Often, the image which comes to mind when the periodic table is mentioned is a large poster on the wall of a school laboratory classroom. Dimitri Mendeleev’s arrangement of the chemical elements is widely used to show the relationship between them, but it is not the only version. Fernando Dufour, Professor Emeritus at Ahuntsic College, Montréal, QC, conceived a different three-dimensional model, and in 1979 completed his MSc degree with a thesis entitled: “An attempt to unravel atomic structure with a three dimensional model of the periodic table”. After many prototypes, it went on sale in 1999. The “Elemen-tree” model is made of clear plastic with pink and green symbols. When assembled it does look a bit like an evergreen tree. It can be used with an overhead projector and is designed to improve students’ understanding of the relationships between different chemical groups. Students may find Mendeleev’s version helpful in learning about the nature of the elements, but it will never be confused with a festive table decoration!.