Concerns regarding safety, the accurate use and calibration of equipment need to be taken into account in every lab that you do.  Here are some ideas to get you thinking about how to include these issues in the labs that you plan and do.

SAFETY

How do you get across the principles of safety?

1. Show a video on lab safety
2. Discuss what to do in specific situations
3. Have students make a drawing of the room with the different safety features shown (e.g. shower, fire extinguisher)

 List of safety issues

4. No eating or drinking
5. Cover up – goggles, aprons, gloves
6. Tie up loose hair
7. No playing around
8. No open shoes
9. No touching equipment without permission
10. Glass disposal
11. Pre-lab including safety procedures; teacher checks before class

                                                                                                 What's with this picture?

ACCURACY

How do you check accuracy?

a. Have a measuring practical at the beginning of the course, and monitor student procedures.

b. Pool data from different groups

c. Repeat experiments if possible, or have duplicates

d. Use different techniques to obtain the same results (e.g. measuring pH in several different ways)

e. Choose the right tools for the job – e.g. choose the right pipette or graduated cylinder for the range of accuracy required. 

ACCOUNTABILITY

a. Monitor student participation.                    

b. Assign each student a task (e.g. data recorder, pipettor, reader--student who will read the instructions, etc).

c.  Have students turn in individual lab reports which emphasize the discussion section, to ensure that students understand the concepts.

d.  Occasionally, have students grade the work of each other.

e.  Students must present a prelab  assignment to teacher before entering classroom.

Related Links:

Safety in the high school lab

Contracting for Safety