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Elemon for teachers: a periodic table review game and a 45-minute lesson plan

Elemon is a free periodic table card game that runs in a browser, with no accounts, no ads and no installs. Every one of the 118 elements is a card, and every move is a true fact about that element. This page has a ready-to-run 5E lesson, how to pair students on Chromebooks, and printable cards for the offline parts.

What will students learn?

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Name at least five of the first 20 elements and match each to its symbol.
2. Explain one real property of an element using the "real science" line behind a move.
3. Describe a compound as two or more elements joined together, using water or table salt as the example.

Which standards does it connect to?

Elemon is a vocabulary and practice tool, not a full modeling unit, so treat these as connections rather than complete coverage:

• NGSS 5-PS1-1 ("Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen"): the lesson builds the element vocabulary students use when they talk about those particles.
• NGSS MS-PS1-1 ("Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures"), as a stretch: the bond pairs (water, sodium chloride, carbon dioxide) are a starting point for drawing what each compound is made of.

The 45-minute lesson plan (5E)

1. Engage: the card reveal (5 minutes)

Project the sodium card without saying what it is. Read its nickname, "the Salt Lamp," and its three moves: Water Burst, Salt Bond and Orange Lamp. Ask: "What do you think this element does in real life?" Collect guesses, then reveal the real science: bare sodium reacts violently with water, it joins chlorine to make table salt, and hot sodium gas glows orange in old street lamps.

2. Explore: paired matches (15 minutes)

Pair students up, each on their own device. In each pair, one student types a table name you assign (like "Room 12 Pair 3") and taps Open a table; the partner finds that name in the Open tables list or types the same name. Both choose Random five so the teams are fair. While they play, students jot down two moves they used and the fact behind each.

Short on devices? Have each student play Solo practice on Easy against the computer trainer instead. Solo tables are private and never appear in the Open tables list.

3. Explain: share the science (10 minutes)

Each pair shares one move and its "real science" line. Write the element names on the board in rough periodic table positions as they come up. Point out the patterns: the fizzy metals students mention gather on the left, the salt-makers sit near the right edge, and the gases that barely react are in the last column. Connect this to the four Elemon types, which are built from those real families (the types and families guide has a table you can project).

4. Elaborate: the bond hunt (10 minutes)

Hand each group a set of printed cards. Groups race to find pairs that make a real compound and write the compound's name:

• hydrogen + oxygen = water
• sodium + chlorine = table salt
• carbon + oxygen = carbon dioxide
• silicon + oxygen = sand
• hydrogen + chlorine = hydrochloric acid
• calcium + phosphorus = the mineral in bones and teeth

Extension for older students: draw a simple particle model of one compound (for example, one oxygen atom joined to two hydrogen atoms for water).

5. Evaluate: exit ticket (5 minutes)

Students answer on a slip of paper:

1. Write the symbols for three elements you met today.
2. Pick one move and explain the real science behind it in your own words.
3. Name one compound and the two elements it's made from.

How do you run Elemon on Chromebooks?

Here's exactly how the game works in a classroom, so there are no surprises:

• No accounts. Nobody signs up or logs in. Students can type an optional nickname of up to 24 characters; first names or made-up names are best.
• Tables have two seats. A table name you assign is how partners find each other. There are no spectators and no third seat.
• The Open tables list is public. A friend table's name shows in the list for anyone on the site until the second seat fills. Have partners join right away, and avoid student names or your school's name in table names. If a stranger takes the seat, the student can leave and open a new table.
• No chat. Players can only send game moves. The only text another player sees is the table name and the nickname.
• Leaving ends the table. When either player leaves or closes the tab, the table closes and its game data is deleted.
• Test your network first. Both solo and friend matches need a live connection to the game server. Try one match on a school device before the lesson in case a web filter blocks it.

What printables go with the lesson?

• Element cards 1–20: card art on the front, the real science on the back, in Letter and A4.
• Design-your-own element card: a one-page worksheet for homework or early finishers.
• Periodic table bingo: 30 cards, a caller sheet and an online caller, for a five-minute review game.
• The first 20 elements, listed: a reference table to project or print.

Frequently asked questions

Is Elemon free for schools?

Yes. Elemon is free to play in a web browser. There's nothing to buy, no in-game currency, no ads and no paid classroom version.

Do students or teachers need accounts?

No. There are no accounts and no sign-up for anyone. Students type an optional nickname (up to 24 characters) and play. If they leave it blank, the game shows “Host” or “Challenger.”

What student data does Elemon collect?

The game itself stores a random player ID and the optional nickname in that browser tab, and the game server keeps a table's moves only while the table is open. When a player leaves, the table closes and its data is deleted. The website uses Google Analytics to count visits, with Google signals and ad personalization turned off.

Can students chat with each other or with strangers?

No. There's no chat of any kind; players only send game moves. Table names in the Open tables list are visible to anyone on the site until the second seat fills, so use table names and nicknames that don't identify students.

Does it work on Chromebooks and tablets?

Elemon runs in a modern web browser on Chromebooks, laptops, tablets and phones, with nothing to install. Both solo and friend matches need a live connection to the game server, so try one match on a school device before class in case your network filter blocks it.

How long does a match take?

In our computer test games, a match lasts about 14 rounds. In class, plan on roughly 10 to 15 minutes for a first match while students learn the moves.

Ready to try it before class? Play a solo match on Easy, or read the parent's guide to Elemon for the full rules.