Central to the design of the curriculum is the philosophy that the middle school science student should be engaged in laboratory work during at least fifty percent of class time. This time frame includes pre-laboratory preparation and post-laboratory analysis. Laboratory work is the vehicle by which students come to understand life science concepts, learn and apply the skills of inquiry, and acquire an enthusiasm for learning science. While important in developing student understanding, demonstrations, audiovisual presentations, reinforcement and practice activities, and supplemental reading cannot be considered a substitute for laboratory experiences. These kinds of activities should not be counted within the science laboratory time.
A science laboratory experience is characterized by the following:
An individual student or small group of students manipulating science equipment for the purpose of conducting an investigation requiring an interpretation of observations and data.
An individual or small group of students engaged in experimental design that involves defining a problem, formulating hypotheses, and establishing procedures for the collection of verifiable data.
An individual or small group of students conducting an investigation which involves making observations, recording data from the observations, analyzing the data collected, formulating conclusions, and preparing a final report.
An individual or small group of students engaged in computer-based laboratory investigations. For a computer-assisted laboratory investigation to be considered as a laboratory activity, the program should include some of the following:
- The development of scientific skills, such as making observations, collecting data, organizing and analyzing data, predicting, and inferring.
- The opportunity to change the parameters of the results to observe and predict the effect upon the system being investigated.
- Experimental investigations that generate or access appropriate data, display the data, and require students to analyze the data to form valid conclusions.
Field studies in which individual students participate in observations, data collection, and analysis of samples of materials.
