Model atomic structure with playdough

High school students with pens and paper looking at balls of play dough laid out in the shape of an atom

Source: © Eleanor Clapp

Engage your learners with these fun, tactile ideas and models

Using playdough to build models is cheap, colourful and tactile, which makes it fun and engaging for learners. Read the article for tips and ideas on how to use playdough modelling with your class to teach atomic structure. You can also use this approach with 14–16 learners when revisiting the topic and when teaching radioactivity and nuclear decay.

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