Periodic Table Curriculum
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
The periodic table curriculum, with hands on activities rather than a poster. The table is the most compressed piece of information a child will meet in elementary school: everything about an element sits in where it stands, and that only becomes visible if the child handles the squares and puts them in place themselves. Nomenclature and activities in full colour, durable plastic with rounded corners. In English. The chemistry curriculum is a separate item.
“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment.”
The Periodic Table Curriculum guide serves as a visual gateway to chemistry within the elementary classroom environment.
- Recognition of element symbols and their placement within the periodic table grid
- Understanding that all matter consists of basic building blocks called elements
- Visual discrimination between different molecular structures and atomic arrangements
- Classification skills through observing patterns in element properties and positions
Read More
This softcover publication presents the periodic table grid in a format accessible to young learners, acknowledging their developmental readiness for abstract concepts around age six. The molecular structure illustrations within the guide connect visual patterns to the invisible world of atoms and elements. Maria Montessori recognized that elementary children possess a reasoning mind eager to understand universal laws and relationships. The Periodic Table Curriculum addresses this intellectual hunger by presenting chemistry's fundamental organizing principle through clear visual layouts. The guide's systematic arrangement of elements satisfies the elementary child's need to classify and categorize knowledge. By introducing the periodic table during the second plane of development, this curriculum resource aligns with children's emerging ability to think abstractly about matter and energy. The publication transforms chemistry from an abstract science into a visual exploration that elementary students can gradually comprehend through repeated reference.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the Periodic Table Curriculum guide on a low shelf accessible to children. Create a dedicated chemistry area with related materials like element cards, molecular models, and simple chemistry experiments.
- 1
Introduce the guide during a small group lesson, showing how elements are arranged in rows and columns
Point out familiar elements like gold, silver, and oxygen to create immediate connections - 2
Demonstrate how to locate specific elements using the grid system
Start with elements children encounter daily - carbon in pencils, calcium in milk - 3
Explore the molecular structure illustrations, comparing simple and complex arrangements
Use three-dimensional molecular models alongside the illustrations for concrete understanding - 4
Create element research cards where children draw symbols and write facts
Begin with elements that have single-letter symbols like H, O, and C
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
Periodic Table Curriculum
