Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Organic Compounds
Background
Matter is classified as organic or inorganic based upon its chemical composition. All living systems
are composed of organic compounds that contain carbon combined with hydrogen and various
other elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Many organic compounds are
large and complex. All organic compounds come from living or once living matter. If all living matter
contains carbon, then all organic molecules must contain carbon. The prefix “in” means “not”;
therefore, inorganic means not organic. Inorganic compounds do not come from living or once
living matter and usually do not contain carbon.
You may see the word organic used in grocery stores to describe foods such as vegetables, fruits,
dairy, etc. This use of the word organic means farming without pesticides. In chemistry, organic
compounds have nothing to do with organic farming. In this way, all produce is organic because it
comes from living or once living matter.
Before proceeding to the activity, answer the Background questions in your Student Journal.
Part I: What Makes It Organic?
All living systems are composed of organic compounds. This means that organic compounds are
only found in matter that was living or once living. Inorganic compounds would include matter that
was never living.
Procedure:
1.  In your Student Journal, look at the list of items.
2.  Identify the items as either organic or inorganic. Place a check mark in the appropriate box.
Remember that the item must be living or once living in order to be organic.
3.  Answer the questions that follow in Part I of your Student Journal.
Complete Part I in your Student Journal, then proceed to Part II.
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Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Part II: Where is the Carbon?
Look at the Periodic Table and find carbon. The element carbon is a non-metal. Carbon’s symbol is
C. In addition to be found in living or once living matter, all organic compounds must contain
carbon. Elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur can also be found
in organic compounds.
Procedure:
1.  Do a card sort to help answer the question, “What makes it organic?” From the bag, remove
the set of Organic/Inorganic Cards. Find the two cards reading “Organic” and “Inorganic.”
These are your two column headers.
2.  For the remaining cards, identify the items as organic or inorganic.
3.  Place each card under its correct column.
4.  Check your answers with your teacher.
5.  Copy the information from each card into the correct column in the table in your Student
Journal.
6.  Keep your cards in their columns for Part III.
7.  Answer the remaining question in Part II of your Student Journal.
Complete Part III in your Student Journal, then proceed to Part IV.
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Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Part III: Carbon and Beyond
Organic compounds always contain carbon from living or once living sources, but they often
contain other elements.
Procedure:
1.  Look at the organic compounds cards.
2.  Determine the elements that are commonly found in organic compounds.
3.  On the blank Periodic Table, write the name and symbol of the elements commonly found in
organic compounds. Color Carbon blue and the other elements commonly found in organic
compounds yellow.
4.  Discuss with your teacher other common elements found in organic compounds and also color
those yellow.
5.  Answer the remaining questions in Part III in your Student Journal.
Part IV: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids (Fats)
What foods fill up your family’s grocery cart? Many of the foods may be meats, eggs, milk, fruits,
and vegetables. All of these foods come from plants or animals, which makes them organic. All of
these foods contain carbon from living or once living matter. Foods that we eat are separated into
three categories – carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.
Carbohydrates are found in food from plants. Plants produce glucose, a carbohydrate, during
photosynthesis. Examples of carbohydrates would be vegetables, fruits, pasta, bread, and potato
chips. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Proteins are often found in foods that we get from animals, like chicken, eggs, dairy, and beef.
Proteins are made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen and may contain sulfur and
phosphorus.
Lipids are fats and oils. Examples of lipids are butter, cooking oils, and fats on meat. Lipids are
made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and may contain nitrogen, phosphorus and other
elements.
Complete Part IV in your Student Journal then continue on to Part V, “Got Organic?” Game.
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Organic Compounds
Matter and Energy
Part V: “Got Organic?” Game
Procedure:
1.  To further explore the question, “What are organic compounds?” you are going to play the “Got
Organic?” Game.
2.  Your teacher will hand out the “Got Organic?”game board, game cards, and six-sided die. Find
one small object to use as your game player piece or use the colored cut out squares. It should
be small and flat enough to sit in a single board space. Sort the question cards by color and
place them facedown on the corresponding color space on the game board.
3.  Determine the order of play by having each player roll the die. The player who rolls the highest
number goes first.
4.  Player #1 rolls the die and moves their game piece the appropriate number of spaces. Player
#1 may land on a space that directs losing a turn or moving back a number of spaces. In that
case, Player #1 follows the instructions on the space and the turn ends. If Player #1 is on a
colored space, an opponent picks up the top card from the corresponding color pile and reads
the game card question to Player #1. With a correct answer, Player #1 remains on the space
and the turn ends. With an incorrect answer, player #1 returns to the original position before the
die roll, and the turn ends. Return the question card, facedown, to the bottom of the card’s color
pile. Play passes to the next person.
5.  Play the game. The first player to reach the end wins!
Play the game, and complete the Reflections and Conclusions section in your Student Journal.
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