Putting It Together
Kids – especially boys – love to take things apart.

Some attribute this to the basic destructiveness of the young, but more commonly usually the case it is to set up a situation where, having all the parts conveniently still at hand, one can put something together. The dismembering is the preparation for the creative act, a challenge to make something functional, and hopefully without need for instructions.

That being said, manually building a model, especially of the Periodic Table of the Elements will certainly appeal to a larger number of students than observing the wallpaper style flat table.

The DeskTopper Alexander Arrangement of Elements provides the requirement to take something apart, and then to put it together again.

The segments of the Student Interactive are pre-cut on 11"x 17" die cut card stock, no instructions, blades, or scissors needed for removal. There is an instruction sheet, to be sure, for those willing to read them, and, of course, a series of assembly drawings for the less bold – not to mention photos of the final product.

The element atomic number jump, from the end of one period to the beginning of the next has changed to contact, between 2 to 3, 10 to 11, and 18 to 19, etc., which would please Mendeleev,who was unhappy about the "breaks and

The students, with glue, staples, or tape, loop and make teardrop shapes out of the two remaining segments – d-block and f-block – which can be studied independently. (Talk about Hands-On!) With both of these integrated, not only are all of the Mendeleev imposed awkward gaps of the flat table closed, but the Seaborg-orphaned Rare Earths are welcomed home as well.

“Fear of Periodic Table” has thus been defused, and, with a historical assembly sequence, the logic of the Periodic Law becomes obvious; “...if all the elements be arranged in order of their atomic weights, a periodic repetition of properties is obtained...”. The elements are understood to be continuous and contiguous in atomic number as well as properties, leading to an uncritical approach, in the next lesson, to the flat-for-convenience-sake periodic table that students will use from now on.

The Student Interactive, shown blank at right,
would normally be completely illustrated by this stage.
These photos show the assembly steps to take place
following student entry of element data, and corresponding notes are below.

Element Groups The European numerals (Roman) are above each column, and the IUPAC group numbers (Arabic) are below.

Element Blocks (1.)
Learn about the blocks begins by defining them with scores for bending between blocks.

Elements
When the learning about the elements is complete, so is the foundation for your study of chemistry!

Disconnecting (2.)
Turn the sheet over to see the cut lines better and take the sheet apart carefully, saving the joiner tabs for connecting the blocks.

First Reconnection (3.) The first connection solves many of the flat table problems, as it joins most of the ends to the beginning of the next periods, placing most element atomic numbers in order.

Giving the Bends (4.)
Putting an outside bend between the s- and p-blocks (above the d-block) and inside bends on both sides of the d-block will help in the next step.

Second Reconnection (5.)
The second connection solves a problem scientists have been having, called; "Where the H does Hydrogen go?" On the AAE, an extended H box connects periods 1 & 2, joins H with both Li and He, and has corner contact with F and Ne as well.

Third Reconnection (6.)
This completes the closing of the familiar gap in the middle of the flat periodic table, scores defining the block borders.
When done, it Looks Like This (7.)

Fourth Reconnection (8.)
While inventing the Rare Earth Elements during WWII, Glenn Seaborg suggested a spot for two groups of them outside the main table to keep it from getting too wide for convenience. Our fourth connection was approved by him, and brings the f-block back home.

The End       ...of the breaking of the Periodic Law by the Periodic Table.

a Classroom Set of Student Interactive AAEs

Back

1. Element Blocks

scoring for block defining bends

2. Disconnecting

taking apart the table and connectors

3. Reconnection #1

putting period ends back together

4. Giving the Bends

defining the blocks with bends

5. Reconnection #2

Hydrogen finds several homes

6. Reconnection #3

the central gap is closed

7. Looks Like This

before the f-block is inserted

8. Reconnection #4

re-introduction of the f-block