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Electron Configuration Battleship (continued)
Procedure:
• Handout the materials to each student
• Give the students time to place their 8 ships on a Periodic Table
• Allow the students to play the game for as long as you wish…rarely can you get an entire game of a player finding all 8 ships done
within a 50 minute class period.
• The students should only be saying electron configurations to try to find an opponent's ships. They should not be saying element
names or symbols. They may use Noble Gas Notation if you wish for students to practice that skill.
• Collect the paper clips and manila folders and reuse for future.
Expected Results:
Students typically have fun with this as they are taking concepts of a game they have probably played (Battleship) as a kid and ap-
plying it to a scientific concept (electron configuration). I do not grade this activity as it is practice for the students to get accli-
mated to understanding electron configurations.
Teaching Notes:
If you want more playing time of the activity, you could explain the activity and have the students place their ships on a periodic
table as homework. This would allow more time for the students to play the game and try to find their opponent's ships the next
day in class.
