A creative approach to the periodic table is nothing new. We’ve all seen the “element of surprise” t-shirts, or the shoehorned Marvel Comics elements posters for teenage bedroom walls. I’ve also seen them used frequently for subjects such as English and history. But it was introducing the concept to my classical studies lessons that really showed me the scope of these nifty classification resources.
The pupils are here because the study of Classics has caught their attention. As a state-school teacher with a thriving one-person Classics department, it’s been clear to me how many children eagerly want to participate in something out of the ordinary. Here is a class where they can break away from the modern world and - for a moment - be transported into ancient civilisations full of mystery and allure.
They are drawn to the subject primarily because of the stories. Those interweaving narratives that connect the many golden threads of myth, those larger-than-life characters who have stood the test of time through oral and written tradition. I go into S1 classes hoping to convert maybe one or two pupils, and by the end of my sales pitch there are whole classrooms keen to get started on Medea.
My job, once they are signed up and raring to go, is to tame this insatiable hunger for fantastical tales and fascinating cultures into a reliable bank of knowledge that they can take with them beyond exams and into their adult life. But how do you do this when excitable teenagers are struggling to separate their Cronus from their Chronos, or their Chiron from their Charon?
This is where the periodic table of Classics comes in, an idea that was inspired by a simpler one I had seen for English students and decided to expand on. What was, at first, a frantic scribbling of ideas one lunchtime soon became a compulsion, and before long I had 140 “elements”.
These are separated out into Olympian gods, Titans, monsters, heroes and so on, and each is assigned an element letter that refers to both their Greek and Latin names, along with a short summary of the who, what, when and where. A simple enough idea, but one that has become the holy grail of a Classics classroom after I realised how many varied uses this glorified spreadsheet has.
The pupils have filled blank ones out on their own, for homework, quiet self-study or group work. I’ve had the tables printed and laminated and cut into squares, hiding them around the school for a fun summer scavenger hunt. They’ve been used as attractive wall displays in my classroom, and as revision aides for aspiring Classicists.
Perhaps the most exciting element of all is the fact that - when left to their own devices - my pupils have routinely created expanded versions, adding new characters, things I missed and items of personal interest. For pupils who enjoy a sense of completion in a given topic, the task of collecting, colouring and coding is clearly a huge buzz - the kind of work that never quite feels like work.
If there’s one thing we teachers love, it’s a reusable, downloadable, reliable and multipurpose resource. Since I finished the project, I have made it openly available to anyone who wants a copy via Twitter. Other teachers are likely adding further bells and whistles to it, and using it in ways I haven’t thought of.
With more than 100 teachers having made use of this resource, it’s clear that the clarifying nature of the periodic table should not be restricted to science - as we’re discovering, it is useful across any number of subjects.
George Connor is a classical studies and English teacher at Monifieth High School in Angus, Scotland. He tweets @MisterConnor1 and @MHS_Classics
