As educators, we are always looking for ways to make complex concepts more accessible and memorable. In the early 2000s, I attended the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE), where I learned about a brilliant brain break activity from renowned chemistry teacher Lee Marek. The game, called "Head Butt," ingeniously reinforces the principles of Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases.
With the 2024 BCCE Conference just around the corner, I can't help but reflect on how these conferences have transformed my teaching practices. This year's conference, scheduled for July 28th to August 1st at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, promises to be another enriching experience for educators looking to enhance their teaching methods. You can register at https://bcce.divched.org/.
Back to "Head Butt." This simple yet effective game involves students wearing Velcro hats and tossing soft Velcro balls in the air, symbolizing the movement of H+ or hydronium ions in acid-base reactions. As they throw the "H+" (represented by the Velcro balls), they shout "Acid," signifying the donation of H+ ions by acids. When their partner catches the ball on their Velcro hat, they shout "Base," symbolizing the acceptance of H+ ions by bases. The competitive nature of the game, where points are awarded for successful catches, adds excitement and intensity to the classroom. You can purchase the Head Butt game on Amazon (LINK). “Head Butt” has been a staple game in my AP Chemistry class for many years, but be forewarned - this game can get intense and loud! I play this game in the gym or give a friendly warning to neighboring classrooms!
Brønsted-Lowry Balloon Blast
This year, I wanted to recreate the magic of "Head Butt" while teaching Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases to my first-year chemistry students. With the end of the academic year approaching and the weather improving, I devised a water balloon toss game called “Brønsted-Lowry Balloon Blast” as an alternative (see image 1). The gameplay was simple yet impactful: students paired up, with each pair receiving a water balloon labeled "H+" to represent the proton.
Image 1: Students playing "Brønsted-Lowry Balloon Blast"
On the count of three, one student—the "acid"— throws a H+ water balloon to their partner while shouting "Acid!" The partner catches the balloon and yells "Base!" Then the balloon is thrown back to the original person. The thrower shouts “Conjugate Acid!” and the catcher yells, “Conjugate Base!”
If a pair successfully completes the toss, they take a large step back and try again. This cycle demonstrates the transfer of H+ ions between acids and bases, forming conjugate acids and bases. The game continues until only one pair is left with an unbroken water balloon.
When the game is complete, students were shown image 2 and asked to describe similarities between Brønsted-Lowry acid base behaviors and the Balloon Blast game. I also reinforce these concepts using the Acids and Bases POGIL activity in the Flinn POGIL Activities for High School Book (LINK).
Image 2: Brønsted-Lowry Game of Catch diagram created by Melissa Hemling
The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive. They found the “Brønsted-Lowry Balloon Blast” not only enjoyable but also incredibly insightful, providing them with a tangible experience that enhanced their understanding of acids, bases, conjugate acids, and conjugate bases. Assessment scores were 17% higher in classes that played this game compared to those that did not. By incorporating elements of play and physical engagement, we were able to demystify a challenging concept and make it more accessible to learners of all backgrounds and abilities.
See all of Melissa's Brain Break activities!
Refresh and Reinforce: Water Maze Challenge
Balancing Forces - A Magnetic Chess Brain Break
Beyond its academic benefits, the water balloon toss served as a valuable brain break. Research has shown that regular brain breaks can improve students' focus, engagement, and retention of information. By momentarily shifting their attention away from academic content and engaging in a fun, interactive activity, students can recharge their mental batteries and approach subsequent learning tasks with renewed energy and enthusiasm.
The success of activities like "Head Butt" and the “Brønsted-Lowry Balloon Blast” lies in their ability to engage students in learning. As we eagerly anticipate the upcoming BCCE Conference, let us continue to embrace innovative approaches to education, guided by the belief that learning should be engaging, inclusive, and above all, a “blast”!
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Comments 2
Revision and expansion
This post deals with an important and difficult concept in a fun way. Transfer is central not only to chemical reactions, but monetary transfer is the heart of business and accounting, and people/transport/goods transfer is the heart of logistics. As shown here, there is no simpler and more fun way to concretely illustrate the interconnectedness of conservation and movement.
I would humbly like to suggest an expansion of the activity in two ways: electron transfer (that is, redox) and a paper version to show weak acid/base reactions.
The electron transfer is the same activity, just with different colored balloons. My favorite for electrons is blue because of the color of the sodium/ammonia solution where the blue comes for solvated electrons. The “have balloon” is the reduced species and the “getting balloon” is the oxidized species. A simple one electron transfer like reacting Fe(II) with Ce(IV) would get the blue balloon moving.
Fe(III) with electron = Fe(II) Ce(IV) with electron = Ce(III)
Fe(III)/electron balloon throws to Ce(IV) resulting in Fe(III) and Ce(III)
As we know, chemistry is a language. The blessing and the curse of this language is that they keep using different terms to describe the same thing. This activity is positioned to turn the “confusion curse” into a “deeper understanding blessing” by seeing the same action, transfer, described with different terms.
The second expansion deals with weak acid base reactions, and I find this can be fun with just three pieces of paper. I write on pieces of paper 1)“H+”, 2) a weak base, perhaps ammonia, 3) another weak base, usually water. I simply use a sharpie and a pieces of paper, then tape one base to my shirt and have a student (class clown is the best for this) tape the other weak base to their shirt.
I explain that a weak acid/base reaction is a competition between two weak bases for a proton.
“I’m a base and you are an acid. {grab the paper proton} Now I’m an acid and you are a base.”
Explain it is a competition, and absent-mindedly wave the proton within reach of the other “base.” The affinity is too much and the student grabs the proton. You grab it back because it is a competition. Go back and forth, and then one of these times hold it really tight and dare the student to get it back. If done properly, the proton rips. Ooops! Just like the busted balloon. This gives you an opportunity to discuss that you really can’t break a proton (or electron).
Fun is what a real teacher can give a class that a virtual program cannot. Let computers do what computers do best, like grade common exams. Thanks to Melissa Hemling for bring this to our attention and I hope my addition transfers fun to the students as well.
Great Ideas!
Thanks for the comment Joseph! I really like your ideas to expand upon this activity. I will have to try them out next school year. Thanks for sharing!