Atmospheric Chemistry Memory Game
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Provided by: UCAR Center for Science Education|Published on: February 26, 2025
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This memory game from UCAR Center for Science Education has students match the ball-and-stick representations of the molecules to the molecular formulas of the atmospheric chemicals, including nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and peroxyacytyl nitrate.
- The game also has built-in scaffolding to work students up to the point of matching the formula to the model, and each molecule has an informational page students can explore to learn more.
Subjects: Chemistry
Authors: UCAR Center for Science Education
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The various levels allow students to study at their own pace without becoming frustrated quickly.
- The game provides additional information for each match, gamifying flashcards in a way that is engaging and fun.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand molecular formulas and ball-and-stick representations of molecules.
- Students are unable to click on the CO2 model to read more information as with the others. The Carbon Cycle video can give background information on this and other carbon-based molecules.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After using this game and introducing the atmospheric gases, teachers can introduce or review the concept of greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect. Teachers can also connect this to the other consequences of some gases, such as acid rain, air pollution, and other health impacts. The student-facing lesson, Heating It Up: The Chemistry of the Greenhouse Effect, can support this topic.
- Teachers can encourage students to work their way up through the levels. Students can also use this resource to create flashcards with the molecule on one side and the molecular formula, name, and information about it on the other.
- Students can use this game as inspiration for creating other gamified study and learning tools. If the tools and time are available, teachers can also have students code or use Google Slides to create a game.
- Students can use the worksheet from Climate Change Toolkit: How Many Molecules Make a Trace Gas? to make additional chemistry connections to climate change.
- The sound effects can be switched off if students or teachers find them overwhelming.
This resource is a card-flip memory game about common molecules in the atmosphere. For each, a page is included that highlights that molecule’s chemistry and clearly details which are greenhouse gases. Throughout, links are provided to additional resources, including the interactive “Very Simple Climate Model” where students can visualize future warming under different emission scenarios. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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