Abstract
The periodic table is used by all science related subjects. Although it looks like a product of modern science, it has a very long, rich and multicultural history. Every day in students' lives is influenced by topics related to the elements in the periodic table. Within this abundance of topics one finds several social scientific issues that are key to the 21st century such as: smartphone usage, plastic usage and recycling, pollution and pesticides. This lesson gives handholds for the introduction and investigation of elements in the periodic table with a multicultural perspective and their connection to smartphones.
Copyright/Creative Commons
Materials are published under the
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
Introduction: Information on the periodic table using the link in the box. It is important to activate prior knowledge by talking about (un)known elements up for investigation. Activities for students:
- Using the picture on this page, investigate elements that can be found in a smartphone. Think of: place of discovery, mine locations, everyday usage, sparsity and related social and economic issues.
- Exchange your findings in a poster market.
- Organise a student debate on sustainability and use of certain 'conflict' elements.
- Think of a plan to make smartphones more sustainable. Which elements should we try to avoid, replace, re-use etc.
- Class discussion: how can you use this knowledge to improve sustainability in your own life?
- Periodic table
- Natural resources
- Sustainability
Discipline
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Physics
- Chemistry ✓
- Engineering
Target group
- Primary Education
- Lower Secondary Education ✓
- Upper Secondary Education
Age range
11-15
Duration
50 min.
Documents
Credits
MT
University of Malta and Claire Boerée (Utrecht University)
Universiteit Utrecht