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Some thoughts on how to use
the Alexander Arrangement of the Elements
in class

Introduction
There is little reason why most of the familiar methods of teaching with the periodic table should vary much by using the Alexander Arrangement of the Elements (AAE) to replace a flat periodic chart. It is not so much a change, but an improvement.

Organizing
The concepts of organization of mixed objects of a similar type can easily be shown to classes. Popular item types are; buttons, postage stamps, playing cards. The buttons can be sorted quickly, usefully, and easily by color, size, and mounting method, while sorting the postage stamps can be also by color and size plus the more useful categories of country, denomination, and year.

Reoccurring Properties
The playing cards are a good example because sorting them is a familiar activity associated with play, and they can be organized in several ways, some showing a periodic reoccurrence of a property.

Charting
A month on a calendar shows a familiar chart with periodicity. The reoccurring days are on week rows, identifying the "family" of, for instance, Fridays, each with similarities to other Fridays, and the Months or Seasons can be used by the teacher to refer to other mega groupings, i.e.; metals. It has the added feature of being numerically ordered, as is the periodic table.

The Periodic Table
Mendeleyev developed the table using cards bearing data. However, being an organization of real matter, all having been created following the same laws of nature, the table helped to reveal other factors. Metals, gases, transition elements, and rare earths each found themselves in groups when arranged by mass. Even undiscovered elements were identified by empty spaces in the chart. Later, when arranged according to atomic number by others, the grouping improved, and this is used today.

Value of the AAE
The AAE may or may not add scientific value to the periodic chart, but it does provide a logical place for the rare earth elements, and in its connection of all sequential elements also establishes the superior position of Hydrogen. These factors reduce confusion in the new student.

Using the AAE
Hanging the assembled chart will provide an object of interest for students entering the classroom, and those having learned from it are usually happy to explain it to others. The 3-D version demands more hands-on interactivity than flat charts, as manual rotation is necessary to see more than half of the element blocks.

Learning More Easily
Students who have difficulty learning when presented with the usual daunting array of elements early in their chemistry classes are more open to a fun shape that just asks to be touched.

Special Students
Pupils who are physically and/or 3-D oriented connect far more quickly with the Arrangement, and should be encouraged to touch, and possibly team up with the teacher in the assembly process of the display version.
Difficult students, so employed, are sure to come away with a half dozen or so important characteristics of elements and their grouping with little effort on the teacher's part. This could bring them over the threshold of accepting more information about the elements.

Additional Reinforcement
When only using the student entry versions, assembling a single AAE at the beginning of the class for display will provide a model and a goal.
The final assembled result could likely stay in the view of the student for years, so the need for care should be understood.
Also, during the assembly process, earlier lessons are enhanced and illustrated with the clarity and logic of the Alexander Arrangement of the Elements.