Building a Unit Plan
Using AACT Resources
Unit: The Periodic Table
Classroom Resources:
· Introduce the unit by having your students complete the Aliens Activity. In this activity, students organize alien cards into groups and periods following trends, similar to how the periodic table is put together. The teacher can remove two cards from each student’s deck, and after they organize the cards the students can predict (draw) the missing aliens.
· Visit the Multimedia section of our website and show your students a couple of videos about the Periodic Table. The first is History of the Periodic Table where author Sam Kean tells the story of the development of the periodic table. He also pays tribute to each of the major scientific contributors, including Dimitri Mendeleev, who made great discoveries through their efforts to best organize the elements. You can then play Dmitri Mendeleev which tells the story of Dmitri Mendeleev, who organized the periodic table, even leaving gaps to be filled in with elements that weren't yet discovered.
· Your students can learn the basics about the Periodic Table by completing one or more of the online explorations with Ptable.com Investigations. In this activity, students will use the online periodic table, ptable.com, to investigate a number of chemistry concepts. Students will use this online resource to explore information about the elements, including historical data, physical properties, periodic trends and more.
o Periodic Table Scavenger Hunt (answer key available)
o The Organization of the Periodic Table (answer key available)
· Use the Make a Periodic Table activity to get a quick assessment of their understanding of the organization of the Periodic Table. In this activity, students use imaginary elements to create a periodic table based on the known properties of those elements. The answer key is available.
· Introduce Periodic Trends with the Atomic Radius Exploration in the Ptable.com Investigations activity. The answer key is available.
· Use the Periodic Trends : Ionization Energy, Atomic Radius & Ionic Radius simulation and the accompanying Simulation: Periodic Trends activity to further explore this topic. In this simulation, students will investigate several periodic trends, including atomic radius, ionization energy and ionic radius. Through the use of this simulation students will have the opportunity to examine atomic data as well as visually compare and interact with select elements from the periodic table.The answer key is available.
· More advanced classes may also want to use the Periodic Trends: Electron Affinity, Atomic Radius, & Ionic Radius simulation and the accompanying activity sheet. In this simulation, students will focus their investigation on the electron affinity of an atom. Through the use of this simulation students will have the opportunity to examine the formation of an anion as well as compare the atomic radius of a neutral atom to the ionic radius of its anion. The answer key is available.
· The Mendeleev’s Periodic Table activity can be used to formally or informally access your student’s understanding of periodic trends. In this activity, students will use their knowledge of Periodic Trends and a set of Mendeleev’s Cards to analyze and identify unknown elements and organize them correctly in the Periodic Table.
· Finish the unit with the Metal, Nonmetal, or Metalloid? Lab. In this lab, students will classify several samples of elements as metals, nonmetals, or metalloid based on their physical and chemical properties.
· Use ChemMatters article The Many Looks of the Periodic Table (October 2008) as the basis for an extension activity or project at the end of the chapter. It can also be used, along with ideas from the Teacher’s Guide, as a way to enhance science literacy skills.