My Periodic Table of Post-It Notes

by Spence Edelstein, Athena’s Student 

I love the Periodic Table! It has been an interest of mine since I was five years old. Now, I am taking a class on the Periodic Table and creating one of my own. This exciting idea came from class, when Dr. Kirsten told us to make one throughout the course. I was surprised because it was a big project, but I knew that it would be really cool when I was done.

I used a lot of materials to make my Periodic Table, including four 22”x 28” black poster boards, eleven different colors of sticky notes (or Post-It notes), Scotch (invisible) tape, a regular Sharpie marker, a thin Sharpie, and a pencil.

First, I set the poster boards on the floor, horizontally. Then, I lined up the edges and taped them together. Next, I put the sticky notes on with each color representing an element group, so they lined up to look like the Periodic Table. Each square represented an element.

I used my regular Sharpie to write the name of the element (bottom center of the sticky note) and to write the element’s symbol (top center of the sticky note). I also used my thin Sharpie to write the element number (top right corner of the sticky note). Finally, with my pencil, I drew something that contains the element or a way that the element is used (middle of the sticky note).

I am still working on my Periodic Table. For the last elements, I had to draw portraits of the scientists who discovered the elements because the elements were too new to have any uses, or they only last for a few seconds. (For example, gold lasts for a long time, but Oganesson lasts for two seconds.) It is hard work but it’s very satisfying. So far, I think it’s looking great!

Feel free to leave comments of encouragement!