Atoms and the Periodic Table
Download an editable Year 9 science slideshow on atomic structure and the periodic table, with explanations, worked examples, practice and review.
- Subject
- Science
- Year group
- Year 9
- Curriculum topic
- Atomic structure and the organisation of the periodic table
- Editable download
- PPTX
About this resource
Built for a clear, classroom-ready lesson.
This complete lesson takes students from the particles inside an atom to how the periodic table is organised. Protons, neutrons and electrons are introduced with their charges and locations, followed by atomic number and mass number, then groups, periods and element families.
Use the slideshow as supplied or edit the PowerPoint to match the elements your class is working with. Matching and recall activities are followed by answer slides, and the lesson closes with an element profile card task and a worked model answer using oxygen.
Teaching notes
The particle matching activity is a good diagnostic at the start, since the neutron and nucleus definitions are the two students most often swap. Run it before the atomic number slides rather than after.
The "why are some elements in the same column" discussion is the pivot point of the lesson: it moves students from recall to prediction, so it's worth leaving time for it rather than rushing to the profile card task. For that task, oxygen is used as the model answer, so assign different elements to different students and have them present back. If your class needs an extension, asking them to predict the properties of an unfamiliar element from its group position works directly from the slides.
Learning objectives
- Describe the structure of an atom and the charge and location of each particle.
- Explain what atomic number and mass number tell you about an element.
- Explain how the periodic table is organised and use it to predict properties.
What’s included
- 16 classroom-ready slides
- Particle matching and recall activities with answer slides
- Atomic number and mass number compared side by side
- Annotated periodic table images for groups, periods and families
- An element profile card task with a model answer
Example PDF
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