New draft Experiences and Outcomes within Materials - Elements 

Although Elements are not mentioned in the Curriculum for Excellence until the Third Stage, we explored an introduction to Elements in a Drama Activity at the most recent Primary Science CPD event held at the Glasgow Science Centre. Moyra Boland, from University of Glasgow Education Department, conducted this session. We had picked about thirty common elements and had printed off a laminated sheet on each element. This gave some information about the properties of that element. Each person randomly received one of these sheets and then they were charged with developing a character for their given element. So, for example, if you were given the element lithium you might be a real soft touch being soft enough to slice and a genuinely good guy because it can be used to treat bipolar disorder.

One book that can help with this activity is: The Periodic Table: Elements with style! (Paperback) by Adrian Dingle and Simon Basher published by Kingfisher for £6.99. The ISBN number is: 9780753415115. Get it at Amazon.

Each element has its own personal ad, wherein its individual chemical properties are phrased as personality traits, making a complex science fun and relatable. Brought to full-colour life by imaginative illustrations, the distinctive characterizations of these once abstract elements won’t soon be forgotten.

Many children will have heard of many of the common elements. These might include: hydrogen, oxygen, iron, tin, copper, gold, silver, mercury, platinum, neon, helium, krypton, nitrogen, nickel, carbon, lead, arsenic, zinc, iodine.

Materials - Return of the gap task