Periodic Table of Elements

Do you remember your high school chemistry class where you were expected to memorize all of the elements on the Periodic Table?? I sure do, and did not enjoy it one bit.....I left high school disliking chemistry and anything that had the word "element" in it! As the years went on and I became responsibIe for teaching my children and other people's children (I have taught elem. ed and preschool), I decided to take on the PTOE. I was going to overcome my fear of this table gosh darn it! And I did...in a big way...now loving and recognizing the connections that the elements have in our daily lives! I heard through the grapevine (Robin and Lori) that I needed to share this love of the PTOE and post how I do it. Really, it is so easy and I have become a big believer that the PTOE can be easy to teach children at any age, including those preschoolers.... I know this because I have done it!

My girls are 7&5. Here, they are hard at work loving the PTOE and solving riddles!

A great place to start is with a really good book (The Periodic Table- Elements with Style by Basher and Adrian Dingle)........

A good Periodic Table of Elements.....

And some eager knowledge seekers......

A PTOE Scavenger Hunt

I like to introduce the PTOE with a scavenger hunt. Look at the PTOE and find the elements that are right there in your home, ie....potassium (banana), iron (breakfst cereal), lead (pencil), gold, nickel, tin, calcium, sodium (salt and dishwashing detergent) etc..... You may find yourself very surprised by how easy, many of the elements can be found in your home! Collect as many items as you can and place them in a basket.



Solving PTOE Riddles.....another great way to introduce the PTOE!

Challenge yourself and your children to some of these riddles....(btw, the pictures are from the book just mentioned, the riddles were written by me. The book does not come with the riddles).

1. You use me to write on your papers. What am I? (Carbon C- graphite)

2. In the Olympics, I am the metal you want to win 1st. What am I? (Gold Au)

3. I am in your kitchen pantry, waiting to wrap up some leftovers. What am I? (Aluminum Al)

4. I am found in jewlery, but am not as expensive as other metals. What am I? (Silver Ag)

(Here's a picture of the expensive stuff).

5. There are two of me in one water molecule. What am I? (Hydrogen H)

6. Kids love me! I am often used to expand small objects and make them float. What am I? (Helium He)

7. When I am combined with 2 oxygen atoms, plants use me to engage in photosynthesis. What am I? (Carbon C)

8. I am a very important metal that makes your bones grow healthy and strong; you find me in dairy products. What am I? (Calcium Ca)

9. You take me when you have a belly ache. I can speed up your body processes and make you RUN to the bathroom. What am I? (Magnesium Mg)

10. You pump me to build your muscles; I am also found in your breakfast cereal. What am I? (Iron Fe)

11. I am bigger than a dime, but worth less. What am I? (Nickel Ni)

12. You put me in your swimming pool to keep it clean. What am I? (Chlorine Cl)

13. Without me, you'd die because you wouldn't be able to breath! What am I? (Oxygen O)


14. When you mix me with hydrogen, I produce a vile stink....rotten eggs and skunky odors. What am I? (Sulfur S)



15. I am found in bananas and pumpkins. What am I? (Potassium K)

16. I protect people from the sun's strong rays and prevent sunburn when you apply me to your skin. What am I? (Zinc Zn)



Each week I will focus on a different element, with an activity, and post it here on 5 Orange Potatoes. There are plenty of cool activities that can be done when focusing on the PTOE that make learning about the elements a lot of fun. *If you want a copy of the riddles my girls were answering (the riddles in the post), send me an email and I will forward it to you. Also a great place to visit is The Periodic Table of Videos http://www.periodicvideos.com/. They have a great video, with experiments, for each element!