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.