Interactive Periodic Table // Teachers’ Notes
The BPES periodic table
This resource provides teachers with an engaging and innovative way of teaching this vital
curriculum area. The resource has been designed for use on the interactive whiteboard and
is ideal for whole-class learning.
The resource helps students become familiar with the elements in the periodic table – their
position (period and group) and properties. It contains differentiated questions and can be
used flexibly for both initial learning and revising.
The resource has two modes:
1. Explore the periodic table
2. Take the Challenge
1. Explore the periodic table
In this mode, teachers can explore and discuss the periodic table with students
in their own time, hovering over each element to see key information. Content is
differentiated:
11 –14 periodic table – divided into metals and non-metals; colour-coded to show
groups.
14 –16 periodic table – colour-coded and labelled according to group. Tabs at top
also allow users to highlight elements in relevant groups.
Both tables include buttons that highlight elements according to state at room
temperature.
2. Take the challenge
The Periodic Table Challenge is a unique, highly engaging tool/game with three
difficulty levels:
Level 1 (11 –14 content) – covers metals vs non-metals, period and group
numbers, state at room temperature, atomic number and mass number etc.
Level 2 (lower 14 –16 content) – covers group name, mass number, state at room
temperature, reactivity etc.
Level 3 (advanced 14-16 content) – covers group name, characteristics and
trends; mass number, state at room temperature, reactivity, melting and boiling
point, electron arrangement etc.
For each level, you have the option of using the Challenge with the timer, to
add fun and pace, or without the timer, allowing time for discussion around
the questions and information.
1
H
93
Nb
41
1
122
Sb
51
Interactive Periodic Table // Teachers’ Notes
How to play
Users are presented with the periodic table with ten elements highlighted.
A series of five clues is given, each eliminating some of the elements.
Users must click on the ‘wrong’ elements (for which the clue does not apply) to
un-highlight them. (A red minus score indicates an incorrect click, and the game
continues.) The clues narrow the remaining elements down to one correct answer,
for which all the clues apply.
If using the timer…
52
For each of the five clues, a timer will tick down and the users’ final score will
depend on how long they take. At the end of the game, users are given a total
score. They can then choose to ‘Play again’ to try to beat their score.
For Level 1, the information needed to answer the clues can be found on the
periodic table or by hovering over the elements to see the key information, so
students can use the resource regardless of their ability level. Levels 2 and 3
require the student to use inference and some existing knowledge (e.g. reactivity
series of metals).
1
H
93
Nb
41
1
122
Sb
51
Interactive Periodic Table // Teachers’ Notes
Curriculum Links
England KS3
3.2 Chemical and material behaviour
b, c
KS4
AQA
Edexcel
Chemistry
Chemistry
OCR
Twenty First Century
Science
NI CCEA
Paper 2: Chemistry
Scotland CfE
Unit 1
C1.1
C1.1.1 a,b,h; C1.1.2 a,b
Unit 2
C2.1
C2.1.1
Unit 3
C3.1
C3.1.2 a,b
Topic 1
1.2, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, 1.12,
1.13
Topic 4
4.1, 4.17, supports others
C4.1
1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 20
C4.2
1, 5
Unit C2
Module C4
3.3.15, 3.3.17, 3.3.19,
3.3.27, 3.3.30
3.4.9, 3.4.12
SCN 3-15a
1
H
93
Nb
41
1
122
Sb
51
Interactive Periodic Table // Teachers’ Notes
Sample Content
Level one
Which element am I?
Elements on screen: Hydrogen, Helium, Carbon, Chlorine, Oxygen, Sulfur,
Aluminium, Copper, Nitrogen, Magnesium
Clue: My atomic number is greater than 1
Eliminated element: Hydrogen
Elements on screen: Helium, Carbon, Chlorine, Oxygen, Sulfur, Aluminium, Copper,
Nitrogen, Magnesium
Hint: Remove Hydrogen
Clue: I am a non-metal
Eliminated elements: Aluminium, Copper, Magnesium
Elements on screen: Helium, Carbon, Chlorine, Oxygen, Sulfur, Nitrogen
Hint: Remove elements that are metals
Clue: I am gas at room temperature
Eliminated elements: Carbon, Sulfur
Elements on screen: Helium, Oxygen, Chlorine, Nitrogen
Hint: Remove elements that are solid or liquid at room temperature
Clue: I am colourless
Element eliminated: Chlorine
Elements on screen: Helium, Oxygen, Nitrogen
Hint: Remove Chlorine (a green gas)
Clue: I am used in airships due to my low density
Elements eliminated: Oxygen, Nitrogen
Hint: Remove Oxygen and Nitrogen
Elements on screen: Helium
1
H
93
Nb
41
1
122
Sb
51
Interactive Periodic Table // Teachers’ Notes
Level two
Which element am I?
Elements on screen: Hydrogen, Helium, Oxygen, Sodium, Potassium, Aluminium,
Carbon, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Gold
Clue: I am solid at room temperature
Hint: Remove elements that are liquid or gas at room temperature
Eliminated elements: Hydrogen, Helium, Oxygen
Elements on screen: Sodium, Potassium, Aluminium, Carbon, Copper, Iron, Zinc,
Gold
Clue: I am NOT an alkali metal
Hint: Remove any elements in Group 1
Eliminated elements: Sodium, Potassium
Elements on screen: Aluminium, Carbon, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Gold
Clue: I am a transition metal
Hint: Remove elements that are not transition metals
Eliminated elements: Aluminium, Carbon
Elements on screen: Copper, Iron, Zinc, Gold
Clue: I am in Period 4
Hint: Remove elements that are not in Period 4
Eliminated elements: Gold
Elements on screen: Copper, Iron, Zinc
Clue: I’m most reactive of the metals left
Hint: Think about the reactivity series of metals
Eliminated elements: Copper, Iron
Elements on screen: Zinc
1
H
93
Nb
41
1
122
Sb
51
Interactive Periodic Table // Teachers’ Notes
Level three
Which element am I?
Elements on screen: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Beryllium, Argon, Neon,
Calcium, Sulfur, Boron, Copper
Clue: I am NOT an alkaline earth metal
Hint: Alkaline earth metals are Group 2
Eliminated elements: Beryllium, Calcium
Elements on screen: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Argon, Neon, Sulfur, Boron,
Copper
Clue: I have an incomplete outer shell
Hint: Elements in Group 0 have a complete outer shell
Eliminated elements: Argon, Neon
Elements on screen: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Sulfur, Boron, Copper
Clue: I conduct heat and electricity
Hint: Metals are good thermal and electrical conductors
Eliminated elements: Boron, Sulfur
Elements on screen: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Copper
Clue: I am very reactive and must be stored in oil
Hint: Group 1 elements react with air
Eliminated elements: Copper
Elements on screen: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium
Clue: I burn with an orange flame
Hint: Look in the element description
Eliminated elements: Lithium, Potassium
Elements on screen: Sodium
1
H
93
Nb
41
1
122
Sb
51