We know that teaching the periodic table can be a daunting task! Whether you’re constantly on the search for innovative and memorable lessons to teach these elements to your older students or a newbie to the science teaching scene, we’re here to help. We’ve gathered 37 rigorous periodic table activities to get your students interested in studying this all-important scientific component. Read on to find fresh and effective activity ideas for your next lesson!
1. Get To Know The Chart
Getting to grips with the periodic table can certainly be an intimidating undertaking- especially when it comes to lesser-known elements. Here, we suggest using an illustrated periodic table that will give your students an idea of what the everyday uses for each of the elements are.
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2. Get Coloring
These periodic table coloring pages are fantastic resources! They showcase the element’s name, atomic number, symbol, and some fun pictures that tap into the general uses of the element. Your pupils will relish in learning the elements by taking their time to color in the pages and then have a few useful resources to later refer to.
Learn More: Teresa Bondora
3. Build A Table Of Elements
One of the key characteristics of the periodic table is how all of the elements are grouped together. Using egg cartons to differentiate between the categories of the table is a great way to get your learners to visualize how it’s all divided. Your kids will get to paint the cartons and create various element groups in this hands-on activity that’s sure to have a lasting impact.
Learn More: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
4. Sing A Song
Kids these days are obsessed with YouTube, so why not add a fun and educational video into your next periodic table-focused lesson? Best believe that they’ll be singing about, and thus revising, the elements long after they’ve left your class.
Learn More: YouTube
5. Build The Atomic Structure
The elements might seem complicated, but you can make it easier for your students by having them build little atom models to get a better understanding of their makeup! Simply teach them the structure of various elements by equipping them with pipe cleaners and pompoms to make the models. Wrap things up by having them then pair their models with printable cards to test their understanding.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
6. Create Element Cards
We love these versatile flashcards! Provide your learners with colored note cards or construction paper to cut out and create blocks for each of the elemental groups. Then, they’ll need to glue each elemental printable onto a piece of colored card. Finally, they’ll fill in the blanks with the characteristics and facts related to each. Their flashcards can then be used for a memory game or to revise the elements as part of their test prep!
Learn More: Homeschool Creations
7. Point And Click
Here’s the perfect homework activity! Your students will enjoy this interactive game which allows them to practice finding elements on the table and identify their names. We know that identifying the position of the elements can be tricky, but they’ll perfect their skills with this timed game in no time!
Learn More: Mrs. Nussbaum
8. Larger Than Life Table
You may need to have a class pizza party before you can do this activity! Here your class will construct a giant periodic table from recycled pizza boxes to display on the wall. They can add images from magazine cutouts or bring in everyday items that represent some of the elements to paste on the display for an even more involved experience.
Learn More: Miss Miklius
9. Show And Tell
This activity is a great way for your learners to get acquainted with some of the physical properties of the elements. Before class, request that they go on an at-home scavenger hunt to find samples of objects that contain different elements. Identifying the elements in things that are generally used in their day-to-day lives is a surefire way of getting them to memorize each of them!
Learn More: Pinay Homeschooler
10. Battleship
Periodic table battleship will certainly entertain your kiddos! This reinterpretation of a classic kid’s game will get them familiar with the table in no time. Your students don’t need to know the elements by heart to play the game, but they’ll inevitably practice the names and become more familiar with their positions on the table as they engage in a round.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
11. Bingo
Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned game of bingo? Download a premade set of cards or create your own sets with various online bingo tools. Through play, your pupils will learn the various abbreviations and come to a basic understanding of all the elements.
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12. Element Heroes
This activity is perfect if you want to tap into your students’ creative sides. Let them design a superhero character or villain based on the various characteristics and physical properties of the elements. Oxygen is the hero we all love, and Uranium is the villain we fear. Your students will get to know more about the common properties and will surely remember the elements better when they can think of their characters!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
13. Puzzle Time
These interlocking periodic table puzzle sets will keep your pupils occupied for quite some. Get them to piece together the puzzle in an attempt to familiarize themselves with the placement and order of the elements.
Learn More: Amazon
14. Pixel Art
The squares of a periodic table lend themselves to all kinds of fun interpretations! This game combines a crossword puzzle and pixel art which will let your students create a cool picture by answering cryptic questions. They’ll also be able to produce their own chemistry art once they’re more familiar with the elemental clues.
Learn More: Teaching Above The Test
15. Atomic People
Dmitri Mendeleev organized the periodic table according to atomic mass, but this concept might seem very foreign to your younger students. This activity uses cute cartoon atomic people to arrange the table according to their weight. Your kiddos can use the blank templates on the student activity sheet to draw their own people and solidify their understanding of the table’s organization and much more!
Learn More: Sunrise Science
16. Escape Room
Prompt your students to solve a series of chemistry-based puzzles to make their way out of an evil Professor’s lab! You can make your own puzzles or buy them already made for a lower-prep option. Employ this activity at the end of one of your element-focused classes as a check for understanding.
Learn More: Kesler Science
17. Classroom Décor
Having the periodic table on display is the best way to help your learners get to know the elements in detail as they’ll constantly be encountering them. Make the table extra big for maximum effect by attaching the elements to adhesive vinyl and sticking it onto the tiles of your classroom ceiling! Just make sure to cover it up before a test!
Learn More: Make Zine
18. Collaborative Periodic Tables
In this collaborative period table display, your students will communicate their learning of the elements through drawings and words. Have them begin by researching their assigned elements and using print or digital sources to depict their characteristics. Once complete, they’ll work together to separate the elements into their colored categories and hang them up as a large wall display!
Learn More: Instructables
19. Social Media Posts
If there’s one thing kids know well, it’s social media! So, why not have them make the most of that knowledge by giving them this fun extension activity? Have them combine their knowledge of any social media platform with the periodic table by creating social media profiles for the elements. It’s a quirky twist on scientific learning that we guarantee they’ll love!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
20. Word Association
Some elements have very complicated names which can be hard to memorize. With this in mind, we’ve chosen this activity to help them create mnemonic devices! By coming up with word associations for the elements, they can break down the names for easy memorization.
Learn More: Learning Hypothesis
21. Periodic Table Box
This can be an ongoing project that your students can work on throughout the term. Get them to collect items that represent the elements and add them to a segmented box. Once their box is full, they can present it to the class and teach their classmates about what they’ve found.
Learn More: Homeschooling Ideas
22. Edible Periodic Table
This project is not only fun and educational, but it’s tasty too! Your whole class can work together to bake square cookies or cakes. Once complete, everyone can help decorate them by adding the appropriate color frosting, writing the elemental name, and arranging them in order of the periodic table. The best part comes at the end when everyone will get to dig into this massive, mouth-watering creation!
Learn More: Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
23. Element Symbol Word Games
Who doesn’t love a wordplay challenge? These element symbol word games encourage your students to concoct new words using the symbols; combining their knowledge and creativity. Like a game of Scrabble, they’ll use the digital elemental tiles to construct as many familiar words as they can!
Learn More: Elementals.fun
24. Radioactive Decay Demonstrations
Elements of the periodic table can take on stable or unstable forms and decay into other elements. Dive into this hands-on science activity by leading your learners through a vivid demonstration of radioactive decay; exploring isotopes and various forms. This activity will allow them to transform abstract concepts into a real-life understanding.
Learn More: YouTube
25. Build An Atom
Here’s an interactive computer game where your students will practice building atoms! They can drag and drop protons, neutrons, and electrons and add the mass number and net charge. This is an awesome way for them to represent the chemical makeup of an element in an attempt to become more familiar with it.
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26. Periodic Table Scavenger Hunt
Send your students on an exhilarating scavenger hunt adventure! You’ll need to print out the visual elemental board for them to find each item as well as the recording sheet to provide them with a space to describe how the element is used and where it’s found.
Learn More: Scavenger Hunt Ideas
27. Virtual Reality Element Exploration
We find this video helpful to guide your students into the world of atoms; allowing them to navigate them in 3D. With descriptive information and dynamic graphics, your students will gain a deeper understanding of chemistry and the makeup of elements!
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28. Periodic Table Jeopardy
We find that a game of Jeopardy can reveal how much your students have learned about a certain topic. In Periodic Table Jeopardy, they’ll test their knowledge in teams. With questions covering atomic numbers, symbols, and element groups, they’ll enjoy a competitive game that reinforces prior learning.
Learn More: JeopardyLabs
29. Elemental Skits
Lights, camera, elements! Encourage your students to bring the history and uses of elements to life on stage. Simply give them time to prepare a science skit with their classmates to showcase their knowledge of the periodic table.
Learn More: YouTube
30. Recreate Famous Experiments
Travel back in time with your students! Guide them in recreating iconic experiments, such as the discovery of oxygen. You’ll engage them in a hands-on journey through the archives of science to connect them with the historical significance of the elements and broaden their knowledge base that much more.
Learn More: Julian Trubin
31. Elements Matching Game
Who doesn’t love a fun challenge? Mix learning with fun through the elements matching game. On this digital platform, your pupils will match element names with symbols or atomic numbers; enjoying a joyful challenge that sharpens both memory and mastery.
Learn More: JLab
32. Element Comic Strip
Unleash creativity in your classroom! To do so, invite your students to create comic strips starring elemental characters and weaving plots around their properties and uses. They’ll be captivated by this imaginative exercise that turns learning into storytelling; bringing the elements to life in new ways.
Learn More: University of Kentucky
33. Assembly of Elements
This crafty periodic table project will take a few days for your students to complete! They’ll start by cutting out small cardboard squares, coloring them inappropriately, and writing the elements’ symbols. Then, they’ll need to press chopsticks into a cardboard base which will help them organize and divide their periodic table into sections. With a hot glue gun, they’ll secure the elements in their corresponding order until their giant periodic table comes to life!
Learn More: YouTube
34. Periodic Table Debate
Ignite a battle of wits in your classroom! Encourage your students to argue the importance and uses of different elements. Stimulate them by engaging everyone in a passionate debate as you assign an element to each learner. They must begin with an opening statement before leading into a more detailed presentation, and ending off with a closing statement; all of which should revolve around why their assigned element is better than the others. Have them prepare a rebuttal so that they can argue their point more effectively with their peers.
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35. DIY Periodic Table Videos
Turn your classroom into a film studio! In this lively activity, your students will become video creators; weaving stories around the periodic table. This exercise marries science with presentation skills, capturing your students’ understanding on camera.
Learn More: Miss Tech Queen
36. Element Infographics
Guide your learners in designing infographics about the elements- turning scientific details into beautiful visuals. Once complete, inspire them to place their posters around the classroom or school to spread knowledge of the periodic table of elements!
Learn More: Royal Society of Chemistry
37. Periodic Table Quiz Show
In this activity, you’ll transform your classroom into a lively game arena; quizzing your students on symbols, atomic numbers, and properties. Entertain them by employing this exciting twist on traditional learning that’s sure to make this a fun learning day!
Learn More: Wordwall
Final Thoughts
Students are never too young to learn about the periodic table. Get young minds interested at an early age with these fun activities or keep older kids interested by making science more relatable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should students memorize the periodic table?
Students are never too young to learn about the periodic table. Get young minds interested at an early age with these fun activities or keep older kids interested by making science more relatable.
At what age do you learn the periodic table?
Chemistry concepts might seem too complicated for young students to understand, but there are plenty of periodic table activities that can get learners interested in the subject and help them gain a basic understanding of chemistry.
They can start off by learning differences between elements or element abbreviations in preparation for more complex chemistry topics later on.
How do you teach the periodic table to students?
The periodic table is a complex concept but breaking it down into smaller, more palatable sections is the best way to ensure a firm understanding of the table. Element symbols are one of the first things students can learn.
Understanding the properties of elements can easily be taught too as students can sing songs, make diagrams, and build models.
Element game cards or an element identification game are easy ways to turn the periodic table into an interactive game to help students identify all the elements.
Internet activities are also an important resource as students can learn more about elements on their own time too.
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