Lesson Plan: Abundance of Elements

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Abundance of Elements/Circle Graph Lesson

Date:  October 7, 2015  

Goal:  Recognize that a limited number of the many known elements comprise the largest portion of solid Earth, living matter, oceans, and the atmosphere.  (6.5B)

Objective:  Through labeling and coloring of circle graphs, students will be able to identify which elements comprise the Earth’s Crust, Atmosphere, Oceans, and Living Organisms, compare their level of importance, and draw conclusions regarding what this means to us.

Supplies:  pencil, highlighter, colored pencils, overhead, Abundance of Elements sheets, Abundance of Elements Circle Graphs, index cards (1 per table group per class)

Focus/Learning: 

• Let students know they will need pencil, highlighter, and colored pencils today.
• “We’ve been learning about the periodic table and all the elements on that table.”
• “Today, we are going to see how elements make up everything around us. That includes plants, animals, the air we breathe, the land we live on, water, your pet, even you.”
• “Let’s look at which elements comprise, or make up, the earth’s crust, its atmosphere, its oceans, and living organisms.”

Explanation/Modeling:

• “On your lab tables is a paper titled, Abundance of Elements.” (Place on Overhead)
• "Highlight the word, Crust"—read info and look at % by Mass for the 5 elements
• “You also have a paper titled, Abundance of Elements Circle Graphs.”  (Place on Overhead).  "Look at the first circle graph.  It’s on the Abundance of Elements in the Earth’s Crust.  Highlight the words, Earth’s Crust."
• “We are going to represent the main elements that make up our Earth’s crust on our circle graph.”
• “We are going to first record the percentages for each of our elements onto our circle graphs.  What percentage of the Earth’s Crust is made up of oxygen?  A: 47%.  Write that next to the word, Oxygen.”  (continue on . . . )
• "Notice that they aren’t necessarily listed in order of size.  Others, or all the other elements not already listed that comprise the Earth’s Crust, is 9%, which is greater than Aluminum, Iron, and calcium.  Think about that as we start coloring in our circle graph.”
• “Now that we’ve written our elements’ percentages next to their names, we are going to use our colored pencils to fill in our circle graph.”
• “I chose blue to represent oxygen on my circle graph.  It doesn’t matter which color you choose, just make sure you always use that same color for Oxygen on these charts.  So my oxygen will always be colored in blue today.  Since Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth’s Crust, which portion of our circle graph are we going to color with blue?  A: The largest portion on our circle graph.” (Continue coloring in rest of earth’s crust elements, one at a time.)

Guided Practice:

• "Let’s look at what elements make up our Earth’s Atmosphere." (Read info on Abundance of Elements sheet) "Highlight the word, Atmosphere."
• "Record percentages for each element onto circle graph for Earth’s Atmosphere and highlight Earth’s Atmosphere.  Color, using same colors for Oxygen as in the Earth’s Crust circle graph you just finished coloring.  My Oxygen will be blue. Which portion of our Earth’s Atmosphere circle will I color blue?  21% portion; that’s not the largest slice is it?” (Have students continue coloring as we discuss the elements we are finding in our circle graphs.)
• Do the same for Ocean and Living Organisms.

Drawing Conclusions:

• Place sheet with 4 sentences located below on the overhead screen.
• “In your table group, I want you to do four things for me.  Look at the overhead for what I need from you.  Just use 1 index card for the whole table for this activity:

1. Using Round Robin in your lab group, list all the different elements we colored today on an index card.
2. Figure out how many different elements that are and record number.
3. Highlight those elements that were 10% or higher in any of the 4 parts of Earth we examined today.
4. Ponder with your group . . . There are close to 100 elements occurring naturally in the world.  Compare that to the number of different elements you examined today which comprise our Earth’s Crust, Atmosphere, Oceans, and Living Organisms?  What does that tell us? . . . and then write your group's thoughts on the back of the index card.

• Review group answers to #1-3 above then discuss #4.  “There are close to 100 elements that occur naturally.  How many did you all say we examined today as we looked at the main elements making up our Earth’s Crust, Atmosphere, Oceans, and Living Organisms?  Wow!  What does that tell us?"  Pause for student responses and respond appropriately.  Make sure students take away following thought . . .  It tells us that a limited number of elements comprise/make up the largest portion of our solid Earth, living matter, oceans and the atmosphere.”
• “I need someone from each table group to turn in your index card to the tray with everyone’s names on it before leaving class today.”

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Use 1 index card per lab group.

• Using index card, Round Robin in your lab group to list all different elements you colored today.
• Figure out how many different elements there were and record number.
• Highlight those elements 10% or higher in ANY of the four parts of Earth we examined today.
• Ponder with your group . . . There are close to 100 elements occurring naturally in the world.  Compare that to the number of different elements you examined today which comprise our Earth’s Crust, Atmosphere, Oceans, and Living Organisms?  What does that tell us? . . . Write your group's thoughts on the back of index card.

Write names of all table members on back of index card.

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