Laboratory and Field Work: Defining, Approaches, and Tips for Success, Slides of Education Planning And Management

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Laboratory and Field Work

Objectives:

1. Define and give purpose for lab and field work2. Discuss and construct exercises in five lab approaches3. Discuss elements of pre- and post-lab discussions4. Describe teaching tips for successful labs5. Plan productive and safe field trips

I.^

Defining Laboratory WorkA.^

Engages students in finding out first hand1.^

Involves asking questions, making observations, proposingsolutions, making predictions, organizing data, explaining patterns

2.^

Can be used to improve technical skills

3.^

May involve specialized equipment

B.

Central to science instruction1.^

Shows students what scientists actually do

2.^

Develop a better understanding of concepts and principles

3.^

Provides concrete experiences

4.^

Promotes:a.^

Attitudes towards science b.^

Scientific inquiry c.^

Conceptual development d.^

Technical skills

C.

Concerns1.^

Often aimless, trivial, and badly planned

2.^

Periods too short, students often don’t complete the lab, lackmaterials

3.^

Should promote inquiry, not be “cookbook” only

II.

Approaches to Laboratory WorkA.^

Science process skills1.^

Learning skills, not content, is sometimes the primary goal of a lab

2.^

Often addressed at the beginning of a science course

3.^

Mental processes associated with science:a.^

Observing and Inferringi.^

p. 152 gives an example exercise ii.^

Observing = noting something with senses or an instrument iii.^

Inferring = explaining what you observe

b.^

Measuring: p. 153 give creative example of a practice exercise c.^

Hypothesizing = general statement about set of phenomena d.^

Communicating e.^

Experimenting = trying something outi.^

Can be controlled, where only one variable is allowed to change ii.^

Independent variable = what is changed iii.^

Dependent variable = what you are measuring

B.

Deductive or Verification Lab1.^

Confirm concepts already presented in class

2.^

Convince students through concrete, personal experience

3.^

Try to avoid cookbook by allowing some freedom to try things

C. Inductive Laboratory

1.^

Develop experience with a concept before formal instruction

2.^

Students search for unknown patterns and principles

3.^

Example box 8.2, figure 8.4, and figure 8.

4.^

Learning cycle (5E lesson plan) exploration step prior to explanationencourages the use of inductive labs

D. Technical Skill Laboratory

1.^

Manipulative and hand-eye coordination skill important to science

2.^

Teachers should master all skills in the content area (p. 158)

3.^

Examples:a.

Care and use of microscopes is very important to biology studentsb. Measuring voltage and current important in physics

4.^

Diagrams, graphs, drawings are important in all sciences

5.^

Struggling with basic skill impedes learning concepts in lab

E. Problem-Solving Lab

1.^

Allow students to participate in selecting problem (insect to study)

2.^

Students typically understand better when organizing own learning

3.^

Can serve to motivate low or high-achieving students

III.

Preparing Students for LabA.^

Pre-lab discussion1.^

Inform students why, how, and what they will be doing

2.^

Should explain how lab related to topic currently under study

3.^

If inductive lab, don’t give away the principle

4.^

May include demonstration of new techniques or equipment

5.^

Labs are less cookbook if student know what to look for

B.

Giving directions1.^

Need to be explicit and contain safety information

2.^

Oral instructions are fine for one-step activities: test pH with paper

3.^

Distribute written instructions or write on chalkboard if complex

4.^

May include questions for students to answer at certain points

C.

Post-lab discussion1.^

Often rushed or ignored due to lack of time

2.^

Critical to students crystallizing what they have learned

3.^

Suggested post-lab activitiesa.^

View and analyze data and observations b.^

Have students explain data and how it demonstrates concepts c.^

Check student misconceptions; they don’t always “get it” d.^

Discuss science process skills to connect lab with science/technology

IV.

Teaching Tips for Successful LabsA.

Relevance of Lab work1.^

Lab can become disconnected from course content, everyday lives

2.^

Use of commonplace equipment (xylophone, candles, householdchemicals) provide connection to reality (Rubin, 1988)

3.^

Make sure lab is tied to content taught in other ways

B.

Structure in Lab activities1.^

Short exercises with plenty of direction seem to work best at first

2.^

Students become frustrated if they “don’t know what to do”

3.^

Some less structured labs facilitate problem solving, conceptualchange, and motivation. Can be incorporated later in a course.

C. Student Recording and Reporting of Data

1.^

Try to keep is simple so most time is spent on the experiment

2.^

Most manuals provide space for student data collection

3.^

Should vary, just as complexity of labs vary

4.^

Open-ended or inquiry labs may require more in-depth reportinga.

Typical format: problem, materials, procedure, results, conclusionsb. Often quite time-consuming to grade

5.^

De-emphasize correctness of data and conclusions, emphasizeprocess skills

D. Management and Discipline

1.^

Arrange for enough space and to keep materials away until needed

2.^

Individual work is best, but not always feasible

3.^

Groups often promote off-task activities: assign roles

4.^

Noise can be a problem in the less structure lab environment

5.^

Continuous contact with teacher can help: walk around, don’t sit

6.^

Rules and policies should be developed and discussed prior to lab

7.^

Example set of policies p. 165

E.

Evaluation1.^

Items to grade: lab exams, reports, notebooks, behavior, effort

2.^

Lab exams should be short and should reinforce concept learning

3.^

Lab practicals = stations with skills, techniques evaluated

4.^

Effort and behavior should count significantly, especially in middleschool

V.

Field WorkA.^

Contributes to scientific literacy1.^

Authentic learning experiences

2.^

Often the most memorable and enjoyable activities

B.

Planning a Field Trip1.^

Hospitals, power plants, factories, wildlife refuges are possibilities

2.^

Selection must be based on connection to curriculum

3.^

Survey possible sites prior to trip; often areas right around theschool can provide natural environment needed (p. 167)

4.^

Consult administrators for permission and policies

5.^

Make sure students know exactly what to do once in the field

6.^

In-class activities before and after maximize educational benefits