The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Elements Scavenger Hunt”

In this activity, students will conduct a scavenger hunt to locate items that use elements found on the periodic table.

Create your own version of the periodic table of elements with icons or mini-images on the element chart to represent materials comprised of that element. Then create a description of your picture explaining how the element might be used and where it might be found. For elements that do not have uses, create a representation that best fits the description of the element.  

• Create a blank digital version of the periodic table of elements.
• Conduct a virtual scavenger hunt to find objects, materials, or uses for each element.
• Include icons to represent the objects, materials, or uses discovered.
• Create a key to explain each icon that describes the elements on your periodic table.
• Include a written description in your key detailing how each element can be found.
• Draw comparisons between Sam Kean’s description of the elements and your own depiction.

Share your periodic table of elements with peers and compare your representation of how elements are used to the representations of others.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may benefit from exploring this visual representation of the periodic table of elements to develop ideas on how to create their own version. Before beginning, it might be useful to discuss elements such as Einsteinium, which is represented by a picture of Einstein rather than an icon depicting an object, material, or use. Einsteinium is a radioactive element that has no current use. Students may benefit from obtaining a list of similar elements. It may be beneficial in some circumstances to assign specific sections of the periodic table to students to create a collaborative project with peers.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who might benefit from an additional challenge could try explaining the elements in a similar fashion to Kean. Students may first explore the uses, stories, and anecdotes of elements, then draft their own analysis and compare it to Kean’s.