Summary

The AACT high school classroom resource library has everything you need to put together a unit plan for your classroom: lessons, activities, labs, projects, and videos. We constructed a unit plan using AACT resources that is designed to provide your students with an introduction to organic chemistry through a short module.

Grade Level

High School

Objectives

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

• Identify an organic compound by its components.
• Recognize how large molecules are broken into smaller molecules.
• Name simple organic structures based on IUPAC rules for nomenclature.
• Understand how to interpret a skeletal structure of an organic molecule.
• Create structural formulas for organic molecules based on a given name.
• Draw structural isomers for a specified molecular formula.
• Relate physical structure to intermolecular forces and boiling points.
• Conduct a distillation experiment.
• Describe the relationships between the structural features of polar and nonpolar molecules and the forces of attraction between the particles.
• Identify the types of intermolecular attractions present in a molecule by looking at its structure.
• Explain how an ester is made.
• Write balanced chemical equations for organic reactions.
• Understand that compounds can be found naturally or synthesized in a lab.
• Recognize that hormones are organic compounds.

Chemistry Topics

This unit supports students’ understanding of

• Organic Chemistry
• Molecular Structure
• Hydrocarbon Molecules
• Naming Compounds
• Functional Groups
• Isomers
• Intermolecular Forces
• Physical Properties
• Separation Techniques

Time

Teacher Preparation: See individual resources.
Lesson: 7-10 class periods, depending on class level.

Materials

• Refer to the materials list given with each individual activity.

Safety

• Refer to the safety instructions given with each individual activity.

Teacher Notes

• The activities shown below are listed in the suggested order that they should be completed.
• The teacher notes, student handouts, and additional materials can be accessed on the page for each individual activity.
• Please note that most of these resources are AACT member benefits.
• Many activities in this lesson plan will be geared towards AP students.
• Prior to completing any of these activities, students will need background information to understand the term “organic” from a chemistry standpoint. In addition, spending some time introducing functional groups will provide helpful context for different labs and activities included in the unit plan.
• Students will benefit from having background knowledge in chemical reactions, Lewis dot structures, and intermolecular forces. Several of the activities rely on this knowledge.

Classroom Resources

• Start off the unit with the activity, Modeling Carbohydrates. This will help students to conceptualize the size, make-up, and function of organic molecules before they dive in further.

• Next, use the activity, Naming Alkanes to help your students to get familiar with simple organic structures and how to reference them. While the AP exam does not have much of an emphasis on naming organic molecules and it may be more than you expect from a first-year chemistry student, it can be helpful for labs and general scientific understanding.

• Next, use the activity, Introduction to Functional Groups to give students the opportunity to examine more complex functional groups, and their corresponding naming conventions.

• At this point, teachers can show Ingenious Video: The Strange Chemistry Behind Why You Get Sick on Planes to make connections with a real example of functional groups. The video investigates how ozone reacts with compounds in the air to produce toxic compounds that contain aldehydes and ketones. The accompanying activity includes questions that can be used to check for understanding while students watch the video.

• Follow up with the lab, Condensation Reaction. Students will perform an organic reaction and think about the mechanisms behind it. While not drawing mechanisms, students are asked to explain how an ester is formed from an organic acid and an alcohol. This is a great precursor to what they may encounter in a college organic chemistry class.

• The Structural Isomers lesson plan can be used as the next investigation. Students will use models to explore different organic structures and generate questions based on them. Consider drawing the isomers as a class. Students will make connections to their prior knowledge with intermolecular forces and low boiling points.

• Next, use the reading and the “Chemical Structures” activity from within the larger lesson plan, Discovery of Ivermectin: Preventing Blindness and Heartworm. Students will compare an early design of the Ivermectin molecule to a later, successful drug molecule for Ivermectin to see how changes in the structure impact its function.

• As teachers near the end of this organic chemistry module, use the lab, Fractional Distillation of Crude Oil. In the lab, students identify intermolecular forces that occur between molecules because of the different functional groups. They use distillation to separate these based on differing boiling points. Consider showing the Separating Mixtures Animation to help students prepare for the lab.

• Lastly, students can learn about the development of GC-MS in the lesson, Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry from the Chemical Landmark Lesson Plan Collection. While this lesson will review some of the naming conventions, and organic structures discussed previously in this module, the lesson will act as a culminating activity, as students apply their understanding to the interpretation of a mass spectrum.

Extension Activity

• If there is extra time, include the lab, Designing Biomimetic Songbird Preen Oil from Waste Cooking Oil. This is an advanced lab experience that mimics some tasks that students might experience in an organic chemistry lab beyond high school. Students perform a test to determine they have isolated the right substance during a multi-day experiment. Students have the chance to reflect on the product formed and use critical thinking in the process.

Scientific Literacy

Below are several recommended activities that will promote literacy as well as support a fundamental understanding of organic chemistry. These activities can be used independently or integrated into the organic chemistry module outline above:

• ChemMatters Article Reading: Use the February 2023 article, What's Chocolate, and How Does its Chemistry Inspire Such Cravings? to consider organic chemistry such as saturated and unsaturated bonds in the context of chocolate. There is a corresponding Teacher’s Guide document that includes an anticipation guide, graphic organizer, and questions to accompany the article.

• Chemical Landmark Lesson Plan: Use the lesson plan, Percy Julian Overcame Racism to Flourish as a Chemist to promote both literacy and an understanding of chemistry history. Students learn about the many contributions of Percy Julian during life and career in chemistry, including synthesis of new organic materials such as Reichstein’s Substance S, which can be used to produce hydrocortisone and similar derivatives to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
  • View additional lesson plans with a focus on organic chemistry, and rich in history from Chemical Landmarks Collection.

• Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changes History: Use the Napoleon’s Buttons Writing Assignment, along with the book to provide a fascinating way for students to experience organic chemistry. The stories of the 17 molecules range from relatable materials students will recognize to stories that seem too fantastical to be true. Obtaining a class set of books would be beneficial for this option.