As we continue our explorations of chemical reactions in KS3, the topic currently is the Thermal decomposition of metal carbonates. Yes, it does sound a bit ‘sciencey’ but our pupils quickly decoded the term and made sense of the type of reaction we were going to perform. ‘Heat it up to break it down sir?’ ‘Exactly’, I said.
For those of us who have enjoyed this experiment before, we are aware of the potential risks and the adherence to the strict following of procedure. Needless to say, we maximised our focus, engaged our executive functioning, used a big dose of common sense and a collaborative attitude which culminated in our discovery of which metal carbonates thermally decompose and at which rate. Being part of successful investigations, making progress and managing ourselves in a safe and focussed manner makes for a truly enjoyable learning experience.
Becky Folan and Shaun Nicholson