Youngsters’ 3D Periodic Table Wows Scientists

April 1, 2020

How would you teach someone who is blind or deaf about the periodic table of elements? You remember that complex chart from your high school chemistry and physics classes, right?  It’s the 150-year-old table composed of 118 chemical elements arranged by their respective atomic numbers, electron con?gurations and recurring chemical properties.

That question was posed to a group of middle school and high school students participating

in extracurricular learning at MSU St. Andrews in Midland. The Committee on Chemists with Disabilities—which has connections to Midland’s Dow Chemical Company—initiated the idea.

A total of 30 students created a 3D version of the table with braille and signing hands for every element. It drew rave reviews at its fall debut at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Diego.

“The display ignited conversations about disabilities and accommodations like I have never observed before—it emotionally connected with the scienti?c community,” said Michelle Cummings, research scientist at Dow and key contact for the project.

“The combination of tactile and visually stimulating design highlighting both sign language and braille created a one-of-a-kind interactive display—perfect for the 2019 International Year of the Periodic Table,” she said. “The excitement for this project was contagious.”

MSU St. Andrews hosts a combination of partner-supported research; science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education programs for students and families; and professional development opportunities for teachers in the greater Midland region. It also offers a lending library of equipment for schools, students and robotics teams.