Flipped Classroom - Lab Safety 101

Activity Introduction

Quick summary: The first part of this lesson is designed to be flipped so that students learn new content by watching a video in their own time. This strategy provides the opportunity for students to build their knowledge, attitudes and values by themselves, thereby freeing up class time for hands-on work. Furthermore, students learn how to be safe in a school lab so that science experiments can be conducted. They then create a poster that clearly communicates one lab safety rule.

Learning goals:

Students familiarise themselves with a school science lab
Students understand the definition of a hazards
Students build a list of science lab rules to avoid accidents during practicals sessions.

General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking, ICT.

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 7 Science

Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124)
In fair tests, measure and control variables, and select equipment to collect data with accuracy appropriate to the task (ACSIS126)
Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations (ACSHE120)

Syllabus Outcomes: SC4-11PW, SC4-4WS, SC4-5WS, SC4-6WS.

Time needed: 75 minutes.

Level of teacher scaffolding: Low – allow students to explore the topic independently.

Resources required: Internet, laptops and earphones, Student Worksheet.

Key words: Science, Safety, Laboratory, Equipment, Hazard.

Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.

Worksheets

Teacher Worksheet

Teacher Preparation

Overarching learning goal: Students explore a range of safety rules when working in a science lab by watching a video clip. They also identify a range of potential hazards that can occur in a lab and strategies ways to avoid accidents.

Teacher content information: Practical work is an important aspect of science education as it enhances student engagement and encourages students to become active participants in learning about the world around them. However, there are many potential hazards associated with practical work that require appropriate safety measures. When undertaking science experiments it is important that the teacher and students have a clear understanding of how to avoid potential hazards and conduct themselves in a safe way.

Teaching sequence

15 minutes - flipped activity: students watch the video and fill in Table 1.
15 minutes - hazards brainstorm
45 minutes - student safety poster

Work through this resource material in the following sequence

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Student Worksheet

The laboratory can be a very exciting place but it can also be very dangerous if the safety rules are not obeyed.

Before class

Watch the video below and record all the safety rules mentioned in the video.

Lab Safety! (https://youtu.be/qqI1gafJA-4)

Table 1: Safety rules

Rule	Description	Why is this important?

During class

A hazard is a possible source of danger. Some hazards might include cluttered bench spaces or unlabeled chemicals. Can you think of any more?

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Activity: Flipped Classroom – Lab Safety 101

Activity Introduction