodic Table by Mendeleyev
- Chemical formulas
- Electron orbitals and shells
- The octet rule
- Arrangement of elements on the Periodic Table
- Atomic bonding (covalent, ionic and metallic)
Plus an up-close look at the families on the table:
- Alkali metals
- Alkali earth metals
- Transition metals
- True metals
- Non-metals
- Halogens
- Noble gases
- Lanthanides and actinides.
You can preview the book here.
