Those [elements] classified as metallic range from the highly reactive sodium and barium to the noble metals, such as gold and platinum. The nonmetals… encompass… the aggressive, highly-oxidizing fluorine and the unreactive gases such as helium. That said, the traditional group-by-group approach to teaching chemistry, including a separate focus on hydrogen, results in a fragmented view of the periodic table. The problem arises most prominently in groups 1, 13, 14, 15, and 16, with their mix of nonmetals, metalloids, and nonmetals. Here, the nonmetals become fragmented across five groups, the metalloids across four, and the p-block metals across four.