Play card games to teach electronic configuration and ionic compound formation

It’s all fun and games in the chemistry classroom, as Jon Hale explains how to improve 14–16 learners’ understanding and recognition of the different representations of ions. He designed a deck of anion and cation cards trialled by himself and other secondary science teachers to teach electronic configuration and ionic compound formation, alongside developing his students’ metacognition. Game-based learning has had a positive impact on his GCSE classes, with a large improvement in their structure and bonding assessments, along with a more positive attitude to chemistry.