A Tactile Periodic Table Puzzle: Learning Chemistry Through Touch, Creation and Play
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CC BY-NC 4.0, Şirin Hicri Parmaksız
Can you identify an element without seeing its symbol? Can you feel the shapes of the letters with your fingertips, work out which element they represent, and then place it in the correct position in the periodic table? What if you could do all this while playing a game, working with your classmates and creating words of your own?
My tactile periodic table puzzle grew out of these questions. I designed it to make abstract concepts in chemistry more concrete and to transform the periodic table from something students simply look at and memorise into an interactive learning experience in which they explore through touch, solve problems and learn through play.
From an Idea to a Learning Resource: Designing with Students
I designed this learning resource approximately 13 years ago. To bring my idea to life, we worked with students from the Furniture and Interior Design programme, who contributed their practical production skills. This resulted in an interdisciplinary project that brought together the needs of chemistry education and the practical skills developed in vocational and technical education.
The resource was made from particleboard/wood-based material and designed for use on a table. The element pieces and the corresponding spaces on the board were prepared so that the pieces could be picked up and placed easily. One of the most distinctive features of the design was that the element symbols were engraved into the surfaces of the pieces. This meant that the shapes of the letters could be seen and also felt with the fingertips.
CC BY-NC 4.0, Şirin Hicri Parmaksız
CC BY-NC 4.0, Şirin Hicri Parmaksız
Discovering and Learning Through Touch
The learning process begins when a student picks up an element piece. Without looking at it, the student tries to recognise the shapes of the letters by touch. The student then identifies the element symbol and its name. Using the period and group numbers on the back of the piece, the student works out where the element belongs in the periodic table and places it in the correct space.
During this process, students do more than search for the right answer. They touch, make predictions, recall information, match symbols and make decisions. In this way, they have the opportunity to connect element symbols with their positions in the periodic table.
The main aim of the resource is to help students recognise element symbols, understand the concepts of periods and groups, and explore the positions of elements in the periodic table through hands-on activities.
The tactile design allows students to engage senses beyond sight. They can examine the elements both visually and through touch, making connections between the shapes of letters and chemical symbols. Activities that involve identifying symbols without looking also encourage students to use their sense of touch consciously.
These features offer opportunities to adapt the resource to different learning needs. However, for visually impaired students to use it independently, additional accessible information may be needed, including element names and position details.
More Than a Puzzle: Play, Collaboration and Creativity
I never saw this puzzle simply as a tool for identifying elements. I wanted it to become a versatile learning resource that could be enriched through different games and give students opportunities to use their creativity.
In activities involving groups of four or five students, learners take turns choosing pieces, identifying symbols and finding the correct positions of the elements. They listen to one another’s guesses, exchange ideas and help their classmates when needed. Learning therefore becomes more than an individual task; it is enriched through communication, collaboration and peer learning.
Different rules can add excitement to the game. For example, the element pieces can be placed on a table, and the teacher can call out an element or its symbol. Students then compete to find the correct piece as quickly as possible. This activity encourages them to concentrate and use their knowledge quickly.
CC BY-NC 4.0, Şirin Hicri Parmaksız
One of the most creative activities involves making words from element symbols. Students combine different symbols to create their own names, words and fun expressions. Chemical symbols become more than representations to memorise; they become part of a game that encourages creativity. Students try new combinations, explore different solutions and gain inspiration from one another’s ideas.
CC BY-NC 4.0, Şirin Hicri Parmaksız
Another advantage of the resource is that all these activities can be carried out without digital screens. Students interact directly with the wooden pieces, use their hands and learn together. Teachers can also adapt the activities to students’ levels and lesson objectives, develop new games and use the same resource to support different learning goals.
Building a Bridge Between Vocational Education and STEM
This project is particularly meaningful to me because it demonstrates how vocational and technical education can connect with the STEM approach. The design was developed in response to a need in chemistry education, while its production involved students from the Furniture and Interior Design programme. Students from different disciplines worked towards a shared goal.
Their technical skills were used to create a product that addressed a real educational need. In this way, collaboration between vocational education and science took shape in a practical learning resource. The experience also showed me that students can be more than users of educational materials: they can take an active role in designing and producing them.
My Plans for Future Improvements
Although I designed this resource approximately 13 years ago, I believe educational materials should continue to evolve over time. If I were to revisit the design today, I would focus on improving the user experience and making the resource easier to use.
I plan to explore ways to make the pieces easier to hold and the symbols easier to feel. I would also like to assess the environmental impact of the materials and surface treatments used in production and investigate more sustainable alternatives.
This development process offers an opportunity to bring the principles of green chemistry and sustainable production into the design of educational resources. My aim is to create a learning tool that not only supports chemistry education but can also be improved through more thoughtful material choices and production methods.
Learning, Exploring and Improving
My aim in designing the tactile periodic table puzzle was not simply to produce a teaching resource. I wanted to create an experience that would help students engage more closely with chemistry, stimulate their curiosity and encourage them to take an active role in learning. I also wanted to show how the practical skills of vocational education students could be used to meet educational needs in other fields.
I believe this resource could be adapted for use in different schools, with various age groups and in a range of learning environments. Teachers could develop new games to match their lesson objectives, vary the activities and even involve students in improving the resource itself.
Learning sometimes begins by discovering the shape of a letter with our fingertips. Sometimes it begins with the excitement of finding the correct piece, or with developing a new solution inspired by a classmate’s idea. When students are given opportunities to experiment, explore and create, the classroom becomes more than a place where information is delivered; it becomes a space where learning is experienced together.
About the Author
Şirin Hicri Parmaksız is a Chemistry Technology teacher at Darıca Aslan Çimento Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Türkiye and holds a master’s degree in Polymer Chemistry.
Inspired by her experience in vocational education, she believes in making chemistry engaging through hands-on activities, creativity, and game-based learning. She hopes to inspire children to love chemistry from an early age and looks forward to sharing more of her original educational games and activities with fellow educators.
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