Topic: Periodic table of elements

Target group

Elementary school student (grades 7. and 8.)

Core curriculum

Elementary school. Chemistry.

II. Internal structure of matter. Pupil:
6) reads from the periodic table basic information about elements (symbol, name, atomic number, atomic mass, type of element - metal or non‑metal).

General aim of education

The student discusses the structure of the periodic table.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to interpret the law of periodicity;

• to describe the structure of the periodic table (indicate groups and periods);

• to determine the location of the element in the periodic table;

• to indicate metals and non‑metals in the periodic table;

• to read from the periodic table basic information about the element (atomic number, atomic mass, type of element).

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

1. The teacher hands out Methodology Guide or green, yellow and red sheets of paper to the students to be used during the work based on a traffic light technique. He presents the aims of the lesson in the student's language on a multimedia presentation and discusses the criteria of success (aims of the lesson and success criteria can be send to students via e‑mail or posted on Facebook, so that students will be able to manage their portfolio).

2. The teacher together with the students determines the topic – based on the previously presented lesson aims – and then writes it on the interactive whiteboard/blackboard. Students write the topic in the notebook.

3. Health and safety – before starting the experiments, students familiarise themselves with the safety data sheets of the substances that will be used during the lesson. The teacher points out the need to be careful when working with them.

Realization

1. Work in pairs. Students, using the Internet, a textbook or e‑textbook, are looking for information on the history of classification of elements. They answer the questions: „Who made attempts to classify elements?”, „What common features did the scientists notice?”, „Who formulated the law of periodicity?”. They write their answers in the form provided in the abstract. The indicated couples discuss their studies on the class forum.

2. Students read the fragment „How is the periodic table of elements built?” The teacher asks pupils to watch the film from the abstract „How the Periodic Table of the Elements works”. Then the lecturer explains to students how to read information from the periodic table based on any element, e.g. fluorine, considering its location in period, position in the group, group name, mass number, atomic number, number of nucleons, number of protons, number of neutrons, the number of electrons, the number of valence electrons, the number of electron shells, the chemical nature of the element, the chemical activity of the element.

3. The teacher indicates examples of elements, and eager students give them full information read from the periodic table.

4. Students carry out the interactive exercises checking the level of knowledge learned during the lesson. The teacher initiates a discussion during which the correct solutions for all the exercises performed by the students are discussed.

Summary

1. The teacher plays the recording of the abstract. Every now and then he stops it, asking the students to tell in their own words what they have just heard. In this way, students consolidate information learned during the lesson and practice listening comprehension.

2. The teacher asks the students questions:

   • What did you find important and interesting in class?

   • What was easy and what was difficult?

   • How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?

   Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.

Homework

1. Carry out task number nr 4.1.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Periodic table of elements

The nineteenth century was the time when scientists already knew several dozens of chemical elements. These were examined and described by them. Scientists at the time noticed that among the elements there are those that exhibit similar properties. They were looking for a key according to which they could organize and classify them.

Periodic table of elements is a table listing of all chemical elements ordered by increasing atomic number. The elements are grouped according to cyclically similar properties. Columns are called groups, and rows are called periods. Groups and periods are numbered.

All groups have been given names that come from the names of the elements at the beginning of the group. Elements belonging to the same group have similar properties. The exception is hydrogen. Although it is located in a group of alkali metals, because of its properties it does not belong to any of the groups.

What shapes can periodic table have?

Some scientists have developed periodic tables with different shapes. However, the method of presenting elements in the form of a table is the most commonly used. It has also been approved by The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, abbreviation IUPAC – organization dealing, inter alia, with the standardization of symbols, nomenclature and patterns used by chemists around the world.

The simplest version of the periodic table contains numbered symbols of chemical elements, group numbers and periods. However, there are also such versions that present other additional information (e.g. names of elements and their properties, structure of their atoms, size of atoms, etc.). Regardless of how much information about elements are contained in periodic table, the order of elements, the number of groups, the type of elements in the group and period are identical in each periodic table of elements.

• Periodic table of elements is a universal way of presentation of chemical elements.

• In the periodic table, the elements (their symbols) are placed sequentially in the table according to the growing atomic number.

• Vertical columns are called groups and horizontal rows – periods. All groups and periods are numbered.

• Elements belonging to one group have similar properties (except for hydrogen).