Taking Students to the Laboratory? How to Plan and Execute the Perfect Lab Activity.

Use this teacher checklist when planning ANY lab activity!

Recently I had the opportunity to work with a small group of science teachers in an inservice-type situation.  The group ranged in their teaching experience. Some were brand new teachers, while others had a few years under their belt.  None were what I would call "knowledgeable veterans." As our time together progressed, it quickly became obvious to me that these teachers needed help with "the lab."  For the inexperienced science teacher, "the lab" can be a scary and potentially dangerous place.

There seems to be a diverse spectrum in science teaching in regard to the laboratory.  At one extreme end of the spectrum are the teachers whose fear of the lab prevents them from ever taking a group of students into the lab.  At the opposite extreme are the science teachers who forge blindly ahead without giving thought to a set of basic guidelines and procedures concerning laboratory activities.  To be fair, I have certainly just described polar opposites in science teachers.  Almost all science teachers will fall in the middle somewhere, and all of us could use a refresher course when it comes to taking students into the lab.

After giving this topic much thought, I have developed a "Laboratory Checklist" of items we science teachers need to consider before taking our classes into the lab.

Begin with a very easy test by asking yourself two simple questions:

1.  Is this lab activity age appropriate?  All science students need to be challenged with activities that are appropriate for their age, and that push them to the next level of critical thinking and problem solving.

2.  Does this lab meet an educational goal or objective? (Pardon me, while I get up on my soapbox...)  The lab activity must meet an educational objective or goal.  There has to be a REASON for doing the lab. The lab should be related to the concepts being taught in the classroom, and should reinforce and/or further the student's understanding of those concepts.

If you can answer "yes" to both of these questions, then proceed with the lab. If you answer "no" to one or both of these questions, you should throw out the lab idea and look for another, more appropriate, lab activity.

Assuming that the lab has met the standards posed by the first two questions, it is time to plan the lab activity.  Consider the following items before lab day arrives.

3.  Safety First!  The safety of the students should be your first thought when planning a lab activity. Are the items on the materials list appropriate for your students?  Think long and hard about the potential hazards of the lab, and identify the areas in which an accident might be possible. (It is assumed that you carried out lab safety instruction with students in the first week of school!)  In planning your lab activity, identify areas of concern and develop a plan of action in the event of an accident.

4.  Using chemicals?  Read the MSDS!!  A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be on hand for every chemical you use in the lab. When chemicals are ordered, each will arrive with an MSDS.  Read each page and place them in a three-ring binder for easy and immediate access.  This binder should always be present in the lab.  The MSDS will alert you to any dangers associated with the chemical, and list first aid instructions in the event they are needed.

5.  Carry out the lab yourself before trying it out with the students!  Teachers who are doing the lab for the first time in the presence of students are asking for trouble.  By carrying out the experiment prior to lab day, the teacher can:   (1) Make sure that all equipment and supplies are on hand and in good working order, (2) Identify the problem areas in which students will need to be alerted,  (3) Determine if the experiment will actually work, (4) Look for alternative supplies if needed, and (5) Make any adjustments needed in the lab procedural steps.

6.  How much time will the lab take?  If students finish the lab experiment quickly, no problem!  They can spend the remaining minutes cleaning their lab area and preparing their lab reports.  But what will you do if class time runs out before students can finish the experiment?  This will surely happen on some lab days.  Have a plan.

7.  How will you set up the lab stations and/or the supply area?  An effective and meaningful lab runs like clockwork.  Identify the traffic flow problems beforehand and set up the supply areas in a way that reduces student traffic jams. You may decide that each lab station should be supplied with every item needed for the experiment, or it may work better to have a general supply area that students go to for the items they need.  No two labs are the same.  Identify the best solution for each lab.

Once steps 3 - 7 have been checked off, you are ready to take the kids to the lab.  The following items on the checklist will ensure that your lab activity is a huge success!

8.  Provide the students with written instructions.  Students must receive lab handouts that clearly identify the safety precautions and the exact procedure for the experiment. Giving oral instructions that reinforce the information on the lab handout is okay, great even.  Giving oral instructions instead of providing a lab handout?  NOT okay.

9.  Always schedule pre-lab time. During the pre-lab time, provide the students with the lab handouts they will be using during the lab.  Go over your expectations for the lab, and explain what is to be accomplished by doing the lab.  You may want to use a "Pre-Lab Worksheet" as a homework assignment so that students will be prepared on lab day.  Review the lab safety rules for each and every lab!

10.  How will you group the students?  There is no correct answer to this question.  Should you allow the students to choose their own partners?  Should you place students in groups of YOUR choosing?  Should you have groups of 2 or 4?  Every lab is different.  You know your students and you know what you can expect from them.  One class may be mature enough to allow you to let the students choose their own partner, while this would never work in another class.  I sometimes allow students to choose their own groups, but I most often choose the student groups myself.  At the beginning of the school year I place the name of each student on an index card.  Prior to the lab activity I place these index cards at the lab stations.  As the students enter the room they look for their card.  This allows me to quickly and easily place students in lab groups.  Life lessons are also learned by having students work in a different group each lab period.

11.  Monitor and keep a watchful eye during the lab.  There will be many students in the lab, and there will only be one of you.  You must be confident that you can control and manage the class in situations involving chemicals, sharp items, glassware, hot plates / Bunsen burners, etc.  Do not carry out a lab activity if the equipment and supplies being used causes you worry. Simply find another lab activity.  During the lab activity, be vigilant in monitoring and interacting with the students.  You are the person in the room that has the ability to ward off and prevent accidents from occurring.

12.  Allow enough time at the end of the class for students to clean up their lab station.  At 5 minutes before the bell, the lab activity must end. If students are still working, you must instruct them to stop, and begin their clean up procedures. You do not want the students in the next class to walk in and see a huge mess. You want the next class to walk in and see a highly efficient and organized lab set up. It sets the tone. It makes a difference.

13.  Be timely in breaking down the lab.  As a courtesy to your fellow science teachers who use the same lab, make sure to break down your lab quickly so the lab will be ready to use by the next person. Wash the glassware, wipe down the lab tables, put away all equipment, and make sure to dispose of chemicals correctly.  Your team mates will be most appreciative!

14.  Make an assessment plan.  How are you going to evaluate the work done by the students on the lab activity?   Will they write a lab report? Will there be lab questions on the upcoming chapter test?  Will there be a lab quiz?  Assessment is an important part of the process.  It tells the student that the activity was important.  If you never give a grade, lab report, or take any type of assessment on the lab activity, it sends the message that lab activities are just "fun times / free times."  This will lead to horseplay and behavior problems on future lab activities.

15.  Make a plan for students who are absent on lab day.  I wish I could offer the perfect solution to this problem.  If you have developed a plan of action that works, please let the rest of us know.  The simple truth is that when students are absent, they have missed valuable instruction time that cannot be recovered.  I have scheduled lab make up days after school, given alternate assignments, and given absent students sample data to analyze.  I am still looking for a better solution.  Any thoughts?

Lab days are my favorite days at school.  Being proactive and organized in your approach to lab activities will ensure that your day is smooth, and that students are highly engaged in the learning process.

Happy Lab Day!

Make the first Day the BEST Day!

It is so easy to get kids excited about science!  We get to "play" with so many cool gadgets and gizmos in our lab activities.  Why not make the FIRST day of school the BEST day of school for our students?  Let them know on the very first day that your class is going to be great!

I have developed three lab station "first day of school" icebreaker activities that I think your science students will love.  

You can use the links below to find the one that is best for your subject area:

Science Chat for Biology and Life Science

Chemistry Chat

Physics Chat

Tips for New (and Experienced!) Science Teachers

These tips will serve you well your entire teaching career!

Learning is a life-long experience.  We are never too young or too old to learn new things.  After teaching for 31 years, I am still learning how to be a better teacher.  Along the way I had wonderful mentors and colleagues who helped me develop my teaching skills, and I discovered a few things for myself as well.

The tips and tricks below will serve you well.  Remember them.  Incorporate them into your daily teaching routine.  Refine them and make them your own.

Never this.  Please, never this!

1.  Safety first.  Safety always.
Develop a lab safety unit and teach it the first week of school.  Stress laboratory safety every single day of the year.

2.  Before students arrive for back-to-school, do an analysis of your lab and classroom.  Check all equipment and furniture.  Remove unusable items.  CLEAN everything!


3.  Check your safety equipment often.
Have you flushed your eyewash station?  When was the last time you checked the safety shower?  Is your fire extinguisher fully charged?  Is the first aid kit fully stocked?

4.  Stay on top of repairs.  Turn in work orders for those leaky faucets, stopped up gas jets, and burned out lights.  Follow up on work orders once they have been submitted.  Be relentless in getting things fixed.



5.  The custodians and plant managers are your best friends.
Treat them well and with respect.  They will save you many, many times during the school year.

6.  Never do a lab with students until you have tried the lab yourself.
You can never predict what will happen or how things will work until you carry out the experiment yourself.  If you are seeing a lab unfold for the first time while students are doing the lab, this is a recipe for EPIC FAIL.

7.  Make out your lab order all year long.  Keep a lab notebook handy, and constantly make notes in it.  Record supplies that are running low and need to be ordered for the next school year.  At the end of the year, grab the catalogs and make out your lab order before you go home for the summer.

8.  Don't go home at the end of the day until everything is ready for tomorrow.  This is a hard one because we are exhausted at the end of the day!  Before you leave in the afternoon, your lab should be set up, all handouts should be copied, all phone calls should be returned, and you put your desk in order.  If you wait until the next morning, Murphy's Law will set in. "Things" always happen when you get to school.  The copier will break, your principal will ask for a meeting, students come in to ask questions, the teacher next door will not quit talking, etc.  Be sure everything is ready before you get to school!

9.  Make sure the classroom is neat and orderly.  This is actually a great science experiment!  A wise teacher once told me to straighten the desks after each class period before the next class enters.  Student behavior is affected by the environment.  The class is much more productive and well behaved if there is order in the room as they enter.  If the rows are crooked, the desks are scattered around, papers are all over the floor, and the pencil sharpener is overflowing, student behavior will be different.  Sounds crazy, but this is true.  Try it and see for yourself.

10.  Study.  Study.  Study.  
Study some more!  Never teach a lesson that you are not prepared to teach.  Science is complex stuff, and it is always changing!  You will embarrass yourself if you stumble around with the content and are unable to explain concepts to the students.  Our students are brilliant at picking up on the fact that we are unprepared, and they will be relentless to point this out during your class.

11.  Make it fun, but please make it educational!  Science classes are so much fun!  We get to use all sorts of neat equipment and cool gadgets!  Our students are depending on us to give them a great science education.  Let's use all of our fun "science toys" to further their education.  If you want to make silly putty or glue in the lab, make sure the students learn something from it.

12.  Go as deep into the subject matter content as your students can handle.  There is a fine line between "too easy" and "too hard."  Neither should be happening in your class.  Determine the ability level and knowledge base of your students, and push them to the next level.  Know that the students you have next year will be different.

13.  Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."  All of us, even the best prepared of us, will be asked questions that we do not know the answer to.  How you handle these questions makes all the difference. Sometimes you just have to say "I don't know."  But you need to have an answer the next day when the students arrive.  They will appreciate that you went the extra mile to answer their questions.

14.  Know your limitations.  Work as hard as you can every single day.  Do all you can do for your students.  But know that you can't do everything. Don't take on more than you can handle, and don't be afraid to say "no."

15.  Find a mentor.  Find an amazing teacher that you trust and respect. Talk with him/her often! Someone on the faculty has already had the problem you are facing, and they can help you through it.  A good mentor has a wealth of valuable knowledge and experience, and the support they can give is invaluable!

16.  They're your students, not your friends!  Cultivate a great relationship with your students.  Know your students likes and dislikes. Attend their sports events, band concerts and theater productions.  Make sure they know that you care for them, and that you are willing to help them.  But remember that you are the teacher and they are the students, and a certainly boundary must be maintained.

17.  Respect must be earned.  Always treat your students with respect and dignity.  The lessons we teach in citizenship and tolerance of others are as important as the science lessons we teach.  Be the role model for the behaviors you want to see in your students.

18.  Call the parents before they call you.  If you initiate the contact, then you are in control of the direction and flow of the conversation.  If the parent is calling you, they are probably already upset or mad, and it will be more difficult to get them back on your side.

19.  Take home the work, but not the problems.
Working at home is a given for teachers.  We know we are going to be grading papers and preparing lessons on our personal time.  But try to leave the problems and stresses of the day at work.  If you have a problem with a student, colleague or administrator, solve it before you leave for the day. If you don't, you will worry about it all day (or week end) long.  Better to get the stress and worry out of your head before you leave for the day.



20.  Excitement in the classroom is contagious.
You have to love your subject and let it show to your students how much you love your subject.  If you are excited about what you are teaching, the students will be too.



It is my sincere hope that some of these tips will help you through the long days of the school year.  Good luck with your teaching, and have a great school year.  And remember ..... Have fun teaching!

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Using Games to Master the Mountain of Biology Vocabulary Words

Are your students struggling to master all the new biology terms and definitions we 

teach each day?

After teaching high school Biology for over 30 years, I know that one of the biggest problems my students are going to have in my class is mastering the mountain of new vocabulary words encountered each and every day.  When I talk to struggling biology students, they will usually tell me that they understand the concepts, and they understand "how and why" things work as they do, but they hate to memorize the vocabulary words.   In addition to learning new words and their meanings, the words are often hard to spell and hard to pronounce.  

In looking for ways to help my students, I quickly discovered that different styles of game play was the answer.  Students need a little fun and excitement in the classroom, and anytime you announce that you are about to play a game, even the most stubborn student will get excited.  In addition, students are naturally competitive with one another, and I found that they will study the vocabulary words in order to win a game!  Especially if there is a prize!  As a result, I developed vocabulary cards with corresponding definition cards that I call "Biology Buzz Words."

What is “Biology Buzz Words”?  The number of new science vocabulary words can be overwhelming to our students.  Practice and review in a game format is an excellent method of drilling and reinforcing the concepts and vocabulary.  Each set of "Biology Buzz Words" contains a list of vocabulary words and definitions that are found on a particular topic in a typical high school biology textbook.  The words and definitions are printed on separate cards.  Students will use these cards to play various games to help them master the vocabulary words.  At present, I have 17 different games that I play with my students.  The games include individual games, small group games and entire class games.  

• Mix/Match Games
• Catch Phrase style
• 20 Questions style
• I have / Who has
• Pictionary style
• Bingo
• First Day instruction
• Lab Stations
• Bell Ringers / Warm Ups
• Let's Talk About It
• Vocabulary Game Show
• Categories
• Hot Seat
• Concentration
• Chalk It Up!

My students really enjoy these game format review sessions.  I have to be careful about the time it takes to play these games, though.  If my students had their way, we would be playing games every day!  For prizes, I use Jolly Rancher candies.  Believe me, middle and high school students will really study the vocabulary words in order to win a candy!

Differentiation!

The types of game play are extremely versatile.  Make the game as easy or as hard as you want by selecting which vocabulary and definition cards you want to use.  The games can be tailored to meet the needs of any life science or biology class.  For an advanced class, use all of the vocabulary cards.  For a younger class, or a lower level class, choose only the vocabulary words that are appropriate for their level.  If your class contains students of widely varying ability levels, you can easily tailor the games for specific groups of students.  It is very easy to differentiate and customize instruction for a particular group of students by selecting the cards that are most appropriate for those students.

My Biology Buzz Word products come with a lot more than the vocabulary cards and the definition cards.  Check out the images below to see what is included with each product.

I have just begun to post these products to my TpT store.  The following are currently available, and many more will be coming soon.  Click on the links below for more information.

• Introduction to Biology
• Biochemistry:  The Chemistry of Life
• Biology Buzz Words Bundle #1

Paul Rossi: Wildlife Photographer

The Amazing Photography of my Friend and Neighbor, Paul Rossi

Few places in this world can be both majestic and ethereal at the same time.  I have had the good fortune of getting to visit one such place every summer for the past 50 years.  As unspoiled and commercial free as any place we have left, I imagine this slice of our country to be much like Yellowstone or Yosemite before the crowds. Where is this place?  The eastern upper peninsula of Michigan (EUP)!

I can't believe the north shore of Lake Huron is much different today than it was a hundred years ago when my family first homesteaded in the area.  Sure, getting around was much more difficult since with no Mackinac Bridge, everyone had to take a ferry or a boat through the straits.  Still, the lake, forests and wildlife were surely much the same.  For that reason, I have trekked to the EUP as often as I could.  The one downside to this scenario is that eventually I have to come home.

When I was a child visiting the lake one summer, I became friends with another child by the name of Paul Rossi.  Years later, Paul and I have rekindled that friendship and, in so doing, he has done much to relieve that one downside (coming home) by allowing me to take a little of the magic of this place with me when I leave.  

Paul, a professional wildlife photographer, has authored a book entitled "Beautiful Birds of the Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula". He has not only captured the beauty, behavior and color of the birds of this region, he has also captured the natural harmony and symbiosis of the entire area.  

A few of my very favorite photos are seen below.

In Paul's own words, "Studying birds can require work, patience, and research, but it is rewarding.  The practice from doing this, or any activity in which you observe and learn from nature, transfers to other activities such as finding other animals, beautiful rare wildflowers, wild edible plants, berries, mushrooms, etc.  I hope to inspire people to responsibly enjoy and live in harmony with nature at some level because it is an innate part of being human.  We are genetically programmed to derive satisfaction from doing this because our ancestors did this for thousands of years in order to survive."

These stunning photographs can be found in Paul's newly published book, "Beautiful Birds of Michigan's Easter Upper Peninsula."  This link will take you to Paul's website where you can view more images and download an order form for this incredible book.

In addition, Paul has a second web site, Paul Rossi Birds, where you can view (and purchase!) individual prints.  I will be having a few of these framed for myself ... If I can ever decide which ones I want!

Click the above image to view Paul's prints at his website "Paul Rossi Birds."

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Invertebrates: How To Get It Covered When You Are Running Out Of Time!

Help!  I am running out of time, and I still have the animal kingdom to cover!

This happens to me EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR!!  I really can't think of any topic in my biology class that I don't enjoy.  I am a biology nerd and I love teaching! But there are certain topics that I REALLY love and I spend too much time on them.  Cell physiology, biochemistry, cell division, photosynthesis, respiration, genetics, DNA, evolution ..... I get so excited about these, and I love the labs that go with these topics, and well, I just spend too much time on them!  Which brings me back to the purpose of this article:  I need to get the invertebrate material covered, and I have very little time to do it.

It's time to flip my classroom.

For most concepts, I prefer a traditional teaching approach. Flipping my classroom means that I am shifting the responsibility for teaching and learning to the student. The idea is that the student must study and learn the material at home, and class time is used to answer questions and clarify any misconceptions students might have about the concepts.  As I said above, I am a traditional teacher, and I prefer to teach most topics "the old-fashioned" way.  But I do believe that certain topics require less instruction from the teacher, and these topics can be covered quickly and efficiently by shifting some or all of the responsibility over to the students.

Like the invertebrates!  I want my biology students to be well versed about the origins of the animal kingdom.  They need a basic understanding of embryology, body form and symmetry, and the unique characteristics that place an animal in a particular phylum.  After a few really good lectures on embryology, I usually shift the rest of the learning over to the students. There is nothing difficult about the characteristics of each phylum, and my students often are relieved and excited for things to be a little different in the classroom.

So how will I cover the invertebrates? You are probably already familiar (hopefully!) with my warm ups and interactive notebook pages.  I use them all year long as warm ups, homework assignments, and for review and reinforcement.

For the invertebrates, I use them as a tool for flipping the learning over to the students.  Students are placed in cooperative learning groups - (groups of my own choosing, and not theirs!) - to complete the interactive pages on all of the invertebrate phyla.  I give them class time to work, but some of the work will have to be completed outside of class.  Each day, I devote time to answering questions the students might have, and focusing their attention to a few concepts that might need a little more traditional instruction.

I have my students prepare a notebook on the invertebrates.  You can get an idea of how this works from the photos below.  Click on any of the images below to view these products in my TpT store.

 

Each set can be purchased individually (click on each image above) or you can save money by purchasing them in a big bundle.  Use this link to view the big bundle.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of ways cover some topics quickly when you are crunched for time. Good luck in your teaching!