Summary

In this activity, students will answer questions while watching a video about how the periodic table was developed and learn about those who contributed to it.

Grade Level

Elementary, Middle, and High School

Objectives

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

• Understand that the organization of the periodic table evolved over time.
• Compare and contrast between multiple versions of the periodic table.
• Explain how the modern version of the periodic table is organized.
• Describe both Mendeleev’s and Moseley’s important contributions to the periodic table.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of

• Periodic table
• Physical properties
• Chemical properties
• Atomic Structure
• Subatomic particles
• Atomic mass
• History of Chemistry

Time

Teacher Preparation: minimal

Lesson: 10 minutes

Materials

• History of the Periodic Table video
• Student Handout
• Projector with Volume
• AACT Student Pass (optional)

Safety

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

Teacher Notes

• The History of the Periodic Table video was developed as a part of the AACT original video series, Founders of Chemistry. The entire series can be found here.
• The running time of this video is seven minutes and forty seconds.
• This video is intended for students to watch, and for teachers to integrate into their curriculum.
• The student questions/answers are presented in sequential order in the video.
• An answer key has also been provided for teacher reference.
• Videos can be shown with the use of a classroom projector, or teachers can generate a Student Pass through their AACT membership to allow students to independently access the video.