Tell me again why you do so many labs.

 This year is an anomaly.  The Advanced Biology class (Anatomy) may only do twenty labs and dissections.  We’ll do a bunch of models, such as the clay, anatomical models.  We’re doing the microscope labs, too. But genuine labs?  Fewer.  I’m spending so much time reviewing muscles, bones, names, etymology, POGIL, and notes we won’t have as much time for labs.  (We will dissect a brain, eye, heart, and kidney.  I do have fetal pigs ready.  I bought a blood test kit and urinalysis kit, too.)

My goal for Physical Science, Life Science, Biology, and Chemistry classes is 50 labs.  Always.  We usually do at least 30.  Why?  The lab gives the topic meaning.  Whenever possible I start with a lab.  When we talked about cell membranes as part of cells we did the Cell Membrane Bubble Lab, paired with a paper, membrane model.  (Here, here, and here are paper, membrane models.) 

 When I introduce chemical reactions, I start with Reaction in a Bag, which has both a change in color and temperature, observable changes.  

We do chemical and physical changes in a lab.  Kids remember just about everything they do and almost nothing I say.  Once I start to teach an idea I can refer to the lab.  For example, I can pull out the Diffusion lab (yogurt cup with the baggie of starch) and talk through the process of iodine diffusing into the baggie to change the color of the starch.

You have the lab experience and the props to help the kids understand a concept.  I haven’t found anything  which helps kids master a topic.  Want to teach a kid about gravity?  Do Ball Drop.  Drop pinky balls, tennis balls, golf balls, marbles, ping pong balls.  Repeat over and over to check the results.  Kids are ready to talk about the concepts after the lab.  Yes, I have spent an hour dropping different balls because the kids didn’t like the idea that they fall at the same rate.

Labs, experiments, and activities should reinforce a concept or an idea.  I use labs or models to introduce new ideas.  I can tape the paper model to the wall and use it to teach.  We can redo a confusing lab again after we learn a new concept.  Labs aren’t something we do to earn lab credit for a high school class; they are at the heart of my classes.