The modern trend in the teaching of science is to provide maximum first hand experience.
Learning by doing is an integral part of the science learning.
In the present scenario learners are the centre of instructional process as "Constructor of Knowledge". So to make science teaching effective and efficient science laboratory is very essential.The important function of science laboratory is that deepening of the students, understanding that science concepts and theories are originated from his own natural
environment.
Planning of Science Laboratory
Laboratory should be an integral part of instruction in science. While constructing a science laboratory the schools, science teachers and science educators should be asked to collaborate to build a standardized plan to draw out best educational purposes. The factors that should be kept in mind before setting up the laboratory are
Design of the Science Laboratory
The laboratory room should be preferably lighted and ventilated
The ventilators should be below one foot of the ceiling.
Rooms should have high walls, large windows opposite to each other.
Floor should be smooth without the possibility of dirt lodging.
1. Furniture and Fittings
Working tables where students have to work should be placed in parallel to the demonstration table preferably between the windows.
The tables should have shelves.
The top of the table should be made smooth with tiles or can be given paraffin glazing.
The height of the each table may be around 3 ft.
2. Demonstration Table
Demonstration table should be kept on a platform made on the front of the room.
The demonstration table should be in such a position that all pupils can view the demonstrations
performed on the table.
There should be electrical points near the demonstration table.
A blackboard should be kept behind the table so that teacher can write equations draw figures, connections etc while performing demonstrations.
3. Sink to be fitted on the side walls of the laboratory
4. There should be enough bottle shelves
5. Enough waste boxes should be kept in the lab
6. There should be separate store room for keeping chemicals and apparatus
7. There should be light, water and drainage facilities
Selection and Purchase of Apparatus
Science teacher should prepare a list of experiments to be performed by the pupils and demonstrated by the teacher.
The list of apparatus and materials to be purchased must be prepared according to the details of the above experiments.
There should be many set of apparatus for the experiments to be done by pupils and one set of
apparatus for the experiments to be demonstrated.
The number of units of costly apparatus must be reduced by allowing the pupils to work in combination.
If the lab is almost saturated with apparatus, teacher must give priority in buying
costly equipments like camera, LCD, some original working models etc.
The teacher must give due consideration to different parts of a subject in preparing the list.
When the list is prepared full specification regarding the type and nature of the material,
quality, capacity, number of items etc should be given in detail.
After finalizing the list teacher can invite quotations from science firms dealing with the supply of apparatus and chemicals.
It is always better to select reliable firm which has a fine reputation.
When the items are delivered in the lab the teacher must carefully verify each and every item in terms of quality, breakage, manufacturer, number etc and finally it can be received to the laboratory and entered into the stock register and placed in suitable positions.
Laboratory Management
All the apparatus should be arranged in subject wise almirahs.
The glass wares should be kept separate from the other items.
The chemicals should be arranged in alphabetic order with the letter of the alphabet displayed on the shelf.
The concentrated acids in bulk should be kept away from the reach of the pupils and if separate chamber is there it can be placed on that.
There shall be two open shelves fixed on the walls on either side of the recess for balances.
In one shelf glass stopper bottles containing solutions of ammonia, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, , silver nitrate, ferrous sulphate, barium chloride, barium nitrate, copper sulphate, etc. there may be another shelf for keeping common acids both dilute and concentrated.
Other chemicals should be provided in bottles with labels.
Apparatus kept in the lab should be regularly inspected, cleaned and always should be kept away from moisture.
Lubricants should be applied in the joining, screws etc to keep the apparatus always proper in working condition.
The apparatus which is not in use should be kept in boxes.
The overall view of the laboratory should be systematic and appealing.
Maintenance of Laboratory Workshop
There should be small work shop with proper fittings for wood work and metal work in the laboratory.
These equipments enable the laboratory work to be done without interruption and can suggest improvements in the selection of apparatus.
There should be tools for wood works and metal works like hammers, players, spanner, drill press, nails, screws, nut and bolt etc.
Planning for the laboratory work
Science teaching should correlate with laboratory work.
Pupil should be made well aware about the nature and scope of the work.
New learners behave mechanically in the laboratory and imitate what the others do
They should be made aware of the concepts that they are working with.
If there is large number of students then the students should be admitted in batches in the laboratory.
The laboratory should be decorated with the photos of scientist and their biographies.
Pupil should use laboratory for solving problems by observing things and relationships around their problems.
The problems to be worked in the laboratory are discussed in classrooms and students can hypothesize their problems and real investigations can be done in the laboratory.
Students can choose problems from their daily experiences and from nature other than the classroom problems.
All things that the pupil do in the laboratory should be like a scientist working on problems to
establish facts and relations.
Laboratory Rules
Laboratory is a place of potential dangers so the science teacher must be the supreme authority in the laboratory and he should see that his orders are strictly obeyed. The sign of good discipline is an atmosphere of healthy work. The discipline should be maintained by making pupil familiar about what should be done in the laboratory and what not. Some suggestions for making discipline in the laboratory are
1. No pupil should be allowed to enter in the laboratory in the absence of the teacher
2. Every student have a place assigned to him, where he will perform his experiment
3. The arrangement of laboratory should be such that there is no need for pupil to move away from his seat
4. The practice of raising hands should be followed in the laboratory for calling the teacher
5. When pupils are working in groups the discussions should be in low tone without affecting the class
6.Unnecessary talks should be strictly prohibited
7. Students should not be allowed to play with the apparatus
8. Reagent bottles should be returned to the shelf immediately after use and should not be misplaced
9. Waste filter papers, burnt up match sticks etc should not be thrown into sink. Waste boxes should be kept for this purpose
10. Scribbling figures on furniture should never be permitted
11. All work should be finished five minutes before the end of the period so that apparatus should be disconnected, washed and placed in proper place before leaving the seat
12. The teacher can take the help of the students to distribute apparatus and materials, to clean them after use and to replace them at the end
13. Bottles must be labeled carefully
14. Any breakage in the apparatus must be noted down in the breakage register
15. Wall of the laboratory must be decorated with the pictures of scientist and diagrams of apparatus
16. A bucket full of water or sand must kept always in the laboratory for safety purpose
Accidents in the Laboratory
Accidents are common in the laboratory and science teacher has legal and moral responsibility to see that pupils are as far as possible free from dangers of laboratory.
The teacher should maintain proper discipline in the laboratory.
Teacher should give a brief idea about the dangers caused by specific equipments.
Dangerous chemicals should be kept on open shelves.
The experiments should not be started with the permission of the teacher.
Some of the substances should be handled with proper care are
First Aid
Foresee the accidents that may occur in the laboratory.
It is essential that first aid kit should be kept in every laboratory in a separate cup board.
It must contain bandages, cotton, plaster, tincture iodine, boric acid, sodium bicarbonate, carbolic acid, dettol, Vaseline etc.
Common first aid treatments are
Cut and Wounds
Apply cotton dropped in tincture iodine, no washing unless the wound it dirty
Dry Burns
Prevent contact with air by covering it with linen soaked in Vaseline
Acid Burns
Wash with plenty of water and then with 1% sodium bicarbonate solution
Alkali Burns
Wash with plenty of water and then with weak acetic acid or lemon juice
Phosphorous Burns
Wash with plenty water and cover with cotton wool soaked in silver nitrate
solution
Eye Injuries
Consult the doctor first. In specific cases like acid in the eye it should be washed
well in water and then with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution. If it is alkali in the eye,
wash well in water and then with a solution of 1% boric acid.
Electrical Shock
Switch off the electric supply, beat with wooden stick and admit in the hospital
Registers in the Laboratory
1. Permanent Stock Register
It contains details of articles which are not liable to be consumed or broken. Some articles like ammeter, stop watches, thermometer, and voltmeter are also entered in this register as they are considered non consumable. Working and non-working models, charts, telescope and microscope can be entered in this register.
2. Breakable Stock Register
It includes articles of glassware, flasks, test tube, beakers, pipettes, burettes, funnels, conical flask etc
3. Consumable Stock Register
It includes chemicals and other fluids liable to be consumed such as acids, alcohol, distilled water, potassium permanganate , all reagents etc
4. Order Register
It includes the record of orders sent for the purchase of new apparatus
5. Requirement Register
Requirement register highlights the future requirement of the lab by taking suggestions from teachers, science personnel and the requirements should be given with priorities.
Learning by doing is an integral part of the science learning.
In the present scenario learners are the centre of instructional process as "Constructor of Knowledge". So to make science teaching effective and efficient science laboratory is very essential.The important function of science laboratory is that deepening of the students, understanding that science concepts and theories are originated from his own natural
environment.
Planning of Science Laboratory
Laboratory should be an integral part of instruction in science. While constructing a science laboratory the schools, science teachers and science educators should be asked to collaborate to build a standardized plan to draw out best educational purposes. The factors that should be kept in mind before setting up the laboratory are
- The position of the laboratory in the school premises. If it is a multi storied school the laboratory should be kept at the ground floor. The place of the laboratory should be such that the gas and vapours do not affect the rest of the building
- How many pupil will be working in the laboratory at the same time and the minimum space required for each pupil for comfortable working.
- Space should be kept for the store room for Chemicals and apparatus, Gas chamber etc
- Electrical and plumbing facilities should be provided
- Fittings and furniture should be planned to be convenient for use and economical in the long run.
Design of the Science Laboratory
The laboratory room should be preferably lighted and ventilated
The ventilators should be below one foot of the ceiling.
Rooms should have high walls, large windows opposite to each other.
Floor should be smooth without the possibility of dirt lodging.
1. Furniture and Fittings
Working tables where students have to work should be placed in parallel to the demonstration table preferably between the windows.
The tables should have shelves.
The top of the table should be made smooth with tiles or can be given paraffin glazing.
The height of the each table may be around 3 ft.
2. Demonstration Table
Demonstration table should be kept on a platform made on the front of the room.
The demonstration table should be in such a position that all pupils can view the demonstrations
performed on the table.
There should be electrical points near the demonstration table.
A blackboard should be kept behind the table so that teacher can write equations draw figures, connections etc while performing demonstrations.
3. Sink to be fitted on the side walls of the laboratory
4. There should be enough bottle shelves
5. Enough waste boxes should be kept in the lab
6. There should be separate store room for keeping chemicals and apparatus
7. There should be light, water and drainage facilities
Selection and Purchase of Apparatus
Science teacher should prepare a list of experiments to be performed by the pupils and demonstrated by the teacher.
The list of apparatus and materials to be purchased must be prepared according to the details of the above experiments.
There should be many set of apparatus for the experiments to be done by pupils and one set of
apparatus for the experiments to be demonstrated.
The number of units of costly apparatus must be reduced by allowing the pupils to work in combination.
If the lab is almost saturated with apparatus, teacher must give priority in buying
costly equipments like camera, LCD, some original working models etc.
The teacher must give due consideration to different parts of a subject in preparing the list.
When the list is prepared full specification regarding the type and nature of the material,
quality, capacity, number of items etc should be given in detail.
After finalizing the list teacher can invite quotations from science firms dealing with the supply of apparatus and chemicals.
It is always better to select reliable firm which has a fine reputation.
When the items are delivered in the lab the teacher must carefully verify each and every item in terms of quality, breakage, manufacturer, number etc and finally it can be received to the laboratory and entered into the stock register and placed in suitable positions.
Laboratory Management
All the apparatus should be arranged in subject wise almirahs.
The glass wares should be kept separate from the other items.
The chemicals should be arranged in alphabetic order with the letter of the alphabet displayed on the shelf.
The concentrated acids in bulk should be kept away from the reach of the pupils and if separate chamber is there it can be placed on that.
There shall be two open shelves fixed on the walls on either side of the recess for balances.
In one shelf glass stopper bottles containing solutions of ammonia, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, , silver nitrate, ferrous sulphate, barium chloride, barium nitrate, copper sulphate, etc. there may be another shelf for keeping common acids both dilute and concentrated.
Other chemicals should be provided in bottles with labels.
Apparatus kept in the lab should be regularly inspected, cleaned and always should be kept away from moisture.
Lubricants should be applied in the joining, screws etc to keep the apparatus always proper in working condition.
The apparatus which is not in use should be kept in boxes.
The overall view of the laboratory should be systematic and appealing.
Maintenance of Laboratory Workshop
There should be small work shop with proper fittings for wood work and metal work in the laboratory.
These equipments enable the laboratory work to be done without interruption and can suggest improvements in the selection of apparatus.
There should be tools for wood works and metal works like hammers, players, spanner, drill press, nails, screws, nut and bolt etc.
Planning for the laboratory work
Science teaching should correlate with laboratory work.
Pupil should be made well aware about the nature and scope of the work.
New learners behave mechanically in the laboratory and imitate what the others do
They should be made aware of the concepts that they are working with.
If there is large number of students then the students should be admitted in batches in the laboratory.
The laboratory should be decorated with the photos of scientist and their biographies.
Pupil should use laboratory for solving problems by observing things and relationships around their problems.
The problems to be worked in the laboratory are discussed in classrooms and students can hypothesize their problems and real investigations can be done in the laboratory.
Students can choose problems from their daily experiences and from nature other than the classroom problems.
All things that the pupil do in the laboratory should be like a scientist working on problems to
establish facts and relations.
Laboratory Rules
Laboratory is a place of potential dangers so the science teacher must be the supreme authority in the laboratory and he should see that his orders are strictly obeyed. The sign of good discipline is an atmosphere of healthy work. The discipline should be maintained by making pupil familiar about what should be done in the laboratory and what not. Some suggestions for making discipline in the laboratory are
1. No pupil should be allowed to enter in the laboratory in the absence of the teacher
2. Every student have a place assigned to him, where he will perform his experiment
3. The arrangement of laboratory should be such that there is no need for pupil to move away from his seat
4. The practice of raising hands should be followed in the laboratory for calling the teacher
5. When pupils are working in groups the discussions should be in low tone without affecting the class
6.Unnecessary talks should be strictly prohibited
7. Students should not be allowed to play with the apparatus
8. Reagent bottles should be returned to the shelf immediately after use and should not be misplaced
9. Waste filter papers, burnt up match sticks etc should not be thrown into sink. Waste boxes should be kept for this purpose
10. Scribbling figures on furniture should never be permitted
11. All work should be finished five minutes before the end of the period so that apparatus should be disconnected, washed and placed in proper place before leaving the seat
12. The teacher can take the help of the students to distribute apparatus and materials, to clean them after use and to replace them at the end
13. Bottles must be labeled carefully
14. Any breakage in the apparatus must be noted down in the breakage register
15. Wall of the laboratory must be decorated with the pictures of scientist and diagrams of apparatus
16. A bucket full of water or sand must kept always in the laboratory for safety purpose
Accidents in the Laboratory
Accidents are common in the laboratory and science teacher has legal and moral responsibility to see that pupils are as far as possible free from dangers of laboratory.
The teacher should maintain proper discipline in the laboratory.
Teacher should give a brief idea about the dangers caused by specific equipments.
Dangerous chemicals should be kept on open shelves.
The experiments should not be started with the permission of the teacher.
Some of the substances should be handled with proper care are
- Concentrated acids
- Strong alkalies
- Gases such as H2S, SO2, and CO
- Inflammable materials like petrol, alcohol, CS2
- Salt of Lead, Mercury and Zinc
First Aid
Foresee the accidents that may occur in the laboratory.
It is essential that first aid kit should be kept in every laboratory in a separate cup board.
It must contain bandages, cotton, plaster, tincture iodine, boric acid, sodium bicarbonate, carbolic acid, dettol, Vaseline etc.
Common first aid treatments are
Cut and Wounds
Apply cotton dropped in tincture iodine, no washing unless the wound it dirty
Dry Burns
Prevent contact with air by covering it with linen soaked in Vaseline
Acid Burns
Wash with plenty of water and then with 1% sodium bicarbonate solution
Alkali Burns
Wash with plenty of water and then with weak acetic acid or lemon juice
Phosphorous Burns
Wash with plenty water and cover with cotton wool soaked in silver nitrate
solution
Eye Injuries
Consult the doctor first. In specific cases like acid in the eye it should be washed
well in water and then with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution. If it is alkali in the eye,
wash well in water and then with a solution of 1% boric acid.
Electrical Shock
Switch off the electric supply, beat with wooden stick and admit in the hospital
Registers in the Laboratory
1. Permanent Stock Register
It contains details of articles which are not liable to be consumed or broken. Some articles like ammeter, stop watches, thermometer, and voltmeter are also entered in this register as they are considered non consumable. Working and non-working models, charts, telescope and microscope can be entered in this register.
2. Breakable Stock Register
It includes articles of glassware, flasks, test tube, beakers, pipettes, burettes, funnels, conical flask etc
3. Consumable Stock Register
It includes chemicals and other fluids liable to be consumed such as acids, alcohol, distilled water, potassium permanganate , all reagents etc
4. Order Register
It includes the record of orders sent for the purchase of new apparatus
5. Requirement Register
Requirement register highlights the future requirement of the lab by taking suggestions from teachers, science personnel and the requirements should be given with priorities.
REGISTERS IN LABORATORY
FOR MORE...
REFER NOTES ON METHODS OF TEACHING PHYSICAL SCIENCE
LABORATORY METHOD
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