Naming Molecular Compounds

I. Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

 Define molecular compounds.

 Summarize the differences between naming ionic and molecular compounds.
 Apply IUPAC nomenclature system to name molecular compounds through Scratch
game and exercises.
 Discuss common mistakes in naming molecular compounds.
 Create an infographic about the key rules for naming molecular compounds.

II. Target Learners:

 Grade 10

III. Prerequisites:

Students should know:

 The atomic structure.

 The periodic table elements.
 The difference between covalent bond and ionic bond.
 The IUPAC nomenclature system to name ionic compounds.

IV. Lesson Overview:

This lesson enables students to master naming molecular compounds using the
IUPAC nomenclature system. Students will learn the rules of naming compounds and apply
them through practice exercises and a game. In addition, the lesson enhances students’ critical
thinking skills as they analyze names to check if the rules apply. Finally, the lesson
encourages collaboration and communication by the classroom discussion and the
infographic creation activity.

V. Materials:

 PowerPoint presentation
 Board and projector
 Scratch game
 Chemistry practice book

VI. Lesson Activities:

1. Use PowerPoint to introduce the concept of naming molecular compounds using

prefixes and the rules for naming.
2. Discuss with the class the key differences between naming ionic and molecular
compounds.
3. Provide some exercises to allow students to practice naming molecular compounds.
4. Challenge students to play a game on Scratch and score as many points as possible.
 5. Pair students together to create an infographic explaining the key rules for naming
molecular compounds.

VII. Assessment:

Learning is assessed during the lesson:

 As students solve practice exercises independently, the teacher moves around them
and checks their work to identify any misunderstandings, help students who are in
need, and ensure that students grasped the concept.
 When students play the Scratch game, the final score allows the teacher to check
students’ understanding of the content.

VIII. Game Integration:

The Scratch game provides the molecular formulas of several compounds. For each
compound, two tricky name choices are provided, one is right (aligns with the naming rules),
and the other is wrong. If the student chose the right answer, the score would increase by 1. If
the student chose the wrong answer, the score remains the same.

The Scratch game has a major role in the teaching process. By using technology, away
from traditional learning, students will feel excited, motivated, and interested in the subject.
The game reinforces the naming rules in a gamified context, which results in enjoyable and
practical learning. In addition, students should choose the correct name to get rewarded,
which reinforces the importance of correct naming in chemistry. Finally, students should
analyze each compound to know what the correct name is, which enhances students’ critical
thinking and problem-solving skills.

IX. References:

 Wilbraham, A., Staley, D., Matta, M., & Waterman, E. (2012). Pearson chemistry.
Pearson, Boston, MA, 2012

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/934109021