Materials for the lesson

Blue, green and red self-adhesive sheets.

Blue, green and red plastic or wooden sticks.

Two boxes.

Long rope – 2pcs.

Two red paper circles with a diameter of 1m.

Teacher’s bell.

Layout of the classroom

Half the desks are from the one side of the classroom and the rest on the other side. In two lines facing each other so they can see each other (not one behind the other).

In between there is free space so the children of the two teams can move freely.

Phase 1

The teacher divides the class into two equal teams (10 students per team, if the class is 20 children i.e.) Students from each team pull one stick out of the box. / For team No1 – 3 red, 3 blue and 4 green, for team No 2 – 4 red, 3 blue and 3 green /. The teacher puts each pupil’s self-adhesive sheet according to the pulled-out color stick. It is drawn the sign “+” / protons / on the red sheets, the sign “-” (electrons) on the green sheets. The blue sheets are neutrons /no sign/.

 Phase 2

All the students are in front of the board. The teacher says that all students will play roles of “proton”, “electron” or “neutron” depending on the draw. The goal is: each team should make an atom with atomic nucleus. The teacher puts the paper circles at either end of the room. He tells the students that these are the atomic nuclei. At a distance of 1 m he makes a circle around them with the long rope. Explains that this is the boundary / the end of the atom.

Phase 3

The teacher starts the competition with the bell. At the teacher’s signal, students with red sheets (protons) and students with blue sheets (neutrons) should stand and move on the red paper circle. They are the nucleus of the atom. Students with green sheets should rotate in a circle on the inside of the rope, playing the role of electrons in the atom. The teacher puts a catch – the students in each team must find out that one of the students should not play because the number of protons and electrons in the atom should be equal.

Phase 4

The electron students should be careful and should move tightly to the rope /orbit/, and the students – neutrons and protons should not go out of the red paper circle.

The quicker and wiser team will win.