Periodic Table Activity Worksheet

Atoms and the Periodic Table is the lesson that I enjoy teaching the best. This lesson is one of my favorites because I can see how much my students’ understanding is growing and how they are changing in front of my eyes. Most of my students begin this lesson believing that the Periodic Table is some sort of super sophisticated graphic for brainiacs and mad scientists, or they just think it’s a complete bore, with the exception of the occasional chemistry-obsessed student.

But after a few weeks of study, kids are able to move among the families of elements on the table, deduce an element’s atomic structure from its location there, and determine the relationships between various atoms!

Regular People Problem

Because it has SO MANY patterns, the Periodic Table is a wonderful tool. These include things like the quantity of valence electrons, atomic radius, number of electron shells, reactivity, melting and boiling points, electron affinity, and more! This Periodic People activity is my absolute favorite way to kick off a lesson on atoms and the periodic table.

The sketches of these “strange characters” are arranged by student pairs in an effort to create a logical pattern. Following that, they try to identify the traits of a “missing suspect” in the case using their pattern. For more details on this activity, see My Favorite Way to Introduce the Periodic Table post!

Scavenger Hunt to Learn About the Elements

The students will be able to examine the table, discover which elements are present in which commonplace objects, and take note of specific properties such as which elements are found in the human body, which are found in the Earth’s crust, which are magnetic, which are radioactive, and more through this activity.

I print a worksheet for each kid in addition to a colorful class set of the table front/back (the back of the squares provide further information). The images allow the pupils to view the elements in a “fresher” perspective, which they find enjoyable. You may also use this assignment more like a webquest by instructing your students to simply visit the website where the table is located.

Laboratory for Metals, Non-metals, and Metalloids

Because students simply need to be able to make observations and have a general understanding of the Periodic Table, I like to use this Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids observation lab early in my students’ investigation of the elements and the Periodic Table. Students will classify pure element samples as metals, non-metals, or metalloids based on their observations of their physical and chemical characteristics. This excellent inquiry lab meets NGSS requirements.

For each group of three pupils, you will need to acquire element samples and some basic supplies. You can use any combination of these elements for the lab, even though I included aluminum, carbon, copper, magnesium, silicon, sulfur, antimony, calcium, and zinc in the answer key. The download comes with an editable file that you may use to modify any of the components.

A nail, a Chem plate or small test tubes, a test tube rack for each group, a hydrochloric acid solution, and a copper (II) chloride solution are additional materials you will need.

Cornell Doodle Notes about Atoms

Everything is made out of atoms! And the majority of students do not understand what an atom is. These Atoms Cornell Doodle Notes are an easy-to-understand and entertaining introduction to atoms, subatomic particles, fundamental atomic structure, and Periodic Table reading. These notes assist students comprehend the information on each element’s square of the Periodic Table by describing the fundamental structure and subatomic particles of an atom.

Either the hardcopy edition or the digital version can be finished by your pupils! Additionally, the presentation can be used for an entire class lecture, paired group projects, or self-paced work. Never before used Cornell Doodle Notes? More information about them can be found in the following posts!

Activity of Manipulating the Bohr Diagram

During this activity, you will definitely hear the Eurekas! in your classroom. In this Bohr Diagrams Atom Manipulatives Activity, students will construct the Periodic Table, and they will be able to recognize the patterns without your assistance. Simple illustrations of the atoms from elements #1 through 20 on the Periodic Table are used in this project. Once your students comprehend that an atom’s protons can be used to determine its “identity” and that protons and electrons are equal in neutral atoms, you should use this activity with them.

The Periodic Table (#1-20) will be constructed by the students using the schematics and element names that correlate to each diagram. The cards listing the number of valence electrons and the number of shells/energy levels for each element are then added to that. The pupils can view the patterns of electron shells and quantities of valence electrons after building their own Periodic Table of Atoms.

Because they suddenly “get” the connection between the Periodic People Activity (#1 above) and the fundamental patterns in the actual Periodic Table, I love watching my students complete this activity! The students really remember this activity, so I can build on it in the future.

Graphic Organizer for Periodic Personalities

For my pupils to comprehend the qualities of the elements based on where they are positioned on the Periodic Table, I’ve found that giving the element families “personality” is a terrific technique. If your students can recall, for instance, that the Alkali and Alkaline Earth metals are the “hippies,” they will also recall that these atoms give away their valence electrons. Peace and love, dude! They will remember that these atoms steal valence electrons from other atoms if they can recall that the Halogens are the greedy ones.

For this Periodic Personalities Graphic Organizer, I came up with 8 different “personalities” to help pupils better understand the distinctions between the elements. Included are the groupings of Alkali Metals, Alkaline Earth Metals, Transition Metals, Lanthanides, Actinides, Poor Metals, Metalloids, Halogens, and Noble Gases. My kids constantly return back to this image during our lesson on chemical bonds and reactions, so the “personalities” stick.

Image Of Periodic Table Activity Worksheet

Free Download Periodic Table Activity Worksheet

Free Download Periodic Table Activity Worksheet: Click Here

Project to Create Your Own Periodic Table

I tried to think of a way to make the Periodic Table student-centered when I first started teaching it in order to try to reach as many of my students as possible. This project, “Design Your Own Periodic Table,” was created and has quickly gained popularity. With each project, my kids’ inventiveness never ceases to astound me, and I always learn so much about each one of them. Additionally, this idea is beautiful enough for bulletin boards in hallways!

Students select a theme that has at least 20 “items” that can be arranged in two different ways into a periodic pattern. They are able to compile the items into a Periodic Table. As an illustration, I asked one of my students to make a Periodic Table of Musical Instruments. According to his table, each family represents a distinct kind of instrument (woodwinds, horns, strings, and percussion), and the periodicity is determined by the instrument’s range, with the widest range occurring at the top of the family and the smallest at the bottom.

Periodic Tables have been made by my students for a variety of topics! The topics cover anything from Friends characters to different cereal varieties, sneakers to surfboards, and Boy Scout excursions to destinations they’d like to visit!

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