Snooping for Elusive Elements

Objectives:

Students will be able to describe the structure and organization of the periodic table.

Students will be able to identify elements based on their properties.

Materials:

• Building Blocks of Chemistry series, specifically Chemical Elements

• Periodic Table (1 per student)

• Colored pencils or crayons (10 colors per student)

• Pencils

• Snooping For Elusive Elements Worksheet (1 per student)

• Snooping For Elusive Elements Worksheet Answer Key

Procedures:

1. Pass out copies of the periodic table and use the example on page 16 and 17 of the Building Blocks of Chemistry: Chemical Elements text to review each of the symbols found on the periodic table and what they represent.

   a. Atomic Number – the number of protons in the nucleus (center) of an atom of a chemical element. The atomic number is used in describing an element. All atoms of the same chemical element have the same number of protons.

   b. Group number – represents elements with the same properties and form compounds in similar ways, organized into columns

   c. Element symbol – usually one or two letters used to represent a specific element; many symbols are the first letter or two of the element’s name

   d. Period number – represents the number of electron shells in a given element; elements in the same row belong to the same period and have the same period number

   e. Atomic mass – the amount of matter in an atom; the more protons and neutrons, the greater the atomic mass

   f. Class – represents elements with similar physical and chemical properties, often organized and represented by color

2. Explain that students will have a choice of working independently or with a self-selected peer to color-code their periodic table to show the different classes of elements. Students should create a key to stay organized. Classes to include:

   a.Alkali metals – all the elements of group 1 except hydrogen: lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium

   b.Alkaline earth metals – all the elements of group 2: beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium

   c. Transition metals – almost all the metals from groups 3 through 12

   d. Lanthanide metals – located in the first row at the bottom of the periodic table

   e. Actinide metals – located in the second row at the bottom of the periodic table

   f. Other metals – located to the right of the transition metals: aluminum, gallium, indium, tin, thallium, lead, bismuth, nihonium, flerovium, muscovium, and livermorium

   g. Metalloids – has properties of both metals and nonmetals: boron, silicon, germanium, arsenic, antimony, terrarium, and polonium

   h. Nonmetals – hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and selenium

   i. Noble gases – make up group 18: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson

   j. Halogens – make up group 17: fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, astatine, and tennessine

3. Next, provide time for students to complete the Snooping for Elusive Elements Worksheet. They will need to use what they know about the structure and organization of the periodic table to complete this assignment.
4. Finally, bring students back to the whole group setting to discuss the structure and organization of the periodic table as well as any elements that stood out to students.
5. Consider allowing students to keep their color-coded copy of the periodic table for the remainder of your study.