The Origins of the Elements and Stories of Their Discovery is a curriculum module for middle school and junior high students. It presents an overview of the history of the elements and stories of how they were discovered from ancient Greece to the 20th century. Students will learn theories about the elements from ancient times to modern, understand the conceptual and procedural organization of the elements, identify the characteristic properties of all matter, and apply this knowledge to explain theories about the origins of the universe. This module is intended to be used with an Interactive Periodic Table, which accompanies the lessons.
Read the Module Teaching Guide here.
Origins of the Elements and Stories of Their Discovery is made possible by funding from NASA through the Space Telescope Science Institute's IDEAS Program, and CUIP, the Chicago Public Schools | University of Chicago Internet Project.
| The Four Elements | |||
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This foundation lesson focuses on the theory of the four elements in the time of ancient Greece (4th century B.C.E.). | Teacher
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| Getting to the Periodic Table | |||
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This lesson describes how chemistry moved from the mysterious to the measurable because of discoveries about gases, their properties, and patterns among the elements. | Teacher
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| From the Stars to the Table | |||
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This lesson begins the story of how chemistry began to merge with physics as the study of spectra raised questions about the nature of matter. | Teacher
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| Breaking Down the Atom | |||
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This lesson tells the story of how a new picture of the atom emerged with the discovery of sub-atomic particles, leading to questions about the origins of the elements in space. | Teacher
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| Interactive Resources | |||
| The Interactive Periodic Table | |||
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The interactive periodic table contains a wealth of information organized by topic area, and can be used in conjunction with these lessons. |
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| The Greek Four Elements Interactive | |||
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Enter the world of a Greek black-figure vase to unravel the Sphinx's riddles, meet gods and heroes, and learn about the four elements from the ancient Greek point of view. |
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This resource is made possible by funding from NASA
through the Space
Telescope Science Institute's IDEAS Program
Chicago Public Schools | University of Chicago Internet Project
(CUIP)