The periodic table is an essential topic in the teaching and learning
of science at all education levels, as it contains information about
the main physical and chemical properties of the different elements
constituting the matter. However, becoming familiar with the facts
behind the periodic table such as the element names and/or symbols,
their metallic character, their electronegativity, and so on, may
seem a tedious and boring task, depending on the approach the teacher
uses. One way to stimulate students is through so-called gamification,
in which learning occurs as an “almost undetected” consequence
of playing a game. Of course, the game must be designed and prepared
in such a way that the game and learning come together. In this work,
we present Chemical Battleship, a chemical version of the classic
board game Battleship, to learn the main topics contained in the periodic
table and identify the common glassware of the lab. Additionally,
using this game facilitates presenting the chemistry from a fun approach
to certain educational levels. The periodic table itself is used to
deploy the “fleet”, which is actually just labware.
The “shots” must be “fired” by identifying
the chemical element the player wants to fire at, and they must do
so by using different properties of the element. Repeating this process,
students get soon familiar with the periodic table and the information
it contains, as well as with the lab glassware. Chemical Battleship
was tested with elementary school students and third-year students
in a Primary Education Teacher Degree program. Use of this game had
a high acceptance from both groups, awakening students’ interest
and curiosity in the first group and improving knowledge in the latter
group. Students enhanced not only their subjective perception of their
knowledge but also what they really know about the periodic table,
as reflected in the improvement of their marks.