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ACTIVITY in Physical Properties, Elements, Periodic Table, Chemistry Basics, Puzzles and Games. Last updated August 21, 2026.

Summary

In this activity, students apply their knowledge using a periodic table to solve clues and identify elements based on their properties and everyday uses. After correctly identifying each element, students will use their answers to reveal a secret message.

Grade Level

High School

Objectives

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

  • Recognize the names of elements and identify some of their uses.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of:

  • Elements
  • Periodic Table
  • Physical Properties

Time

Teacher Preparation: 5 minutes (to make copies)

Lesson: 15-30 minutes

Materials

  • Periodic Table
  • Student Handout

Safety

  • No specific safety precautions need to be observed for this activity.

Teacher Notes

  • This is a simple review activity, designed to follow lessons where students learn about some basic properties and uses of elements.
  • This activity uses the American spelling of elements. (Note that some periodic tables use British spellings.)
  • It is recommended that each student has their own copy of the periodic table while working through the activity.
  • As students may struggle to identify specific elements, the number of spaces given for the letters of the element’s name can help them to narrow the choices.
  • An Answer Key is provided for teacher reference.
  • If your students enjoy this activity, they may like a similar activity, Which Element Am I, that focuses on identifying elements based on their properties in combination with clues from the periodic table.

For the Student

Instructions

Use the clues below and your periodic table to identify the name of the element described in each clue. Write each element name in the corresponding set of blanks on the next page. Then use the first letter of each element to discover a message about birthstones!

  1. Shiny metal used in jewelry and previously used in coins. Best conductor of electricity but not used in household wiring.
  2. Lightweight metal that doesn’t rust. One of two major components of the compound that creates the gem from the hidden message.
  3. A nonmetal that is a major component in fertilizer compounds. One form of the element faintly glows in the dark as it slowly reacts with oxygen.
  4. Very soft metal commonly stored in oil. Explodes when placed in water.
  5. Element with the lightest atoms in the universe. Can be found in water and used as fuel.
  6. Main component of steel. Tiny amounts of impurities that include ions of this element and of #15 cause the gem from the hidden message to look blue.
  7. Metal that can be seen to glow faintly in the dark, due to radioactivity. This was once used to paint glow-in-the-dark numbers on watches.
  8. A Rare Earth Metal used in TV screens. As an anti-counterfeiting measure in the ink of a euro banknote, this element glows red under ultraviolet light.
  9. A gaseous element. Its ions are found in toothpaste.
  10. Makes up about 21% of air. One of two major components of the compound that creates the gem from the hidden message.
  11. A naturally occurring, but scarce metal with a very high density and very high melting point. Used in alloys to make jet engines.
  12. A soft, yellow nonmetal element. Smells like rotten eggs when in a compound.
  13. A synthetic, radioactive element. Named after a famous scientist, this element was first discovered in the fall-out debris of the first thermonuclear explosion.
  14. Expensive metal that is very resistant to corrosion. Used in jewelry and in catalytic converters.
  15. Strong, lightweight metal. Tiny amounts of impurities that include ions of this element and of #6 cause the gem from the hidden message to look blue.
  16. A Rare Earth Metal that is one of four elements named for the same Swedish village. Its oxide compound is used in specialized eyewear to help protect workers from infrared light.
  17. A hard and brittle transition metal often used to strengthen steel. It is also a biological essential element in all known living organisms.
  18. A metalloid used in heat-resistant glass. It is an essential mineral for plants and has many uses in cleaners and preservatives.
  19. A repeat of #8
  20. A synthetic element, of which only a few atoms have ever been made. Named after the scientist who discovered the atomic nucleus.

Write the name of each element identified from the clues in the spaces below.

Solve the Birthstone Message

Using the 20 answers recorded above, write first letter of each element below, in order starting with question 1 through 20, to find the birthstone message!