Summary

In this activity, students will play a modified version of the classic Memory Game in order to help identify common ions by name and symbol. This activity provides an opportunity for students to increase their familiarity with the names and formulas of common ions that they will be expected to properly use when they begin writing chemical formulas and reactions.

Grade Level

High School

Objectives

By the end of this activity, students should be able to

• Correctly identify the name and symbol of common ions.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of

• Polyatomic Ions
• Transition Metals
• Ionic Bonding

Time

Teacher Preparation: 20-30 minutes (initial use; 5 minutes thereafter)

Lesson: 20-30 minutes

Materials

• Game Cards (1 set per pair of students)
• Stock Paper
• Scissors
• Printer
• Laminator (optional)

Safety

• No specific safety precautions need to be observed for this activity.

Teacher Notes

• We suggest printing the game cards using colored ink on stock paper. Teachers (and/or students) could be responsible for individually cutting the cards.
• If the teacher plans to reuse the cards, we also suggest laminating the cards, and again individually cutting the cards before use.
• The game consists of 132 cards in total. This includes the name of 66 common ions, and a corresponding set of 66 cards that include the ion symbol and charge.
• Remove any ions that you do not have your students memorize.
• In order to play the game, the cards must first be cut from the template. Students should play the game in pairs, and be given one set of cards per pair.

Playing the game:

• Prior to beginning the game the cards should be mixed by the students, and placed face-down on a flat surface, such as a table or desk. The cards could be organized in a rectangular grid, or they can be place sporadically.
• Students should take turns in order to play. The first player will choose any two cards to turn over. The purpose is to turn over the name of a common ion and the card that has its symbol with charge written on it for a “match”.
• If a successful match is made the student should collect both cards, removing them from the game. If a match does not occur, then the cards should be placed face down in the same location. The teacher should emphasize that students must recognize that a match has occurred in order to collect the pair of cards! This is important part of the game—in order to hold the students accountable for learning the correct names and symbols for common ions.
• If a player makes a successful match, that player should go again, turning over two additional cards. The player continues their turn until they do not make a match. Then the opponent begins his or her own turn.
• As the game continues, students will begin to memorize where a certain common ion names and symbols located, and/or where the card with its name is located.
• The player with the most pairs of matched common ion names and symbols at the end of the game wins!
• Students can play this game multiple times in order to increase their familiarity with the names and symbols of common ions.