Finding out about chemicals
This activity is designed to help students become aware that all substances are made of chemicals and that chemicals are made up of a combination of elements.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
explain that all substances are made up of chemicals
explain that chemicals can be synthetic or natural
explain that chemicals are made up of a composition of elements
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
extension ideas
student handouts.
Related content
The periodic table of elements is a very useful tool, and it can be used to organise many of the ideas in chemistry. The development of the periodic table is a fascinating story, demonstrating the roles that imagination and creativity play in science.
Explore how elements are formed, what are The Essential elements and read about how the search for new elements is ongoing at many research labs around the world.
Chemicals everywhere – everything you can breathe, see, ingest or touch is made up of chemicals. All matter, including us, is made of chemicals.
Find out more about Poisons and toxins.
The team has curated a collection of resources related to the periodic table of elements. Sign in to make this collection part of your private collection, just click on the copy icon. You can then add additional content, notes and share and collaborate with others. Registering an account for the Science Learning Hubs is easy and free – sign up with your email address or Google account.
Useful link
The Elements song – here’s a catchy song covering the elements from the periodic table of elements.
