The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is an element? Why are elements so important in scientific discovery? In what other areas might they be important? What is the purpose of the periodic table of elements?

Teaching Suggestion: In The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean explores the history behind the periodic table of elements and the effects those elements have on society. It may be helpful to pose these questions and then use these or similar resources to explore what the elements are and how they are discovered. Small groups might report their findings.

• This 3-minute video explores the definition and the composition of elements.
• This 4-minute video explains how the periodic table of elements was created.

Short Activity

Color code the periodic table of elements to explore groups of elements, then explore the properties of each group.

Teaching Suggestion: Kean’s book explores the periodic table of elements. Students may find it beneficial to have a reference chart as the author describes periodic table groups. Consider providing students with a black-and-white completed table to color code or to use in taking notes. This periodic table might be used as a guide, and this article may be a helpful teacher resource if some students have color blindness or low vision. Students may benefit from further exploring the properties of the elements in each section.

• This link provides a black-and-white printable of the periodic table.
• This article explains the properties of each group on the periodic table.
• Alkali metals: red
• Alkaline earth metals: orange
• Transition metals: yellow
• Basic metals: green
• Metalloid elements: teal
• Nonmetal elements: light blue
• Halogen elements: dark blue
• Noble gases: purple
• Lanthanoid elements: light pink
• Actinoid elements: dark pink

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Explore the purpose of stories in understanding and relating to important concepts. How have you used stories and anecdotes to relay information? How have stories helped you to understand difficult topics? Why might individuals use storytelling and anecdotes to convey scientific ideas?

Teaching Suggestion: The author uses stories and anecdotes to explore the elements of the periodic table. He believes that stories help readers to create personal connections and to better understand scientific concepts. Once students have a chance to address the prompt independently, they might discuss as a class the ways in which individuals use stories and why it might be useful in relaying scientific information.