On this page: General Resources | Atomic Structure | Periodic Table | Molecules

general resources

📖 The Elements by Ellen McHenry. Written with whimsy and humor, Ellen McHenry's The Elements offers a solid introduction of chemical concepts for the 8–12-year-old crowd. Topics include: (1) definition of an element, (2) structure of an atom, (3) development of the Periodic Table, (4) chemical formulas, (5) electron orbitals, shells, and the octet rule, (6) arrangement of elements on the Periodic Table, (7) bonding (covalent, ionic and metallic), and (8) the families of the Periodic Table. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Carbon Chemistry by Ellen McHenry. Intended as a companion to The Elements, this book introduces concepts in biochemistry and organic chemistry to 9–14-year-old students. Although these topics aren’t typically studied before the high school years, a younger student may enjoy learning about the chemistry of plastics, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and more. – Elementary • Middle

🔗 Content Connection: Universe. Learn how heavy elements are formed from exploding supernovae.

🔗 Content Connection: Climate Change. Study the chemistry of carbon dioxide and its role in global warming.

atomic structure

▶️ How small is an atom? Spoiler: very small from Kurzgesagt. “Atoms are very weird. Wrapping your head around exactly how weird, is close to impossible—how can you describe something that is SO removed from humans experience? But then again, they kind of make up everything, so let us try. – All

▶️ Just how small is an atom? from TED-Ed. “Just how small are atoms? And what's inside them? The answers turn out to be astounding, even for those who think they know. This fast-paced animation uses spectacular metaphors (imagine a blueberry the size of a football stadium!) to give a visceral sense of the building blocks that make our world.” – All

▶️ The uncertain location of electrons from TED-Ed. “The tiny atoms that make up our world are made up of even tinier protons, neutrons and electrons. Though the number of protons determines an atom's identity, it’s the electrons—specifically, their exact location outside the nucleus—that particularly perplex scientists. George Zaidan and Charles Morton show how to make an educated guess of where those itty-bitty freewheeling electrons might be.” – Middle • High

✏️ Build an atom from PhET. Try this online simulation: “Build an atom out of protons, neutrons, and electrons, and see how the element, charge, and mass change. Then play a game to test your ideas!” – Middle • High

✏️ Isotopes and atomic mass from PhET. “Are all atoms of an element the same? How can you tell one isotope from another? Use the sim to learn about isotopes and how abundance relates to the average atomic mass of an element.” – Middle • High

periodic table

📖 The Periodic Table: Elements with Style by Simon Basher. The Basher books capitalize on children’s natural tendency toward anthropomorphization. Here, the elements are portrayed as an eccentric cast of characters whose personalities supposedly correspond to their chemical behavior. – Elementary • Middle

📖 The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray. Consider adding this coffee table book to your home library. Each element gets a two-page spread, featuring stunning photographic representations of the element in its pure form and facts about the element's physical properties, relative abundance, and real-world applications. – All

📖 The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wilker. Wilker "leads the reader on a delightful and absorbing journey through the ages, on the trail of the elements of the Periodic Table as we know them today. He introduces the young reader to people like Von Helmont, Boyle, Stahl, Priestly, Cavendish, Lavoisier, and many others, all incredibly diverse in personality and approach, who have laid the groundwork for a search that is still unfolding to this day." A favorite among homeschoolers. – Middle

📺 NOVA: Hunting the Elements from PBS. Host David Pogue takes viewers on a journey through the periodic table of the elements. Visit a gold mine, learn why bells are made of bronze, learn about the history of the periodic table, and much more. The graphics are great and Pogue makes a companionable and informative host. – All

💻 The Photographic Periodic Table of the Elements. This is a visually appealing website maintained by Theodore Gray. – All

▶️ Periodic Table of Videos from University of Nottingham. The creators of Periodic Videos have made short educational videos for each element in the Periodic Table. Though the videos aren’t slickly produced, the chemists's enthusiasm is infectious and it's a good chance to see the inside of a real chemistry lab. Click the three horizontal bars in the top right corner of the screen below to choose a video to watch. – All

▶️ The 2,400-year search for the atom from TED-Ed. “The quest for the atom has been a long one, beginning 2,400 years ago with the work of a Greek philosopher and later continued by a Quaker and a few Nobel Prize-winning scientists.”– All

▶️ Solving the puzzle of the periodic table from TED-Ed. “How did the periodic table of elements revolutionize our understanding of the world? What scientists contributed to the table we have today?” – All

▶️ Elements of life from Envisioning Chemistry. “Do you know about 99.9% of your body is made of 11 chemical elements? What are these elements and what do they look like?” This is a beautiful video, but note that, in our bodies, the atoms of these elements are tied up in chemical bonds, and therefore have very different appearance and properties than those shown here. – All

molecules

📖 Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything by Theodore Gray. In his visually appealing companion to Elements, Gray explains how the elements combine to form molecules. In this book, you can learn how molecules are formed through chemical bonding, explore the physical properties and structures of different classes of organic and inorganic molecule, and read about the molecules that are important to today's society—from medicines to soaps to dyes. The book will have broad appeal across all ages. – All

🔗 Content Connection: Sound & Light. Observe how molecules respond to light.

▶️ How atoms bond from TED-Ed. “Atoms can (and do) bond constantly; it's how they form molecules. Sometimes, in an atomic tug-of-war, one atom pulls electrons from another, forming an ionic bond. Atoms can also play nicely and share electrons in a covalent bond.” – All

▶️ What is the shape of a molecule? from TED-Ed. “A molecule is nearly all empty space, apart from the extremely dense nuclei of its atoms and the clouds of electrons that bond them together. When that molecule forms, it arranges itself to maximize attraction of opposite charges and minimize repulsion of unlike.” – Middle • High

▶️ The science of macaroni salad: What’s in a molecule? from TED-Ed. “What do macaroni salad and gasoline have in common? They are made of exactly the same stuff—specifically, the same atoms, just rearranged. So, while we put the former in our mouths and the latter in our cars, they are really just variations on the same atomic theme. Josh Kurz breaks macaroni salad down to its smallest chemical components.” – All

✏️ Molecule shapes from PhET. This simulation will help you better understand molecules and bonding – “Explore molecule shapes by building molecules in 3D! Find out how a molecule's shape changes as you add atoms to a molecule.” – Middle • High