Compounds and Mixtures: Compare Substances

This Storyboard That activity is part of the lesson plans for Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures


Elements, Compounds and Mixtures


Copy Activity*


Activity Overview

It's important for students to understand the differences between elements, compounds, and mixtures, and provide examples of where they appear in real life. This allows students to better distinguish models and the things that make up everything around us! In this activity, students will create a model to represent an element, a compound, and a mixture and then provide examples of each using an image from Photos for Class or creating an illustration.


Copy Activity*


Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)


Student Instructions

Compare the different makeups of elements, compounds, and mixtures in a storyboard by creating a particle diagram. Find two examples of each.

  1. Click "Start Assignment".
  2. Label the first column as Particle Diagram, the second as Example 1, and the third as Example 2.
  3. Label the rows as Element, Compound and Mixture.
  4. Use the ball-and-stick item under Science > Symbols to create a particle diagram for each substance type in the first column.
  5. Write a description of each underneath.
  6. Find examples for each substance type and write the names in the description boxes under the cells for the Example 1 and Example 2 columns.
  7. Use the search bar to use Photos for Class to find images of the examples.

3x3 Chart Template with Description

Copy Activity*



More Storyboard That Activities

Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures










Copy Activity*



Image Attributions
  • oxygen • rick • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
  • Rings • Elsie esq. • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
  • Rust • AMagill • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
  • Sea • rrrtem • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
  • skies • Martin_Duggan • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
  • water drops • technicolor76 • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)