LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION ELEMENTARY SCIENCE SAFETY Information for this presentation was provided by the ‘American Chemical Society’ TIM WILLIAMSON SCIENCE CONSULTANT, LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION Strategic Science Teaching © 2012 Used with Permission from the Los Angeles County Office of Education Los Angeles County Office of Education http://sst.lacoe.edu

INTRODUCTION Hands-on, minds-on science activities encourage students to become active participants in learning about the world around them. This in-service is designed to assist elementary school teachers with one of the very special aspects of teaching science, that of making the experimental environment safe for the students.

Lesson Objectives To make teachers aware of the potential hazards that exist in an elementary science classroom To help teachers organize their classes so that injuries can be prevented To help teachers evaluate safety aspects of an experiment to become aware of any hazards that may exist To make teachers and students aware of the importance of safety in the classroom

Organization Is the KEY! Teacher should ‘do’ the experiment before assigning it to the students Teacher should have all materials ready to distribute to the students Teacher should supervise all of the student’s activities Teacher should have a plan for collecting materials after the activity Teacher should be able to instruct the students in what is expected of them.

Helpful Suggestions Resources for helpful suggestions Teacher’s Edition of Text Publications from CDE Publications from Science Supply Houses American Chemical Society CSTA NSTA

Teacher & Student Protection T & S wear goggles when working with any chemical or liquid other than H2O T & S wear goggles when there is a possibility of flying objects (i.e., rubber bands) Goggles shared by students should be sanitized between uses Precautions must be taken when using sharp objects (i.e., knives, scalpels, needles, pins, etc.) Students should not clean up broken glass When working with hot materials, noxious plants or live animals, T & S should wear proper hand protection T & S should always wash hands after any experiments

Safety With Fire! Teacher should never leave the room when any fire is lit or any heat source is being used Never heat flammable liquids. Heat only H2O or H2O solutions Use only Pyrex type glassware for heating T & S should tie back long hair when working around any heat source When using a hot plate, locate it so that S cannot pull it off the worktop or trip over the cord Never use alcohol burners Candles should be placed in a drip-pan before using and should only be used under adult supervision T & S should wear goggles when using any heat source A fire extinguisher should be kept near the activity area and T should be trained in its use

DANGEROUS MATERIALS! Use only safety matches Use only non-mercury thermometers Discard old batteries appropriately Never allow or encourage students to place any materials near their mouth, nose or eyes Do not touch dry ice with the bare skin Clean up all liquid spills immediately. They can be slippery! Do not use or mix chemicals in any manner other than that stated in the approved laboratory procedure

SAFETY WITH PLANTS Wash hands after working with plants and seeds Never put seeds or plants in mouth Do not handle seeds or plants if there are cuts or sores on your hands Some 700 species of plants can cause death or illness! Be aware of the signs of plant poisoning (i.e., headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, itching or skin eruptions) Be alert to plant safety on field trips

SAFETY WITH ANIMALS Any handling of animals by S must be carefully supervised & S should have a parent permission slip on file T & S should never mishandle or mistreat animals A safety lesson should be given to teach students how to care for and treat classroom animals Animals caught in the wild should never be brought into the classroom Be aware of animals S might encounter while on a field trip At no time should dissection be done on an animal corpse unless it was specifically purchased from a reliable supplier Never keep animals preserved in formaldehyde in your classroom or school!

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES T should establish emergency procedures for (at least) the following… emergency first aid, electric shock, poisoning, burns, fire, evacuations, spills and animal bites Review emergency procedures with S before beginning any classroom experiment Be prepared and have equipment and supplies nearby for unforeseen emergencies Establish procedures for notifying appropriate authorities in the event of an emergency

DISPOSAL Except for the disposal procedures described in the science text, it is unlikely that any of the wastes generated in elementary science activities will be harmful to the environment. If the T has any questions concerning waste disposal, the district Science Leader or County Elementary Science Consultant should be consulted.

GENERAL SAFETY RULES FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS Never do any experiment without the approval and supervision of your teacher Always wear safety goggles when directed to by your teacher Know the location of all safety equipment in your classroom Tell your teacher immediately if an accident occurs Tell your teacher immediately if a spill occurs Tell your teacher immediately about any broken or chipped glassware Tie back long hair and secure loose clothing when working around flames If instructed to do so, wear lab apron or smock to protect your clothing Never assume anything that has been heated is cool. Never taste anything during a laboratory activity Clean up your work area when you are finished with your activity Wash your hands with soap and water after completing an activity

‘American Chemical Society’ PROGRAM DEVELOPED BY Tim Williamson Elementary Science Consultant Los Angeles County Office of Education Information for this presentation was provided by the ‘American Chemical Society’