Photo credit: www.destinationimagination.org
I like game-based learning, and a great way to learn about the periodic table is by playing periodic table Battleship. A pdf with the rules can be found here. This is a fun way to engage students to help them learn about where the elements are located on the periodic table, as well as how the elements are pronounced, and each elements’ atomic number. Additionally, if they begin to remember which column each element is in, it will help them determine which elements pair up to bond with others easily. Students in my class played this game for about 30-45 minutes non-stop, before their interest began to fade. They reported that it was tough, but fun. I think some students struggled with saying the elements, and there were struggles finding the elements the first time, but I think this would improve each time they played again.
There are a couple changes I made to this set of rules. The original game of Battleship had an additional piece that was 3 squares long. Lastly, I drew a set of trophies and medals that were the correct lengths to cover the spaces. I had the students cut them out before they played. Once a medal or trophy was captured, the loosing party said, “You took my Nobel Prize”. The game ends when one player finds all 5 pieces.