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
ADVERTISEMENT
