Summary

In this game, students will test their knowledge of how ions combine to form ionic compounds. Students will score points by rolling the 12 ion dice and combining ions to create various ionic compounds. As the players create compounds, they are left with fewer dice and must decide whether to stop and bank their points or to press their luck, risking a “bust” and losing all their points for the round. This accompanying activity encourages students to further practice the skills used in the game, as well as to take the next step of writing names and formulas for ionic compounds.

Grade Level

High School

NGSS Alignment

This game will help prepare your students to meet the performance expectations in the following standards:

• HS-PS1-1: Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
• Scientific and Engineering Practices:
  • Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
  • Developing and Using Models

Objectives

By the end of this game, students should be able to:

• Determine the correct ratio of cations to anions required in an ionic compound.

Chemistry Topics

This game supports students’ understanding of:

• Ionic Bonding
• Polyatomic Ions

Time

Teacher Preparation: minimal
Lesson: 20-30 minutes

Materials

• Student handout
• Device connected to the Internet
• Access to game: https://teachchemistry.org/classroom-resources/ion-dice

Safety

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

Teacher Notes

• Many thanks to Dan Dulek, chemistry teacher from Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois, for creating this game and sharing it with the chemistry education community.
• The game can be found at the following link (note that students can access the game without an AACT login):
  • https://teachchemistry.org/classroom-resources/ion-dice
• This game is a fun and challenging way for students to practice creating neutral ionic compounds given a set of cations and anions. It also provides a “puzzle piece” model to visually support student understanding of how the charge of the anions and cations must equal zero in an ionic compound. Students will earn points for cations and anions correctly matched to form neutral ionic compounds. The game can be played as a one-player or two-player game. In a two player game, players take turns on the same device.
• This game would fit well early in the ionic compounds section of a Chemical Names and Formulas Unit Plan and/or a Chemical Bonding Unit Plan. (These linked unit plans contain many other AACT resources to help teach related bonding and naming topics.) It would be best played after the students have been introduced to the concept of ions (including polyatomic ions) and ionic bonding. It could also be used as an introduction to these concepts in a more trial-and-error approach, as the game will provide instant feedback on whether or not the compounds students have made are correct.
• The rules of the game are as follows:
  • Players roll all dice and create compounds by selecting dice that form neutral compounds.
    • If a player submits an incorrect compound, those dice are not able to be re-rolled during the round.
  • Players can re-roll any unused dice to try for more compounds OR they can choose to end their turn and score their points for that round.
    • If players roll again and cannot form any valid compounds, they “bust” and get no points for that round. As long as a player can create at least 1 valid compound, they can continue re-rolling until the end their turn, use all the dice, or bust.
    • Scoring is as follows:
      • 2 dice compounds = 2 points
      • 3 dice compounds = 4 points
      • 4 dice compounds = 8 points
      • All dice used in one round = 10 bonus points
      • All dice used in first roll = 20 bonus points
  • Once a player ends their turn or busts, it is the next player’s turn.
  • Once a player reaches or exceeds the max score they set on the opening game screen (multiples of 5, up to 100 points), one final complete round is played, and whoever has the higher score at the end of that round wins.
• Students can further practice making ionic compounds with the Matchmaker: Ionic Bonding Game. Matchmaker similarly has students create neutral ionic compounds given certain ions and uses similar “puzzle piece” models to visually reinforce how to make neutral compounds, but it also has them practice naming and writing formulas.
• The student handout is divided into three parts:
  • Part 1 should be completed prior to beginning the game as it primes students for the game with a few fundamental questions related to ions and ionic compounds.
  • Part 2 should be completed after playing the game as it challenges the students to answer similar types of questions, but without the visual aide and instant feedback provided in the game. These questions will help to ensure that students understand the concept of creating neutral ionic compounds.
  • The final portion of the student handout is a challenge question that goes a step beyond what was presented in the game. In this section, students are asked to correctly write names and formulas for the ionic compounds in Part 2. This question can be omitted if you have not yet covered writing names and formulas.
    
• An Answer Key document is available for teacher reference.