Science Safety and Classroom Management Plan By: Cara Gorman

Science Safety Goal 1  Follow all directions- written or verbal.  Ask questions if you are unsure about anything.  Make sure all lab materials are prepared ahead of time.  Use materials and equipment correctly.  Be sure to wear all appropriate lab materials (Ex: goggles when working with any chemicals)

Science Safety Goal 2  Be alert at all times.  Find the teacher as soon as your are unsure about anything.  If you are hurt, say, “Code one, Code one!”  Make sure to tell the teacher about ANY accident (if something breaks, spills or is hurt).  Be aware of what you are doing and working with at all times.

Science Safety Goal 3  Keep yourselves and the lab area tidy.  Make sure to wash your hands before and after every lab.  Clean the lab area before the experiment takes place and once the experiment is complete.  Materials should be thoroughly cleaned after use. (For instance, wash out graduated cylinders or pipettes.)

Methods of Implementation  Goal One: Part of the lab grade (10 points) will be based on how well the students have followed directions and were prepared.  For instance, I will implement this method in the M&M lab, which uses M&M’s and different colors of paper to simulate animal habitats. Unless the students pay close attention to the directions of the lab, they will not understand that the paper represents the habitat, M&M’s are the prey, and the students are the predators. The understanding of each lab component is imperative to the students’ overall understanding of the lab.

Methods of Implementation  Goal Two: I will ask one student from each lab group to simulate the right way to handle a graduated cylinder for measuring and ask another to hold the cylinder upside down with one hand.  Thus, I will leave it up to the members of the group to correct the students’ improper use of lab materials. I will then be able to assess how well the students understand the importance of being alert at all times. I would like the students to be proactive about potential risks in the lab and therefore should be able to help remind one another of proper lab behavior.  If the students do not understand the importance immediately, I will explain the risks involved in not handling materials improperly. For instance, I will use the example from EDUC 140 when the glass from our Cartesian diver broke.

Methods of Implementation  Goal 3: I will give each lab group a sticker on a chart in order to keep track of how well each group maintains cleanliness in the lab.  I will implement this during the “Construct a Habitat” lesson where the students will be able to utilize an array of materials in order to simulate the importance of how a habitat enables an animal to survive.  I will decide how well the students implement the tidiness goal throughout the lab, which will determine whether or not they receive a sticker.  Thus, the students will tangibly be able to keep track of how well they maintain cleanliness in the lab area or what they need to improve upon.

Animal Use: Connection to Goal 2 and 3  During the “Habitat Lab,” the students will have the opportunity to observe a temporary classroom pet and it’s habitat.  Goal 2:The students will have to be aware of the proper way to hold the rabbit. For example, the animal should be picked up by the neck (Teaching Science in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms, 411.)  Goal 2: The students should treat the animal in a very polite fashion by not provoking the animal. (For example: no teasing, poking or handling improperly.)  Goal 3:The students should also be sure to wash hands before and after handling the pet.

Chemical Storage & Proper Waste Disposal  Students will understand the importance of properly handling chemicals, especially those that are hazardous.  A wood cabinet will store all of the hazardous chemicals, such as acids or corrosives.  All chemicals must be properly labeled and stored according to color cap, which classifies the various types of acids.  All chemical bottles will be place bottles without checks and periodic checks will ensure the bottles are in good working condition.  Chemical bottles must be placed in plastic or rubber containers before being transported to another place.  Chemicals should be dispensed from a smaller container in case a spill occurs.  All chemicals should be poured or measured in a designated dispensing area.  Clean up materials should be readily available.  Citation: Safety Fax.

First Aid  The goal in this classroom is to be proactive about safety precautions in order to prevent potential accidents from occurring.  In the event that an accident arises, I will use First Aid to help protect you from potential harm.  Goal 2: Remain calm and alert the teacher immediately by saying, “Code One, Code One!”  The teacher will utilize a First Aid Kit in order to stop bleeding, an emergency eye wash station if needed for eye injuries or will be able to take the student to the necessary care station, whether at school or on a field trip.  Thus, it is imperative for the teacher to be aware of where to find the first aid resources and more importantly how to maintain a calm environment in order to properly adhere to the safety precaution and eliminate an classroom full of anxiety ridden students.  For instance, the students will take a field trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo as part of the “Homes and Hideaways: Habitat” lesson. If one of the students becomes hurt or is allergic to an animal we encounter, then I need to make sure the student is taken to a care station immediately. Furthermore, it is imperative to make sure the students are calm and are left with a dependable chaperon.

Enforcement of Clean Up: Goal 3  As stated earlier, I will help my students visualize how well they maintain a tidy classroom by providing a sticker for each time a lab is done properly.  The group with the most stickers at the end of the semester will receive a prize or a 5 point bonus towards a science test or assignment (students’ choice.)  This will help motivate the students to clean the lab area thoroughly before and after completing each lab.  Furthermore, the students will feel as though their efforts are valued and gives the students the opportunity to constantly improve their efforts.

Works Cited  Flinn Scientific's Student Safety Contract. Batavia, IL: Flinn Scientific, Inc., Batavia, IL: Flinn Scientific, Inc.,  Goal One: Contract Rules 2 and 27  Goal Two: Contract Rules 13 and 28  Goal Three: Contract Rules 9 and 16  Krajcik, Joseph S., Charlene M. Czerniak, and Carl F. Berger. Teaching Science in Elementary and Berger. Teaching Science in Elementary and MIddle School Classrooms. 2nd ed. New York: MIddle School Classrooms. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, McGraw Hill,  Safety Fax! Batavia, IL: Flinn Scientific, Inc., 2001.