What’s in a Name?

Discovery of Naming Elements
Visit this web site to learn the history and patterns of naming elements. With a group, make a class presentation showing the different reasons elements were given their names.

ChemicalElements.com
Here is an online periodic table that lists a great deal of information on the different elements. Click on a particular element and learn about its characteristics, including how it got its name and symbol. Make a handbook of elements that do not have a readily identifyable symbol based on their names.

Periodic Table of Science Fiction
Check out the Periodic Table of Science Fiction, sponsored by the Sci-Fi Channel.  Each hyperlinked element connects you to a science fiction story about that element. Choose a new element on the list and write your own science fiction story about it.

Transuranium Elements
Elements that have larger atomic numbers than uranium have been made in a lab. Often they are given a name based on the scientists that discovered them. Visit this web site to learn about the scientists that discovered some transuranium elements. Design a poster for the class that highlights some of the elements and their namesakes.

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