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[http://edu.kde.org/kalzium/ Kalzium] is an interactive program which shows you the Periodic Table of Elements. You can use Kalzium to search for information about the elements or to learn facts about the periodic table (from website).

Lesson Overview

This lesson uses the Kalzium software to give high school chemistry students an opportunity to dynamically explore the relationships between elements leading to a fuller understanding of both the periodic table and properties of the elements.

GRADE LEVEL

• This activity is appropriate for general chemistry classes at the high school level.

DURATION

• The activity should take between 30 - 60 minutes depending on the number of activities and how elaborately students are expected to respond. Ideally, the activity would be conducted over a couple days.

MATERIALS

• Computer lab with Kalzium software installed

• Attached Handout with directions and questions
• A journal for writing down observations

Goals

• Students will explore the periodic table
• Students will develop an understanding of the layout of the periodic table
• Students will begin to see relationships between elements and how they are arranged on the periodic table
• Students will describe their observations naratively

Objective

• Students will be able to explain the periodicity of the periodic table
• Students will understand how elements in each column are related and the trends that occur both horizontally and vertically through the table
• Students will use the software to manipulate the table draw conclusions based on their observations.

Procedure

1. When introducing students to new software, it is beneficial to set aside time for students to explore the software on their own prior to beginning the activity. This would be most effective if it was a separate day. This could be an activity in and of itself with students being asked to make two or three "discoveries" and writing about them.
2. The overall objective of this lesson is for students to use guided discovery to learn about the logic behind the periodic table and the properties of the elements.