The Periodic Table:
Atomic Models and Periodic Squares
(A Gnomus Chemistry Activity)
By Nome Baker, Ph.D., Nicole
Ng, and Asya Grigorieva
© Gnomus, Inc. 2009
About this Gnomus Periodic
Table activity:
“ The
following slides (best viewed in
PowerPoint “Slide Show” format)
illustrate the interactive web-based
game that Gnomus @ IMSLI is
developing.
“ Students should not refer to the Periodic
Table during the game.
Next slide→
Summary of the
Periodic Square Activity:
“ There
are 4 different periodic table
game boards.
“ Each board has 4 missing periodic
squares (one from each of 4 families).
“ Each board shows the corresponding
atomic models for the missing squares.
“ Students will have 16 chances to match
one of 4 periodic squares to the atomic
model of a missing periodic square.
Next slide→
Review of the Periodic Squares
shown on the game boards:
← Element’s symbol
and name
Atomicmass
units (amu) →
Go to the Key to the Game Board’s
Atomic Models
[Click]→
←Atomic number
Key to the atomic models shown
on the game boards:
Go to “Find the missing
Periodic Square….” [Click]→
Game Board No. 1: Find the missing
Periodic Square in Family No. 1
Continue “Find the missing
Periodic Square….”
[Click] ↓
Find the missing Periodic Square in
Family No. 1
Click on the Periodic Square that matches this atomic model:
Was Cl the right element?
“ How
many total electrons are shown in
the model, below? Click to review the key→
“ How many protons?
“ How do you find element Cl’s atomic
number in the periodic square?
“ Cl has a different atomic number than
the missing element’s model.
Click to try again →
Was Ba the right element?
“ How
many total electrons are shown in
the model, below? Click to review the key→
“ How many protons?
“ How do you find element Ba’s atomic
number in the periodic square?
“ Ba has a different atomic number than
the missing element’s model.
Click to try again →
Was Ar the right element?
“ How
many total electrons are shown in
the model, below? Click to review the key→
“ How many protons?
“ How do you find element Ar’s atomic
number in the periodic square?
“ Ar has a different atomic number than
the missing element’s model.
Click to try again →
Was Li the right element?
“ How
many total electrons are shown in
the model, below? Click to review the key→
“ How many protons in the model?
“ Right! They equal element Li’s atomic
number shown in the periodic square.
“ You were right! Ten points!
Click to review
your answers →
Why Li was the right element:
“
“
“
“
How many total electrons are shown in the model?
Answer: 3 (1 of them a valence electron).
How many protons? 3 (+3 charge).
What is the missing element’s atomic number?
Answer: 3, the no. of protons in the model, below.
Where do you find element Li’s atomic number in
the periodic square? Answer: The number 3 in the
lower right corner of the periodic square.
Click to try another
Periodic Game Board →
Periodic Game Boards Nos. 2 - 4
are shown in the next slides
•Only one of sixteen periodic square games is
shown (see previous slides) in this presentation.
•Students will get sixteen chances to match a
missing periodic square to its corresponding
atomic model in the game being developed.
•Three other boards, shown next, are used for a
total of 16 games (4 games/board).
•Students become familiar with the periodic
squares from each of four different families.
Next slide→
Periodic Game Board No. 2 and
its four missing Periodic Squares
The missing periodic squares are
Na, Ba, Cl and Xe.
The atomic model of each of
these missing squares and 4
periodic squares will appear, one
atomic model at a time. Students
are asked to find the one periodic
square that corresponds to the
atomic model of the missing
square.
Next slide→
Periodic Game Board No. 3 and
its four missing Periodic Squares
The missing periodic squares are
K, Sr, I and Ne.
The atomic model of each of
these missing squares and 4
periodic squares will appear, one
atomic model at a time. Students
are asked to find the one periodic
square that corresponds to the
atomic model of the missing
square.
Next slide→
Periodic Game Board No. 4 and
its four missing Periodic Squares
The missing periodic squares are
Rb, Be, Br and Ar.
The atomic model of each of
these missing squares and 4
periodic squares will appear, one
atomic model at a time. Students
are asked to find the one periodic
square that corresponds to the
atomic model of the missing
square.
Next slide→
About this Gnomus Periodic
Table activity:
“ The
preceding slides illustrate the
interactive web-based game that
Gnomus @ IMSLI is developing.
“ If access to the internet is not available,
the lesson may be carried out using
game boards and the periodic squares,
as was done in the classroom field
testing of the unit.
Next slide→
Addendum
“
This game serves as a review for students
who have been introduced to the Periodic
Table and are familiar with simple atomic
models and concepts of atomic structure,
including:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Atomic Mass
Electrons
Valence Electrons
Protons
Neutrons
End the slide show →