Graphing Periodic Trends Differentiated Periodic Table Inquiry Activity

Looking for an inquiry-based, differentiated activity for your students to explore the trends in the periodic table? This is the PERFECT activity for your students!

This activity can be used to reinforce the periodic trends after discussing the organization/how to read the periodic table OR as an inquiry activity before discussing the trends.

Students will produce 12 graphs in order to analyze the periodic trends (electronegativity, atomic radius, and first ionization energy) and deduce their relationship to the number of valence electrons. For each trend, students will graph the values for elements 1-36, Group 1, and Group 17 elements to deduce trends across a period and down a group on the periodic table.

Included in this product is EVERYTHING you need for the activity, just PRINT and GO!

• Graphing Periodic Trends Student Handout with Instructions and analysis questions
• 7 pages of blank graph papers differentiated based on student graphing skills
• 1 Periodic Table with known electronegativity, atomic radius, and first ionization energy values
• 2-page data table (optional) for students to complete before graphing
• 4-page teacher answer key PLUS 4 pages of completed graphs for all four trends

Prior knowledge student should have for this activity include:

• Periods and groups of the periodic table
• Familiarity with atomic symbols and element names
• How to read/find information from the periodic table (including valence electrons)
• Graphing skills - identifying variables for X and Y axis, labeling axes, scaling data to fill available graph space
• Plotting data points

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