Ceiling Periodic Table

Education Science
Ceiling Periodic Table
Photo: Allie Knight

Decorating the ceiling with a periodic table is a popular high school science activity, and when Scott Byrum noticed that the acoustic tiles in his newly-renovated teaching lab were square, he saw a golden opportunity. Or, if you like, a palladium one.

Byrum, a chemistry teacher at North Sand Mountain High School in Higden, AL, says:

“I’m having to compete with all the Xboxes and the Nintendos, so I have to keep my sword sharp. Unless I can keep my classroom hopping and keep it exciting, I will lose the students in a matter of moments. This periodic table on the ceiling almost engages their minds visually like a game.”

The letters are vinyl, cut by a local company, and are color-coded based on each element’s state at standard temperature and pressure. There’s another picture at Jackson County’s The Daily Sentinel.

Periodic Table Ceiling | April 30, 2012 Issue – Vol. 90 Issue 18 | Chemical & Engineering News

20 thoughts on “Ceiling Periodic Table

  1. Rob says:

    … until his first quiz or test on the table, this was a very good idea!

    1. Sean Ragan says:

      Ha! Good point. I do seem to recall that in high school there were actually tests where rote memory of the periodic table was expected. I took undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry, as well, and in college it was always assumed that a periodic table would be available for reference with every exam. If it wasn’t posted on the wall in the classroom, it was printed on the test itself.

      Dunno if that trend has “trickled down” to high schools everywhere, or not. But it seems clear that in this case they’re pretty much giving up on rote memory of the table. Which is a good thing, IMHO. Rote memory is a useful skill when you live in a culture where information is hard to come by and might not be on hand when you need it, but now…

      1. Tim says:

        When I was taking chem in High School (grad ’94) the instructor specifically told us NOT to memorize the periodic table and one would be provided for every exam. He also mentioned that we would naturally remember the parts of it we needed out of self defense. The umpteenth time you look up the atomic weight of carbon (12.011) or oxygen (15.9994) you’ll just remember it because you’ll get tired of grabbing the chart.

        On the other hand I’ve never needed the mass of gadolinium that often so I’ll look it up and I don’t need it occupying mental real estate.

        1. missi says:

          I teach chemistry and specifically tell the kids NOT to memorize the table. It is easy to find and will always be there when they need it. :) I also believe that they end up learning most of it (at least the most used elements) by the end of the year. For giggles, I give them a mock test on it just to see how they would do.

  2. miroslava von schlochbaum says:

    It might be pointed out that the ceiling elements do -not- light up when the instructor points at them; as the photo would suggest to those who suffer from too much imagination…. alas.

    1. Sean Ragan says:

      Not yet, anyway! =]

  3. ruthlearns says:

    Reblogged this on ruthlearns and commented:
    There are many clever ways of incorporating chemistry into your daily life, from periodic puzzles and periodic cups to building plastic molecular models (a favourite of mine), and even periodic cupcakes, but this ceiling seems a nice interactive idea!

  4. ruthlearns says:

    brilliant! very nice idea

  5. Fun With the Periodic Table of Elements - Geek News Central says:

    […] chemistry teacher named Scott Byrum decided to put the entire Periodic Table of the Elements on the ceiling of his […]

  6. Blinds.com's Periodic Table of Marketing Elements Goes to the Celing - The Finishing Touch says:

    […] We wanted these essential elements of our success to be always on our minds, so we took it to the ceiling (with inspiration from this). […]

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

View more articles by Sean Michael Ragan

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK