Page 1 of 3 MCC@WCCUSD 1/10/14
Grade&Level/Course:&&&
Grade&8&/&Physical&Science&
Lesson/Unit&Plan&Name:&&&
Periodic&Table&Symbols&
Rationale/Lesson&Abstract:&
This&is&a&fun&activity&to&be&used&as&an&introduction&to&the&symbols&on&the&Periodic&Table.&&
Students&are&given&a&picture,&and&then&must&use&the&symbols&on&the&Periodic&Table&to&put&
together&a&word&to&describe&it.&&They&are&then&shown&actual&formulas&for&compounds&and&must&
identify&the&elements&that&are&present.&
Timeframe:&
1&class&period&
Standard(s):&
Structure of Matter
3. Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure. All
forms of matter are composed of one or more of the elements. As a basis for understanding this concept:
b. Students know that compounds are formed by combining two or more different elements and that
compounds have properties that are different from their constituent elements.
f. Students know how to use the periodic table to identify elements in simple compounds.
&
&
Instructional&Resources/Materials:&
• Students&will&need&a&Periodic&Table.&&One&version&is&provided&below.&
• Handout&is&provided&below.&
&
Activity/Lesson:&
This&is&an&introduction&to&the&symbols&on&the&Periodic&Table.&&Students&will&become&more&
familiar&with&the&elements&and&their&corresponding&symbols.&
&
Background&information&to&present&might&include&naming&conventions.&&Element&symbols&
usually&fall&into&one&of&a&few&categories:&
• The&first&letter&of&the&element,&e.g.&&‘H’&for&Hydrogen.&
• The&first&two&letters&of&the&element,&e.g.&‘He’&for&Helium&
• The&first&and&third&letters&of&the&element,&e.g.&‘Mg’&for&Magnesium.&
• Letters&from&the&Latin&word&for&the&element,&e.g.&&‘Au’&for&Gold&(aurum).&
&
Students&should&also&be&reminded&of&the&importance&of&always&capitalizing&the&first&letter&of&the&
symbol,&and&leaving&the&second&letter&lower&case.&&Each&capital&letter&in&a&chemical&formula&will&
represent&a&new&element,&e.g.&CaCO
3
&includes&the&elements&Calcium&(Ca),&Carbon&(C),&and&
Oxygen&(O).&&‘Co’&represents&Cobalt,&and&is&distinguishable&from&Carbon&and&Oxygen&due&to&the&
second&letter&in&lower&case.&
&
&
Assessment:&
Practice&handout&and&Periodic&Table&below.&
Page 2 of 3 MCC@WCCUSD 1/10/14
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
Periodic(Table(Symbols(
!
Use!the!symbols!on!the!Periodic!Table!to!describe!each!image.!!U se!u p per !an d!low er !ca se!
exactly!as!shown!on!the!Periodic!Table.!!There!may!be!more!than!one!correct!answer.!
(
Ex.((((((((((((((((((((((((Elements:!
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((________________(
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((________________(
( ________________(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(
Which(elements(do(you(see(in(these(formulas(for(actual(compounds?(
(
Rust%(Fe
2
O
3
)% % %%%%%Salt%(NaCl)%% %%%%%%%%%Copper%sulfate%(CuSO
4
)%%%%%%%%Baking%soda%(NaHCO
3
)%
(Elements:( ( ((((((Elements:( ( (((((((((((Elements:( ( ((((((((((((Elements:( ( (
________________( (((((_________________(((((((_________________(((((((((((((_________________(((((((
________________( (((((_________________(((((((_________________(((((((((((((_________________(
( (( ( ( (((((((((_________________( ((((((((((_________________(
( (( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( _________________(
__(__(__(__(__(__(
P o
L i
C e
Polonium (Po)
Page 3 of 3 MCC@WCCUSD 1/10/14
&