For Physical Science 9A, we had to memorize 60 elements of the periodic table. This was very challenging for me because I am not the best at memorizing. We had about 2 weeks to get all 60 elements memorized before our test. One strategy I used to help me learn these elements was making sure I have a few memorized at a time. I would pick about five elements and make sure that I had them completely memorized and then I would move on the next five. This helped me to be more successful once I got to the test because I felt more confident and I knew that I had them memorized.

After the 2 weeks spent practicing and memorizing the names and symbols of the elements, we had to take our test. I did very well on this test. I got one wrong and it was a silly mistake so I could’ve gotten 100%. I was still very happy with my score and was proud of myself for memorizing all of those symbols and names. I also learned how effective the strategy of memorizing a couple at a time was, so I will be sure to do that in the future as well.

The memorizing of these elements connects to Profile of a Graduate through critical thinking. I had to think critically for 2 weeks in order to be prepared for this test. I had to think of ways to study and I had to think very hard about the element and what its symbol might be. I learned many things from this. I learned effective ways to study, and I also learned the “language of chemistry”. I look forward to learning the rest of the elements in the future.