Atomic Model Project

History of Atomic Models Project

Objective: to gain an understanding of how the scientific method was employed in the development of the modern atomic model. You will do this by looking at the scientists who were involved, their models and theories, and the observations they based their models on.

Method: You will be working in groups of seven or eight. Each member of your group should specialize in one of the scientists (or the entire group from “extras”) in the table below. It is that person’s task to find out the answers to the guiding questions for their particular scientist. The table can help you if you use it to match each scientist from the first column with one of the experiments from the second column and models from the third. It is also useful to spend some time talking to the person in your group who is specializing on the scientist immediately preceding yours. Likewise, you should spend some time talking to the people in the other groups who are looking at the same scientist as you.

Scientist	Experimental or observational evidence	Model or theory
Democritus	Gold foil experiment	Classical planetary model
Bohr	Cathode ray tube expt	Plum pudding model
Thomson	Chemical reactions of gases	Quantum mechanical model
Schrodinger	Existence of atoms and spectral lines	Chemical atomic theory
Dalton	None	Classical atomic theory
Rutherford	Various	Quantum planetary model
Extras
Millikan, Chadwick, Curie, Moseley, Pauli, Einstein, Heisenberg	Radium expt, photoelectric effect, oil drop experiment, Electronic structure of hydrogen,	Discovery of neutron, charge on electron, radioactivity, exclusion principle, uncertainty principle, meaning of atomic number, particle (quantum) nature of light

Guiding questions in your understanding of you particular scientist:

Who was he or she and when did he or she live?
What was their model or theoretical contribution? Be able to describe and explain it, and know when it was first published.
What observational evidence, or experiment, did they rely on for their model/theory? Be able to describe and explain it, and when know when it dates from.
Whose model preceded and whose succeeded theirs?
How was their model different and better than the preceding model?
Which part(s) of their model is still found in the modern model?

Format: acting/interview, comic book, PowerPoint presentation, building models, essay, poster paper, web page

Timing:

By Wednesday, February 23^rd you and your group should have completed a timeline of the scientists, their experiments and observations, and their theories.

On Thursday, February 24^th you will have the class period to work in the computer room finishing the research aspect of the project.

On Monday, February 28^th and Tuesday, March 1^st you will have the class period to work on writing, building, drawing or rehearsing the final product.

On Thursday, March 3^rd you will hand in, display, or perform your final product.

Assessment Rubric:

Your final product will be assessed based on its quality and content. It should be interesting and explain the content well. It should be accurate and complete in its answers to the guiding questions. The mark will be out of twenty with up to four points awarded by me for the work you accomplish in class on the days we work on the project. Up to sixteen points will be awarded as in the rubric below:

	4	3	2	1
Presentation	We were well prepared. We displayed confidence in our knowledge. Our presentation was engaging and accurate.	We were mostly prepared and got nervous at times. We usually held the class's attention.	We were noticeably scattered and nervous. The class got fidgety.	We winged it and showed little preparation. The class noticed.
Understanding/Explanation of the science	We understood and explained well the scientists’ contributions.	We usually understood and explained the scientists’ contributions.	We were often confused.	We showed little if any understanding.
Research	We researched the history thoroughly and found lots of information in various formats (WWW, books, articles) suited to my level.	We researched the history well and found more than five sources mostly on the web. Most of my sources were at the right level for me.	We researched the history a bit and found four or five web sources. A few of my sources were at the right level.	We did a little research and found three web sources which were either too easy or difficult.
Completeness and punctuality	We completed the timeline and the gathering of all information on the scientists and their contributions by the stated deadlines.	We completed the timeline and the gathering of all information on the scientists and their contributions by the stated deadlines except once or twice.	We partially completed the timeline and the gathering of all information on the scientists and their contributions by the stated deadlines.	We did not complete the timeline and the gathering of all information on the scientists and their contributions by the stated deadlines.