Discusses instructional strategies and activities designed to help students learn to recognize patterns and to create models to explain patterns. These include laboratory investigations and an exercise in which students are challenged to find the model used for the classroom seating arrangement. (JN)

Presents an activity that introduces the historical developments in science that led to the discovery of the periodic table and lets students experience scientific discovery firsthand. Enables students to learn about patterns among the elements and experience how scientists analyze data to discover patterns and build models. (JRH)