Mole Lab Challenge — description & class activity
What it is
A self-contained browser game built around the AQA GCSE Chemistry moles topic. Students play as Dr. Molly, a lab-coated mole who reacts expressively to every answer. Each session runs 10 shuffled multiple-choice questions with instant feedback, a full worked solution after every answer, and a streak counter to keep momentum going. Three adaptation levels mean every student in the room is working at the right level of challenge simultaneously.
Content covered
The Supported level focuses purely on n = m ÷ Mᵣ and m = n × Mᵣ with Mᵣ values given, a formula triangle always on screen, and hints available. The Guided level requires students to calculate Mᵣ from atomic masses before applying the formula — two-step problems, still with the triangle. The Independent level introduces concentration (mol/dm³), gas volumes at RTP (n = V ÷ 24), Avogadro’s number, and multi-step problems, with no scaffold.
Accessibility built in
The SEND Adaptations panel (bottom strip, always visible) covers Irlen overlays in seven colours, a mouse-following reading ruler, dyslexia-friendly letter and word spacing, large text, reduce motion, projector/classroom mode, and CVD filters for deuteranopia, protanopia, and tritanopia. These can be toggled mid-session without restarting.
Suggested class activity: Mole Lab Relay
Level: GCSE Year 10–11 · Topic: Moles (AQA Chemistry, Chapter 3) · Duration: 25–35 minutes · Group size: 3–4 students per device
Setup (5 min)
Each group opens the game on a shared device — laptop, tablet, or interactive whiteboard. Before starting, each student picks a role:
- The Calculator — works out the answer on paper or mini-whiteboard
- The Checker — verifies the working before anyone clicks
- The Clicker — the only person allowed to select an answer
- The Scribe (4-person groups) — copies the worked solution into the group’s notes
All groups start on the same level. You can run the whole class on Supported first and promote groups to Guided or Independent mid-session once they hit 7/10.
The relay (20–25 min)
Groups play through one full set of 10 questions. The rule is that the Clicker cannot select an answer until the Calculator has shown their working on paper or a mini-whiteboard. The Checker signs off. Only then does the Clicker tap. This forces the group to slow down and engage with the maths rather than guessing from options.
After each question, the Scribe writes the worked solution into the group’s exercise book or a shared Google Doc — even when the group got it right, since seeing the structured layout reinforces the method.
Rotate roles after every 5 questions so everyone gets a turn at each job.
Debrief (5–10 min)
Bring the class back together. Ask:
- Which question caused most disagreement in your group — and why?
- What’s the one step people keep forgetting? (usually: converting cm³ to dm³, or counting oxygen atoms in a formula)
- If you got the Avogadro question wrong, what did you try first?
Put one or two of the trickiest questions on the board and cold-call a group to walk through their working. The game’s worked solutions give you a clean model answer to compare against.
Adaptation note
Because the three levels run identically in the browser, you can quietly direct different groups to different levels without drawing attention to it — consistent with ClassAdapt’s adaptation-not-differentiation principle. Students on Independent who finish early can screenshot their results screen and write a reflection on which question type they find hardest, giving you formative assessment data.
What to collect
Ask students to photograph or copy out their five most interesting worked solutions before the end of the lesson. These become a personalised revision card set they already half-understand because they lived through the questions.