Help learners determine the actual and theoretical yield of ammonium sulfate using Johnstone’s triangle to scaffold learning
With this resource, learners differentiate between and calculate the actual and theoretical yield of ammonium sulfate using Johnstone’s triangle to build a deeper understanding of the topic.
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Use this student worksheet to introduce calculating the actual and theoretical yield of the fertiliser ammonium sulfate at three different conceptual levels.
View and download more Johnstone's triangle worksheets
Learning objectives
- Determine actual yield of ammonium sulfate.
- Identify the formula of reactants and products.
- Calculate the theoretical yield of ammonium sulfate.
How to use Johnstone’s triangle
Use Johnstone’s triangle to develop learners’ thinking about scientific concepts at three different conceptual levels:
- Macroscopic: what we can see. Think about the properties that we can observe, measure and record.
- Sub-microscopic: smaller than we can see. Think about the particle or atomic level.
- Symbolic representations: Think about how we represent chemical ideas including symbols and diagrams.
For learners to gain a deeper awareness of a topic, they need to understand it at all three levels.
When introducing a topic, don’t introduce all three levels of thinking at once. This will overload working memory. Instead complete the triangle over a series of lessons, beginning with the symbolic level, ideally followed by the macroscopic and then sub-microscopic levels.
All of the levels are interrelated, for example, learners need visual representation of the sub-microscopic in order to develop mental models of the particle or atomic level.
Further reading
Read more about how to use Johnstone’s triangle in your teaching with these articles:
- Develop deeper understanding with models
- Improve students’ understanding with Johnstone’s triangle
- Practical ideas for using Johnstone’s triangle
Norman Reid’s book The Johnstone triangle: the key to understanding chemistry provides a more in-depth overview, the first chapter is available to read online.
Scaffolding
Share the structure of the triangle with learners prior to use. Tell them why you are using it and how it will help them to develop their understanding. Use an ‘I try, we try, you try’ approach when introducing Johnstone’s triangle for the first time.
More resources
To further develop learners’ thinking in all areas of Johnstone’s triangle, try our Developing understanding of yield worksheet. This includes icons in the margin referring to the conceptual level of thinking needed to answer the question.
Downloads
Fertiliser yield Johnstone's triangle student worksheet
Handout | PDF, Size 0.25 mbFertiliser yield Johnstone's triangle teacher notes
Handout | PDF, Size 0.27 mbFertiliser yield Johnstone's triangle student worksheet
Editable handout | Word, Size 0.56 mbFertiliser yield Johnstone's triangle teacher notes
Editable handout | Word, Size 0.56 mb
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