17 Essential Science Skills All Students Should Master

 

Do your students ask you questions like these?

• Which one of these things is the graduated cylinder?
• How do I convert from decimeters to decameters?
• I can't do scientific notation on my calculator.
• What are independent and dependent variables and how do I put them on a graph?
• You wanted the graph to be on graph paper?
• I did measure exactly 5 grams of salt on my balance! ( ... with salt in a beaker that wasn't massed.)
• What do I do next?

Sound familiar? If you teach middle or high school science, these are probably questions you’ve heard a thousand times. And if you’re anything like me, you're always looking for ways to build essential science skills early in the year—so your students are more confident, independent, and lab-ready.

That’s exactly why I created these 17 Essential Science Skills Stations—hands-on, low-prep, and perfect for reinforcing key science lab skills across biology, chemistry, physical science, or general science classes.

🧪 “I used these during the first two weeks of school, and my students were so much more confident during our first full lab! Total game-changer.” – Melissa B., HS Biology Teacher

What are the essential science skills?

In the first days and weeks of a new school year, I need my students to be proficient in the following:

• Metric measurement
• Identification of pieces of lab equipment
• Scientific method
• Use of basic pieces of lab equipment such as the graduated cylinder, Celsius thermometer, laboratory balance, and metric ruler.
• Tabling, graphing, and analyzing data.
• Math skills: Scientific notation, dimensional analysis, significant digits

To accomplish this goal of proficiency of science skills, I have developed Science Skills Chat! -- a set of 17 Lab Stations to address 17 essential science skills all science students should know. I use the word "chat" to emphasize to my students that they are to work together and have a productive discussion at each station in order to maximize their understanding and mastery of the concepts being covered. 

Peer tutoring is a powerful learning tool!

Click on red text or any image to view Science Skills Chat in my TpT store.

What are the 17 Essential Science Skills?

• Metric Units
• Identification of Lab Equipment 
• Scientific Notation
• Dimensional Analysis
• Significant Digits
• The Scientific Method
• Tabling, Graphing, and Analyzing Data
• The Graduated Cylinder 
• The Metric Ruler 
• The Laboratory Balance 
• The Celsius Thermometer 
• The Bunsen Burner 
• Determining the Volume of Solids 
• Separating a Mixture 
• Determining Density 
• Accuracy, Precision, and Percentage Error
• Scientific Drawings 

Don't try to complete all 17 lab stations at once. Choose a set of skills (perhaps 4 or 5 lab stations) to be completed during the first week of school. Choose the skills that are of immediate concern to you. Remember, some students may already be proficient in these skills, but other students will be struggling. No matter the ability level, ALL students will benefit from this review and reinforcement. 

Click on red text or any image to view Science Skills Chat in my TpT store.

Once your students have mastered the first set of skills that you deem most important, set up another lab station day to work on skills that students will soon need to know. 

I like the idea of having "Science Skills Friday" where you choose 4 or 5 lab stations to complete. The information in a fewer number of lab stations is not overwhelming, and it is a fun and different way to end the week. There are enough lab stations in Science Skills Chat to create several "Science Skills Friday" sessions.

Click on red text or any image to view Science Skills Chat in my TpT store.

Ten of the lab stations require some sort of lab equipment, but the other 7 skills are perfect activities to leave in your substitute teacher folder. In an emergency, your sub can grab a few of these and create a VERY quality lesson in your absence.

It may seem like you are spending a lot of time at the beginning of the year to cover these 17 science skills, but I guarantee that it is time well spent. As your school year progresses, you will spend far less time repeating and re-teaching skills that your students should already know.  

And, how nice would it be to reduce the number of questions you get every time you go to the lab?

 

P.S.  I have 11 Chat Lab Station Activities on a variety of topics.  You can view them all here:

Biochemistry Lab: Testing Foods for Organic Compounds.

What types of organic compounds are contained in the foods we eat? Sometimes an old idea is still the best way to teach a concept.  That is how I feel about this lab, "Testing Foods for Organic Compounds."  I have been doing this lab for over 30 years, and I never tire of doing it.  Granted, it is a bit messy and the observed results are sometimes a little subjective, but my students always love these two days in the lab.

This lab is best used during your units on Biochemistry and the Organic Compounds.  Teaching the characteristics of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids can be dry and tiresome to students, and this lab is a great way to break the monotony of lecturing on these topics.  This lab activity is a two-part activity.  First, students will learn the indicator tests for sugars, starches, proteins, fats, vitamin C, and salt using known solutions.  Once the students understand how to complete these tests, they will test a wide variety of foods to see what compounds are contained in each food.

Before any testing of foods is carried out, students must "practice" to learn the indicator test for each compound.  For example, in order to determine if milk contains simple sugars, students must know how to carry out the test for simple sugars.  This is the purpose of the first part of the lab.  Students are given known solutions so that they can see what the positive test for a particular compound looks like.  Then, when the foods are tested, the students will recognize and understand the results they are getting.  Students will learn the positive and negative tests for the following:

• Students will test for starch using iodine.
• Students will test for simple sugars using Benedict's solution.
• Students will test for proteins using Biuret reagent.
• Students will test for lipids using the brown paper test.
• Students will test for the presence of vitamin C using indophenol.
• Students will test for salt using silver nitrate.

Please note: Obviously, salt is not an organic compound.  However, it is a fun test for the students to carry out, and it provides interesting information about the foods we eat.

Once students know how to use the above indicators, the real fun can begin! Choose a variety of foods that you would like for your students to test.  While you can theoretically use any foods in the experiment, some are easier to test than others.  For example, students will probably be frustrated if you ask them to test dark purple grape juice.  They simply will not be able to see the results of the tests.  I have the best results when testing the following:  Milk, yogurt, egg whites, egg yolks, potatoes, celery, cereals, and an assortment of fruit juices.  The liquid foods can be used straight from their containers.  For solids foods, you will need to prepare a solution of the food using a blender.

What are the benefits of doing this lab?

• First and foremost, it is just plain FUN!  If students love your lab activities, they will be excited about your class.  These days, having your students excited about your class solves a host of other problems.
• This lab reviews and reinforces the concepts you have been teaching in your classroom.  Facts about the macromolecules are easier to learn and remember when the students see a practical application of the information.
• This lab teaches good lab techniques, how to organize data, and how to work in cooperative learning groups.
• Students lean that a particular food that they thought was "healthy" is really nothing more than sugar and salt.
• Working through detailed lab procedures teaches a student to read, understand, and follow directions.
• Students must use their critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Below you can see the lab handouts that I use with my students.  Clicking here or on the image below will lead you to this lab in my TpT store. Complete teacher guide is included that contains an answer key to all questions, directions for preparing the solutions, and tips and suggestions for the successful completion of this lab activity.  

Lab Safety Tip: What You Need to Know About the Eyewash Fountain and the Lab Safety Shower

👉👉 Required Reading for the Week:

Scientific American - Danger in School Labs: Accidents Haunt Experimental Science

When was the last time you tested your eye wash fountain and your lab safety shower? Did you know that they are supposed to be flushed once a week according to ANSI standards? I think it is safe to say that the plumbed emergency equipment in our science labs is often neglected. We walk past the eyewash and the shower day after day after day, but rarely stop to inspect it. Since I have never had to pull the handle (thankfully!) on either piece of equipment in an emergency, I rarely stop to think about the routine maintenance that is required.

But I am not an expert. And while I hope this blog post puts a nagging reminder in your brain, use the links in this post to read what the experts have to say. My go-to source of lab safety information is Flinn Scientific. Read this article about the eyewash and safety shower.

Here are the basics about the lab eyewash fountain:

• The eyewash must provide a flow of water to both eyes simultaneously.
• The affected area must be irrigated for a minimum of 15 minutes.
• Keep both eyes open and rotate eyeballs in all directions.
• Regulation of volume and pressure is required to maintain a soft flow of water to the eyes.
• Location of the eyewash is important.  Travel time from a work station to the eyewash should be within 10 seconds.
• Water temperature should be "tepid" which means lukewarm. Acceptable temperature range is 78 - 92 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Weekly testing should occur to verify flow. This also clears the water line to remove dirt from the pipes.

Here are the basics about the lab safety shower:

• The shower should provide a deluge large enough to encompass the whole body.
• Remove contaminated clothing. Every second counts. Don't be modest. It will only slow you down. Remove contaminated clothing!
• The shower should deliver a pattern of water that is 20 inches across.
• Water flow should be 20 gallons per minutes at a velocity low enough to not injure the user.
• The plumbed safety equipment should be clearly marked with signs and by painting the walls and floor surrounding the equipment a bright color.

For us middle or high school teachers, words cannot begin to describe how busy we are during the school day. If your safety equipment does not meet the standards, it is time to have a talk with your school administrator. The safety of your students depends on it!

And please don't forget to take the time to inspect the equipment. No eye wash fountain should ever look like this!

Looking for a place to start in developing your lab safety unit?  These resources are posted in my TpT store:

Lab Safety Chat

Lab Safety Bundle

Lab Safety PowerPoint

Lab Safety Color by Number

Lab Safety Digital Hidden Picture Activity

Good lab safety instruction is essential in providing safe lab experiences for our students.  Good luck!

Lab Safety Tip of the Week #4

Safety Tip #4:

Wear Your Safety Goggles

Required Reading for the Week:  "Wear Your Safety Goggles."  Click red text to view this article.

Accidents happen so quickly. And hindsight is a wonderful thing. In the above article, a science teacher has permanent damage to the eye after conducting a demonstration with no eye protection. And a college student goes in late to their organic chemistry lab, and joins a group of two other students at the fume hood. An explosion occurs in the hood. The student was present in the lab less than two minutes and now has permanent eye damage. It seems so simple after the fact ... Why didn't you have on your safety goggles?

WHERE ARE YOUR
SAFETY GOGGLES!!!!!

As a science teacher, I have to plead guilty. I have often prepped a lab for my students without wearing goggles. But when my students are engaged in lab activities, I am a stickler for the rules. We wear the goggles. Always. No questions asked. But it is always a battle. Students do not like to wear safety goggles, and I am constantly having to tell students to put their goggles back on. Unfortunately, most of us are having to carry 30 (and sometimes more!) students into the lab. As soon as you tell one student to put their goggles back on, another student across the room has taken theirs off! Sound familiar?

You, as the instructor, have to be persistent and consistent. Establish the rule of wearing safety goggles. Do not deviate from this rule (EVER!), and have consequences for those who do not obey the rules. Have a conversation with your school administration about lab safety to establish a plan of action for those students who fail to follow the rules. You want to make sure that you have "back up" from admin in case consequences to the student need to be doled out.

Let's move away from student behavior, and on to the goggles themselves. What kind should you use? Are all goggles the same?

All goggles are not the same! And even though many types of goggles might meet regulations and guidelines and be approved for our school labs, some of them are not the best choices for our students. In my opinion, eye protection should have a complete and snug fit around the eye, and be held to the face by a strap that goes around the back of the head. Yes, the students hate these types of goggles, but it is a battle worth fighting.  Here is an excellent article from Flinn Scientific about regulations and standards of safety goggles.

Next topic:  The storage and sanitation of goggles.  I took this picture a few years ago while visiting in a neighboring high school. If you are going to use one classroom set of goggles, and students will be sharing goggles with other students, please take great care in the sanitation of goggles. This picture shows a great goggles sterilizer, but it was not being used correctly. Goggles were not placed in individual slots. They were haphazardly thrown in the cabinet. The inside of the sterilizer was dirty, and it was obvious the goggles had never been washed. Here is an excellent video on the use of the goggles sterilizer. If at all possible, I highly recommend that each student have their own pair of goggles that are not shared with another student.

In summary, 

• Students must wear goggles and this is not negotiable!
• Make sure you purchase eye protection that meets the safety standards.
• Practice what you preach!  The instructor needs to be be the role model in laboratory safety.

Looking for a place to start?  These resources are posted in my TpT store:

Lab Safety Chat

Lab Safety Bundle

Lab Safety PowerPoint

Lab Safety Color by Number

Lab Safety Digital Hidden Picture Activity

Good lab safety instruction is essential in providing safe lab experiences for our students.  Good luck!

Science Chat for Biology: A First Day of School Biology Lab Icebreaker Activity

Make the First Day the BEST Day!

What is the most important day of school? The first day! It's the most important day of the entire school year!!

It is the day when students form their first impression of your class.

It is the day when students look at you and decide on the spot if they are going to like your class or hate your class.

It is the day when students have heightened social anxieties and need to know that they have a friend in your class.

You, the teacher, have one day to get it right. If you do, the rest of year is made so much easier. If you don't, you will spend a lot of time, effort, and energy trying to change the behaviors and attitudes of your students.

Will you be the teacher that goes over a long list of class rules and reads aloud from the class syllabus? Or will you be the teacher that plans a fun and engaging activity for the students on Day 1?

Biology Chat is the perfect way to kick off the first day of school with energy and connection. 

Instead of staying glued to their seats like they’ve likely been all day, this activity gets students up, moving, and interacting with their new classmates. It’s a refreshing change of pace, and a much-needed icebreaker that builds classroom community from the start. As an added bonus, you’ll get an early snapshot of your students' communication skills, lab skills, critical thinking, and overall comfort level in the classroom. It’s fun, informative, and sets a positive tone for the year ahead.

So what exactly is Biology Chat?  The activity consists of 10 Lab Stations.The students will move around at random until they complete all ten stations. At each lab station the students will complete a science task AND answer questions about their classmates. Students must scatter after each station so that they are not with the same group the entire time. After all, one of the objectives is for them to meet everyone in the class.

Each lab station should take about 10 minutes to complete. You want to give the students time to chat. It takes me two class period to finish all of the lab stations, but in my opinion, it is time well spent. You can easily leave out lab stations for a shorter activity.

A different concept is covered at each station.

Station 1:  The Microscope

Station 2:  Graphing

Station 3:  Electron Microscopy

Station 4:  Making Observations, Comparing and Contrasting

Station 5:  Lab Equipment

Station 6:  Laboratory Safety

Station 7:  Classification

Station 8:  Metric Scavenger Hunt

Station 9:  Prefixes and Suffixes

Station 10:  What makes an animal an animal?

Set up for the lab is quick and easy. You'll need only about 30 minutes for set up, and the materials list consists of items you are sure to have on hand.

•  Microscope

•  A prepared slide of your choice.

•  Four images taken with electron microscope (Included in product.)

•  Two plants (potted or cuttings)

•  Meter stick

•  Graduated cylinder

•  Triple or quadruple beam balance

•  Stopwatch

•  Thermometer

•  A lab with safety features (Examples:  Eyewash fountain, safety shower, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, fire alarm, etc.)

•  A group of objects that can be classified into groups.  (Teacher’s choice.)

•  Bag of sugar (or object with similar mass.)

•  Can of soda (or object with similar volume.)

•  Coin

•  Paper clip

•  Wood block (or any square or rectangular object.)

•  Cotton ball

•  4 photographs of living organisms (included in product.)

Sweeten the day by giving the students a grade on the activity. It is unlikely that a student will get all of the answers correct, so make sure to base the grade on effort and participation.

What will the student take away from your day 1 activity? They are allowed to get up, stretch, and move around! They are able to make some new friends! And they start the year off with an excellent grade.  Win-win-win!

I hope that your school year is wonderful!

PS - Be sure to check out Chemistry Chat and Physics Chat! You'll be glad you did!

Very Simple Diffusion and Osmosis Experiment

A Simple Osmosis and Diffusion Lab That Makes Cellular Transport Click with Biology Students

 

Teaching cellular transport in biology can sometimes feel like throwing vocabulary words at a wall. Terms like diffusion, osmosis, active transport, passive transport, hypotonic, hypertonic are often intimidating for our students. If you're looking for a simple, visual, and memorable diffusion and osmosis lab that brings these concepts to life, this lab is for you.

 

This hands-on activity using dialysis tubing has become a staple in my biology classroom. It’s easy to set up, powerful in its visual results, and it helps students understand semipermeable membranes, molecular size, and passive transport without the need for fancy lab equipment.

 

The Setup: Two Bags, Two Solutions, One Powerful Lesson

 

Students are given two pieces of dialysis tubing. One piece of tubing is filled with starch solution, the other with glucose solution. Each is placed in a separate cup of tap water. To the cup containing the starch-filled bag, students add iodine.

 

The visual results start almost immediately. Within minutes, students see the dialysis tubing turning purple or bluish black, a dramatic visual change that signals diffusion is taking place. The students can see that the iodine molecules move across a semipermeable membrane and react with the starch. Meanwhile, students use glucose test strips to check whether glucose molecules have diffused out into the water of the second cup.

 

What Students Learn from this Osmosis/Diffusion Lab

By analyzing their results, students make key observations:

• Starch didn’t leave the bag.
• Iodine entered the bag.
• Glucose slowly diffused out, with positive test strip results appearing only after 24 hours.
• Water moved into the bag, as shown by swelling.

 

These outcomes open the door for class discussions about molecular size, permeability, and the differences between active and passive transport. I also challenge students to rank the molecules from smallest to largest based on which ones could pass through the membrane. 

 

 

Ready to Try It?

The version of the lab I use in my classroom is available here:


👉 Diffusion Through a Non-Living Membrane

 

It comes with student instructions, a detailed teacher guide, data tables, and analysis questions ... everything you need for a smooth, engaging class period.

 

Want to go further? Try this FREE download:


🎁 The Effect of Concentration on the Rate of Diffusion
 - This is a great follow-up or extension that deepens students' understanding of how concentration gradients affect the rate of diffusion.

 

More Resources to Reinforce Cellular Transport

Need additional reinforcement activities for your cell transport unit? These are teacher favorites in my TPT store:

•    🧪 Cellular Transport Worksheets – Lots of practice requiring critical thinking skills.

•    💧 Qualitative and Quantitative Plasmolysis Lab – Hands-on exploration of osmosis in plant cells

•    🎨 Cellular Transport Color by Number – Fun, low-prep review with instant feedback

 

Why This Lab Works

 

This osmosis and diffusion lab works because it’s:

•    Simple to prep

•    Visually powerful

•    Aligned with NGSS and common biology standards

•    Appropriate for high school biology

•    Engaging enough that students remember the results

 

Whether you're introducing the topic for the first time or reviewing before an exam, this lab creates the kind of “aha!” moment every biology teacher hopes for. Good luck and happy teaching!