A problem-solving experiment is a learning activity that uses experimental design to solve an authentic problem. It combines two evidence-based teaching strategies: problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning. The use of problem-based learning and scientific inquiry as an effective pedagogical tool in the science classroom has been well…

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of synthetic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine atoms. PCBs have been produced commercially since 1929 in hundreds of industrial applications. Their continued production in the United States was phased out in the late 1970s, and strict disposal guidelines were regulated as adverse…

In classroom science laboratories, unlike a real science laboratory, the teacher can guide students away from potential dead ends and toward data that are most likely to result in accurate conclusions. Sometimes, though, allowing students to pursue dead ends and to collect "bad" data can provide especially rich learning opportunities.…

Although science is a creative endeavor (NRC 1996, p. 46), many students think they are not encouraged--or even allowed--to be creative in the laboratory. When students think there is only one correct way to do a lab, their creativity is inhibited. Park and Seung (2008) argue for the importance of creativity in science classrooms and for the…

The purpose of this article is to describe a simple laboratory activity in which students collect a series of measurements and then use graphical analysis to determine the nature of the relationship between an object's mass and the volume of water it displaces. In this activity, students explore the relationships between the mass of a floating…

The Kirby-Bauer assay, also called the disc diffusion assay, is a standard procedure used in clinical laboratories to test the susceptibility of patients' bacterial isolates to antibiotics. In the assay, the bacteria are swabbed onto an agar plate, and paper discs impregnated with antibiotics are placed on the agar. The antibiotic diffuses from…

The Benchmarks for Science Literacy and the National Science Education Standards strongly suggest that students should be engaged in hands-on learning. However, from many corners, the original "mental training" rationale for school labs has been criticized, the "cookbook" nature of laboratory exercises condemned, and the prevalence of using…

Scientific knowledge is tentative and open to revision. This sense of tentativeness, or changeability, is missing in the way textbooks and teachers often portray the nature of science (NOS). Instead, students are left with the impression that the scientific method produces sure knowledge and that they can uncritically accept the knowledge because…

Lab safety begins with the teacher. Teachers must make learning how to be safe an integral and important part of their professional development and work. Teachers who are unfamiliar with laboratory instruction should take whatever steps necessary to prepare for the unique challenges associated with safety in conducting laboratory investigations…

Most high school chemistry labs contain detailed procedures on how to perform experiments, collect data, and analyze findings. These step-by-step instructions often eliminate opportunities for inquiry, higher levels of thinking, and the sense of accomplishment students find through independent discovery. For these reasons, two years ago the author…

To avoid a tedious task for recording temperature, a computer was used for calculating the heat of crystallization for the compound sodium thiosulfate. Described are the computer-interfacing procedures. Provides pictures of laboratory equipment and typical graphs from experiments. (YP)

In an attempt to generate student enthusiasm on the subject of genetics, the author developed a Punnett square activity centered on the genetics of corn snakes to teach students about Mendelism and genetic diversity. As they began the activity, however, some unexpected twists occurred that allowed for investigation into corn snake anatomy and…

Addresses whether or not science laboratory activities should become a thing of the past. Discusses the impact of the curriculum reforms of the 1960s and 1970s, physical restraints which cause teacher overload, rationale, and objectives of laboratory work. (RT)

Science educators are often among the first to use emerging technologies in the classroom and laboratory. For the technologically savvy science teacher, the handheld computer is a terrific tool. A handheld computer is a portable electronic device that helps organize (via calendars, contact lists, to-do lists) and integrate electronic data…