FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMISTRY FOR YOUNG STARS - Lesson 9: The Periodic Table – The Family Tree of the Elements
🧩 Light for the Living – Chemistry for Young Stars
Lesson 9: The Periodic Table – The Family Tree of the Elements
📍 Scene: Unguwan Doka Village, near Kafanchan in Kaduna State
👩🏾🏫 Main Characters: Teacher Halima, Bashir, Hauwa and the pupils of Unguwan Doka Primary School
🌞 9.1 A Colourful Monday in Kafanchan
It was a bright Monday morning in Unguwan Doka Primary School.
Sunlight danced through the window holes while goats bleated lazily outside.
Teacher Halima swept into the classroom carrying a long rolled-up chart.
“Good morning, my young chemists!”
“Good morning, Ma!” the pupils replied, standing like tiny soldiers.
She unrolled the chart and pinned it to the wall. Tiny coloured boxes covered it — H, O, Na, Fe, Au …
Little Bashir squinted.
“Aunty, is that a map of Nigeria?”
The whole class laughed.
“No, my dear,” Halima chuckled. “This is the Periodic Table — a map of the building blocks of everything! If chemistry were a big family, this would be its family tree!”
🧠 9.2 What Is the Periodic Table?
Teacher Halima pointed to the chart.
“The Periodic Table is an organised list of all known elements — the simplest substances that make up everything around us.”
She explained:
-
Each box = one element.
-
Each element’s atoms share the same atomic number (number of protons).
-
They’re arranged in rows (periods) and columns (groups) by their properties.
“It’s called periodic because certain properties repeat — just like market days in your village!”
Bashir grinned.
“Like our Tuesday and Friday market!”
“Exactly!” said Halima. “That’s how scientists first spotted the pattern.”
🧓🏾 9.3 How the Table Was Born
Halima loved a good story. She leaned on the chalkboard.
“Long ago, a Russian teacher named Dmitri Mendeleev wanted to arrange the elements properly.
He wrote each one on a small card — like you playing WHOT!
When he placed them in order of increasing atomic mass, a wonderful pattern appeared: after every few elements, their behaviours repeated.
He called it the Periodic Table.
Mendeleev even left empty spaces for elements not yet discovered — and years later, scientists found them right where he predicted!”
The pupils gasped.
“So he could see the future?” asked Hauwa.
“Yes o!” Halima laughed. “He was the Baba of Chemistry!”
🧮 9.4 The Structure of the Table
She drew a simple version on the board.
|
Section |
What It Contains |
Example |
|
Groups (columns) |
Elements with similar behaviour |
Group 1 – Sodium (Na), Potassium (K) |
|
Periods (rows) |
Elements arranged by increasing atomic number |
Period 1 – Hydrogen (H), Helium (He) |
|
Metals |
Shiny, strong, good conductors |
Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu) |
|
Non-metals |
Dull, poor conductors |
Oxygen (O), Sulphur (S) |
|
Noble gases |
Very stable, hardly react |
Helium (He), Neon (Ne) |
“If you know where an element lives on this table,” she said,
“you can guess its behaviour — just like knowing someone’s family tells you how they might act!”
👨🏾👩🏾👧🏾 9.5 Families in the Periodic Table
Halima compared the groups to families in their village.
Group 1 – The Alkali Family
“These are the friendly neighbours — quick to react!”
Examples: Sodium (Na), Potassium (K).
Found in salt, soap, and fertiliser.
“They react with water just like potash when you make soap!”
Group 2 – The Alkaline Earth Family
Gentle but strong.
Examples: Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg).
Found in bones, chalk, and limestone.
Group 7 – The Halogen Family
The “salt-loving” family.
Examples: Chlorine (Cl), Iodine (I).
Found in table salt and medicine.
Group 8 – The Noble Gases
“These are the quiet elders — peaceful and hard to provoke.”
Examples: Helium (He), Neon (Ne).
Used in balloons and bright signs.
The class burst into laughter imagining dignified elders floating in balloons.
🔩 9.6 Metals, Non-Metals and Metalloids
|
Type |
Village Analogy |
Description |
|
Metals |
Like the
blacksmith’s iron or shiny cooking pot |
Hard, shiny,
conduct heat and electricity |
|
Non-metals |
Like charcoal or
air — dull and soft |
Poor conductors |
|
Metalloids |
Like someone who
speaks both Hausa and English |
Have mixed
properties of both |
“Metalloids are chemistry’s interpreters!” said Halima. “They understand both sides.”
🏡 9.7 Everyday Examples of Elements
|
Element |
Local Example |
Use |
|
Iron (Fe) |
Blacksmith’s hoe |
Strong farm tools |
|
Copper (Cu) |
Old electric wire |
Carries electricity |
|
Calcium (Ca) |
Snail shells and bones |
Builds strong bones |
|
Carbon (C) |
Charcoal |
Produces energy |
|
Oxygen (O) |
Air |
Supports life |
|
Sodium (Na) |
Table salt |
Adds taste |
|
Gold (Au) |
Jewellery |
Beauty and wealth |
“See?” Halima smiled. “Every element has a duty — just like every villager has a role.”
🎶 9.8 The Periodic Table Song
To make it stick, she started a playful chant, drumming the desk:
“Hydrogen, Helium – light as air,
Lithium, Beryllium – metals fair,
Sodium, Potassium – jump in water,
Calcium makes our bones grow stronger!
Chlorine’s salty, Oxygen helps breathe,
Iron for hoes, and Gold for beads!”
The rhythm caught fire; even the next class began to sing along.
🧱 9.9 Activity – Build Your Own Periodic Table
Objective: See the table as a family of elements.
Materials: Old carton or cardboard, markers, bottle covers or stones, glue.
Steps:
-
Draw rows and columns.
-
Write element symbols (H, O, Na, Cl …).
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Paint metal bottle caps silver, non-metals black.
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Glue them in place and hang the chart.
“Now,” Halima said, “you’ve built the family house of elements!”
📚 9.10 Summary
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The Periodic Table lists all elements in order of atomic number.
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Elements sit in periods (rows) and groups (columns).
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Metals, non-metals and metalloids occupy different areas.
-
Groups behave like families with shared traits.
-
The table helps scientists predict element behaviour and reactions.
✍🏾 9.11 Review Questions
-
What is the Periodic Table?
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Who first arranged it?
-
What are groups and periods?
-
Give two examples each of metals and non-metals found in your village.
-
Why are Group 1 elements called alkali metals?
-
Mention two uses of the Periodic Table.
-
Which group is known as the noble gases and why?
-
Explain in your own words the difference between metals and metalloids.
-
Suggest local materials to build a model Periodic Table.
🏡 9.12 Home Challenge
On coloured paper, draw your own mini Periodic Table.
Write the names or symbols of ten elements you know and what they do in your village.
🌤️ Teacher’s Closing Thought
As the bell rang, Teacher Halima rolled up the chart and said softly:
“Children, remember — the Periodic Table is like our world. Every element, like every person, has its place and purpose. Together they make life complete.”
Bashir looked up at the colourful boxes.
“So chemistry is just another family story?”
Halima smiled.
“Exactly, Bashir — a family of elements that build the world. And you, too, are part of that family.”
The children cheered, and the sun over Kafanchan shone on their bright, curious faces — the next generation of chemists in the making.
#LightForTheLiving #VillageScience #ChemistryMadeSimple #KadunaStories #STEMNigeria #PeriodicTable #FamilyOfElements
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