Elements+Rememberized

==There has been a debate about having students memorize the elements on the periodic table for eons it seems. Kind of like memorizing the times tables battle. I have a few things to say on the topic and an activity and prop or two to help. Automaticity is the goal. When students (adults for that matter) know their times tables automatically, they don't have to burn energy or thought power on that particular part of the problem solving process. They can use their brain power for other things. Should they be graded/failed for not knowing them, NOT! but should be encouraged to practice and have opportunities to get those internalized. I feel the same about the elements. True they are not used as often as the numbers, but knowing the first 20 or so helped me sooooo much when I went off to college. ==

= HHeLi BeB CNOF, = = = = NeNa MgAl SiPS = = = = ClArKCa =

=When I was in High School, my chemistry teacher, Mr. Crawford (God rest his soul) helped us to remember the first 20 elements of the periodic table using a mnemonic in the form of a letter (pictured above). The person the letter was to...HHeli (first name) BeB (middle name) CNOF (last name). The message part of the letter was NeNa (girlfriend's name) MgAl (my gal) SiPS (what she sips isn't the point, just that she does!). Then the letter is signed ClArKCa.  I always had groups of students draw what they thought HHeLi, NeNa and ClArKCa looked like. Invariably, HHeLi was always nerdy, NeNa a bombshell and ClArKCa always seemed to have Clark Kent characteristics (go figure!). I just memorized the first 20 and when I hit freshmen chemistry at the university, boy was I glad I did. =

==Also purchased (you could easily make on) a Chem Clock. Hide the numbers with labels and replace with the first 12 element symbols instead. I had Boron and Beryllium switched for years before some student noticed. He got a gold star that day. ==

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