Chemistry of the Elements Lab Course

This two-semester course is designed for middle school students and is based on The Elements curriculum by Ellen McHenry. Students may join at any time.

Each class session begins with a brief introduction to key concepts about the periodic table and chemical elements, equipping students with the background needed to fully engage in the activities and experiments. Lessons incorporate a mix of interactive games, creative activities, and simple experiments to reinforce understanding in an engaging way. Occasionally, students may be given optional preparatory work to complete at home to enhance their readiness for upcoming sessions.

Students are expected to actively participate in all activities and experiments and will receive grades based on their effort, participation, and completion of assigned work.

Please note that students do not need to purchase The Elements curriculum, as all necessary materials will be provided in class.

Semester 1 tentative topics include:

• What Is an Element?

• Separating Mixtures

• Particles in Motion

• Alchemists and Early Chemistry

• Dmitri Mendeleev and the Periodic Table

• Properties of Elements

• Atoms

• Shells and Energy Levels

• Electron Clouds