Ionic Compounds Puzzle by MYP2
At the English International School of Bratislava, learning science is never just about books and white boards—it’s about discovery, excitement, and creative learning. Last week, our MYP 2 Science class discovered the world of ionic compounds through a interactive chemistry puzzle game that not only triggered curiosity, but also made a challenging topic feel like an fun activity.
The focus? Learning how to write the chemical formulas of ionic compounds—including both monoatomic and polyatomic ions. But instead of simply memorizing rules, students were challenged to build compounds like pieces of a puzzle, following proper chemical rules of charge balancing and compound formation. It was learning by doing, and most importantly, learning by playing.
The credit for this brilliant and highly effective game goes to our Chemistry teacher, Ms. Maria Fomitsenko, who invented and constructed the entire puzzle game. Her creative approach transformed a traditionally abstract concept into a hands-on, collaborative experience that our students genuinely enjoyed. Thank you, Ms. Fomitsenko, for your inspiring innovation!
Students worked in groups, combining puzzle pieces representing various ions, ensuring that positive and negative charges balanced correctly to form valid ionic compounds.
And now… the results!
Winners of the puzzle challenge were the enthusiastic and sharp-minded team of Daniil, Alica, and Stella—huge congratulations to them!
Zlata and Valentin also impressed us all, coming in second with a high score and showing excellent teamwork and understanding of the topic.
This activity beautifully embodied the MYP spirit—inquiry-based learning, collaboration, and real-world application of scientific concepts.
