Chemistry · 10th Grade

Active learning ideas

Nomenclature of Covalent Compounds and Acids

Active learning works because naming covalent compounds and acids is a procedural skill that improves with repeated, guided practice. Students must repeatedly apply rules to new examples to build automaticity, and active strategies reduce the chance they will rely on memorized patterns that break when formulas change.

• Common Core State Standards
• STD.HS-PS1-2
• STD.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.4

• 20–35 min
• Pairs
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Academic Speed Dating
• 35 min · Pairs

Card Sort: Which Naming System?

Pairs receive 18 compound cards (six ionic, six covalent, six acids) with only the formula provided. Before naming anything, students sort the cards into the three categories and write one sentence justifying why each compound belongs in its category. They then apply the correct naming system to each group, comparing results with another pair.

Explain how prefixes are used in naming covalent compounds.

Facilitation Tip

During Card Sort: Which Naming System?, have students justify each placement aloud before moving to the next card to surface decision-making errors immediately.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of 5-7 chemical formulas (e.g., P4O10, H2SO4, HCl, HNO2, SO3). Ask them to write the correct IUPAC name for each, specifying if it is a covalent compound, binary acid, or oxyacid.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Prefix Precision

Students receive six covalent formulas that require careful prefix use, including cases where mono- is dropped or where higher prefixes apply. They name each compound individually, then compare with a partner to identify discrepancies. The class discussion focuses on the two most common errors: missing mono- on the second element and applying prefixes to ionic compounds.

Construct the name of a covalent compound given its formula.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: Prefix Precision, listen for students who drop ‘mono-’ for the first element but fail to add it for the second; these cases become quick teaching moments.

What to look for

Pose the following: 'Why do we need prefixes for covalent compounds but not for ionic compounds? What is the key difference in how these compound types are formed that dictates their naming systems?' Facilitate a brief class discussion where students share their reasoning.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Acids in Context

Six stations feature acids students encounter in daily life (vinegar/acetic acid, hydrochloric acid in stomach, sulfuric acid in batteries, carbonic acid in soda, nitric acid in fertilizers, phosphoric acid in cola). Students write the formula and IUPAC name at each station, then classify it as binary acid or oxyacid. The debrief connects chemical naming to real-world label reading.

Differentiate between naming binary acids and oxyacids.

Facilitation Tip

During Gallery Walk: Acids in Context, require each group to post one correct name and one common incorrect name so peers can compare and correct.

What to look for

Give students two cards. On one card, they write the name 'dinitrogen pentoxide'. On the second card, they write the name 'hydrochloric acid'. Ask them to write the corresponding chemical formula for each and briefly explain one rule they used to determine the formula.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic in small, focused doses: first covalent rules, then binary acids, then oxyacids. Avoid mixing them in the same lesson. Students need clear mental models of when to use which system, so begin every naming task with a quick verbal cue, “metal or no metal?” and “hydrogen first?” before they start writing.

By the end of these activities, students will name compounds correctly and consistently choose the right naming system (covalent, binary acid, or oxyacid) without prompting. They will also explain why prefixes are used in covalent naming but not in ionic naming.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Card Sort: Which Naming System?, watch for students who apply covalent prefixes to ionic compounds because both involve formulas with two elements.

  Before students begin sorting, have them read each formula aloud and ask aloud whether the first element is a metal; if it is, they must use ionic rules instead of prefixes. Keep a class anchor chart titled 'Metal or Not?' visible for reference.

• During Gallery Walk: Acids in Context, watch for students who think acids are named by the same rules as regular binary or ionic compounds.

  Before the walk, ask each group to identify two key features of acids on their posters (H+ ion and aqueous state) and only then assign names. During the walk, have students circle any acid names that do not include ‘hydro-’ or ‘-ic/-ous’ and revise them as a class.

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Methods used in this brief

• Academic Speed Dating
• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk