I found a terrific website called the Periodic Table of Videos. Created by the University of Nottingham (yes that fabled town) chemists, the site has videos on 94 of the elements found in the periodic table. They try to demonstrate some of the properties characteristic of each element. Each video is on Youtube, which is unfortunate because many school districts block the site. Nevertheless it is an invaluable tool in teaching the matter and the periodic table to middle schoolers. Some of my favorite videos include:

sodium

iodine

mercury

About the Author

Darren Fix is currently a middle school science teacher and part time teaching consultant. He has an M.A. in education technology and is passionate about the use of technology in the science classroom.