Classifying a particle requires an understanding of the type of bonding that exists within and among the particles, which requires an understanding of atomic structure and electron configurations, which requires an understanding of the elements of periodic properties, and so on. Rather than getting tangled up in all of these concepts at the start of the year, the author has found it quicker and simpler to use three-dimensional (3-D), computerized visualizations of crystal structures to teach the classification of particles. This article describes how to use these visualizations in a chemistry lesson and how other teachers can incorporate them into their practice as well. (Contains 5 figures and 7 online resources.)