Carbon and its Forms, Alison’s Montessori

Chemistry 9-12

Check out this exclusive material from Alison’s Montessori, Carbon and its forms! Carbon is a fascinating element found in many forms and has numerous benefits for our environment, health, and economy. This blog post will discuss the benefits of learning about carbon and its different forms.

Materials

Carbon and Its Forms – Complete Set (complete set for classroom setting)
Carbon and Its Forms Supplement Materials (great option for homeschooling families!)

By learning about carbon, you can better understand its importance to our world. Carbon is an essential component of life as we know it. It is found in everything from plants and animals to the air we breathe. Without carbon, life on earth as we know it would not be possible. Our new material, Carbon and Its Forms provides information about four important forms of carbon: diamond, graphite, buckytubes fullerene, and buckyballs fullerene. Carbon and its Forms Research Cards describe carbon molecules, how carbon bonds, and its benefits.
For instance, diamonds are considered one of the hardest minerals; graphite is extremely strong but weaker than diamonds. Fullerene is a hollow molecular structure in a spherical shape called a buckyball, or a tubular shape called a buckytube.
Fullerene can be produced in the laboratory using electric current through graphite rods. Fullerene has unique physical and chemical properties like high elasticity, an incredibly high surface area, and high tensile strength. Research has shown that buckyballs could be used for biomedical applications like drug delivery systems and cancer treatments. Both buckytubes and buckyballs are being studied as potential superconductors!

The set contains twelve challenging task cards divided into two sections. The task cards invite learners to define carbon and its forms in their own words and analyze and compare carbon’s different forms and properties. Each task card contains on the back a short age-appropriate description.

In conclusion, children will understand the basics of organic chemistry, carbon being its foundation. Learning about carbon molecules can help them understand the nature and properties of organic compounds and broaden their scientific knowledge! I hope you enjoy this post. Never stop inspiring children with new concepts, the Montessori way!