Color coded periodic table for kids how to#
Color coded periodic table for kids series#

Or sometimes, she’ll do a little storytelling, painting a word picture of a scene in which they might find themselves face to face with: Sodium! It always makes them stop and think (or at least, they don’t daydream!). I just love how she asks questions right at my kids in her videos.

Color coded periodic table for kids how to#

However, I have not met a kid yet who doesn’t perk up at the mention of french fries! Wait till your kids find out that the element sodium is a huge factor in what makes their drive-through snack so tasty!Īs Nana lead my boys through drawing a carton of vibrant golden French Fries studded with savory salt (sodium chloride), they both agreed the entire lesson made them hungry! Nana shared facts about the element sodium as she demonstrated how to paint these savory spuds. Kids might hear grownups talking about “watching their sodium” in their food, but that won’t hold much meaning for them. Practically speaking, most of us will rarely encounter a pure element, like sodium in our day-to-day lives. In Nana’s latest addition to the I Drew It Then I Knew It Science series, you’ll find two lessons featuring the very common elements of Sodium and Carbon. Understanding how elements are related and have similar reactions is more important than simply filling out a blank table by rote. He even includes a wee little bit of art by having them color-code a blank periodic table to reflect the different groupings of the elements. My husband teaches high school chemistry and in his class, he focuses initially on having students learn categories and groupings of elements. When it comes to learning chemistry, knowing everything on the Periodic Table isn’t necessarily the primary goal. Showing kids where they are most likely to encounter each element makes learning chemistry memorable and practical. There’s a saying that goes, “What in the world ISN’T Chemistry?” because everything we see is made up of elements (not necessarily as pure elements, but in their ionic, compound, and mixture forms!). The key is to introduce concepts like chemistry and the Periodic Table of Elements in a way that is practical and relatable. Yet, the same hands-on and wonder-based approach kids enjoyed in other sciences is still possible in advanced sciences.

Color coded periodic table for kids series#

Suddenly, students must do long series of math equations and formulas, study complicated charts and graphs, and apply rules and principles. The transition to sciences like physics and chemistry can seem like a departure from the beauty and wonder of biological and physical sciences. After all, who doesn’t love learning about clouds and rain, rocks and volcanos, how the heart pumps blood, and the life cycle of frogs?

In the elementary years, kids often rate science as one of their favorite subjects.