Lesson Plan Title: Balancing Chemical Equations

Date: TBD
Subject: Science 10 Grade: 10
Topic: Chemical Reactions
Time: 1-2 classes
Essential Question:
How can the Law of Conservation of Mass be utilized and expressed in an easy to understand way?

Materials:
-Ice cube
-Scale
-Petrie Dish
-Handout of step by step instructions
-Phone/Tablet/Computer (Something with access to internet)
-Worksheet

Stage 1- Desired Results – you may use student friendly language

What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
Utilizing their previous knowledge about the periodic table, as well as how to name and write compounds and
equations, students will be required to understand the Law of Conservation of Mass. Then, they will need to
be able to balance a chemical equation efficiently and properly.
This will lead the students directly towards achieving outcome SCI10-CR3.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Lifelong Learners: students will be shown a demonstration at the beginning of the class to engage their
curiousity and understanding. They will then be required to take charge of their own learning, based on their
own understanding of the concept, and practice based on their own desire to learn more.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Developing Literacies: classroom experiences that require the students to use appropriate technology to
further their understanding.

Outcome(s):
SCI10-CR3: Represent chemical reactions and conservation of mass symbolically using models, word and
skeleton equations and balanced chemical equations.

PGP Goals:
2.4: ability to use technologies readily, strategically, and appropriately
3.2: ability to use a wide variety of responsive instructional strategies and methodologies to accommodate
learning styles of individual learners and support their growth as social, intellectual, physical and spiritual
beings

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next steps.
Students will be provided with a worksheet to complete and hand in. The assignment will not be marked, but
instead will be used to see if the students understand the concept, or to determine if they need more
assistance. Students will be asked to complete their own assignment on their own, whenever they believe
they have a good understanding, and then submit.

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate what they have learned.

There will be no summative assessment for this specific lesson.

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students)

Demonstration of the Law of Conservation of Mass

 To represent this concept, an ice cube will be weighed on a scale, allowed to melt, and then
reweighed.
 Have students make their own expectations of what will happen to the mass before explaining
concept.
 Based on the Law, the weight of the ice cube will be equal to the weight of the water.

Main Procedures/Strategies:

Law of Conservation of Mass

 Explain this concept to the class, referring to the demonstration.
 The mass of reactants in any chemical reaction must equal the mass of products
 Atoms cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical change
 Ask students how we can show this. If not guessed, explain that we need to look at the number of
atoms in each type of element in the entire reaction
 How to Balance Chemical Equations
 An equation where the number of atoms is equal between the products and reactants
 Use coefficients as indicators of the number of atoms or molecules
 Go through an example, while explaining the steps of how to balance a chemical reaction
 Work through a few examples as a class using the instructions taught
 Provide handout of the step by step instructions (See below)
 Go through the Balancing Chemical Equations Simulation (phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/balancing-
chemical-equations/latest/balancing-chemical-equations_en.html)
Balancing Chemical Equations Activities
 Using phones/tablets/computers, students will be asked to practice this process using two online
games (See links below)
 Once the students have decided they understand the concept, they will be given an assignment with
practice questions that they will need to complete on their own and hand in. It will be up to the
students to decide when they are ready, but the assignment will have to be completed by the end of
the class. (See worksheet below)
 Battleship Game (quia.com/ba/2228.html)
 Virtual Game (learningliftoff.com/high-school-science-leanring-activity-balancing-chemical-
equations/#.VmmJKEarLCS)

Adaptations/Differentiation:
This lesson involves a variety of different teaching methods to hopefully reach out to all learners. There is a
lecture/oral portion, a demonstration and simulations for visual learners, and individual and groups practice
games for learners who learn best alone and from others.
This lesson is also easily adaptable for EAL students as the written and listening part can be lightened in place
of examples and visuals to help with understanding.
With the students having a large portion of the lesson set aside for additional practice on their own terms, it
also opens up time for students who need the extra help to receive more one on one time with the teacher.

Closing of lesson:
Challenge: A difficult chemical equation will be given and written on the board. Students will be challenged to
complete the problem by balancing the equation.
Or:
Exit slip: What was I supposed to learn? What did I learn?

If students want to try the challenge they can, otherwise they will just be provided with an exit slip.

M. Wilkinson ’16 *Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)
 Balancing Chemical Equations Practice
1. Fill in the blanks with the proper coefficients to balance the chemical equations
a. 2 NaBr + ___Cl2  ___NaCl + Br2
b. Cr2O3 + ___Mg  2 Cr + ___MgO
c. ___Al + ___O2  2Al2O3
d. ___Fe + 4 H2O  Fe3O4 + ___H2

2. Fill in all proper coefficients to balance the chemical equations.

a. ___N2H4 + ___O2  ___NO2 + ___H2O
b. ___As4S6 + ___O2  ___As4O6 + ___SO2
c. ___H2SO4 + ___Pb(OH)4  ___Pb(SO4)2 + ___H2O
d. ___SnO2 + ___H2  ___Sn + ___H2O

3. Given the reactants and products, provide the balanced chemical equation.
a. Reactants: KNO3 and H2CO3
Products: K2CO3 and HNO3
Balanced Equation: ___________________________________________________
b. Reactants: AgI and Na2S
Products: Ag2S and NaI
Balanced Equation: ___________________________________________________
c. Reactants: Ba3N2 and H2O
Products: Ba(OH)2 and NH3
Balanced Equation: ___________________________________________________
d. Reactants: CaCl2 and Na3PO4
Products: Ca3(PO4)2 and NaCl
Balanced Equation: ___________________________________________________

4. During respiration, oxygen binds to a hemoglobin complex (Hb 4) in the bloodstream to form
oxygenated hemoglobin (Hb4O8). What is the balanced chemical equation representing this
reaction?

_________________________________________________________
 Step by Step: How to Balance a Chemical Equation

Step 1: Write out the entire skeleton equation

Fe2O3 + C  Fe + CO2

Step 2: Count the number of atoms for each molecule and element in both reactants
and products.

Elements # Atoms # Atoms

on on
Reactants Products
Side Side

Fe 2 1

O 3 2

C 1 1

Step 3: Multiply each of the molecules and elements by the appropriate coefficient to
balance the number of atoms in the reactants and products. (Leave lone elements to the
end as they are easiest to balance *in this case start with O)

Elements # Atoms # Atoms

on on
Reactants Products
Side Side

Fe 24 1 *4=4

O 3 *2 =6 2 *3=6

C 1 *3=3 13
*Balance the oxygens first since they appear in a compound on both sides. After the proper coefficient has been
determined, multiply each compound by that coefficient (dark blue colour). This then changes the number of
atoms in the elements in the rest of the compound (light blue colour). Balance the remainder of the elements
based on the new number of atoms and the needed coefficients (green colour). Once all molecules and
elements are balanced, rewrite the equation with the coefficients.

2 Fe2O3 + 3 C  4 Fe + 3 CO2