The great science experiment debate...

Posted by Paul Decelles October 5, 2009 at 12:47 p.m.

The other month we discussed chemistry sets and how they have changed, maybe for the worse. Well the same thing may be happening to school science experiments. Here is a link to an article from the Times in England titled:

School lab health and safety rules 'could stop future scientists'

The article notes that safety concerns have led science teachers to stop doing or letting students do some classic science experiments such as putting potassium or sodium in water, making thermite or burning magnesium. Such activities are being replaced with videos .

On one side of the question are people such as this scientist:

"“Many of the experiments we did handling strong acids wouldn’t be allowed today, but learning to handle dangerous materials teaches you how to deal with things sensibly,”

And on the other side this teacher who notes:

“But we’re moving on to different ways of teaching science — with videos, and on the web with virtual learning environments which are quite as interesting. It’s a different way of learning but it should still be able to turn them on. What you need is inspirational teachers.”

In England aside from safety concerns, there is also pressure to avoid these sorts of practical experiences due to the need to prepare students for exams...perhaps at the expense of getting them hooked on science.

I cant speak to the secondary school level today but at the college level in biology I know we don't do some what used to be quite ordinary procedures in the name of safety. For example it was standard in a basic biology lab to have students type their own blood-hmmm prick their fingers with lancets and (gasp!) put blood droplets on a slide, add the antibodies- a little experiment. Well now, the blood is fake and while the students still see the procedure the outcome is all canned. Getting your own blood type is much more exciting.

Of course this trend is all part of what I like to think of is the regulation of experience that used to be really play. For instance when I was young our family Doctor was in single practice, did not have a nurse let alone a receptionist and I remember one of my school exams he asked if I knew my blood type. When I shook my head no he took me into his examining room and did the blood typing right there-pricked my finger put the three drops of blood mixed in the antibodies and saline on the third drop as a control. I could see the reaction -or lack of since I am type O and he patiently explained what was going on.

Now my Doctor was a family friend, in fact I was named after him, but I wonder how many physicians today take this sort of time with their patients, especially their young patients, family friend or not. Bet many of them would want to take the time but they can't-too much paper work to and too little time in the day, to much regulation.

Besides, the blood work is done in a lab today so I bet the docs don't even have the materials for typing blood in their offices.

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pdecell (Paul Decelles) says…

LOL, yes and there are cool experiments to be done with them. But the administrators will catch on pretty quickly me thinks.
October 5, 2009 at 12:59 p.m.
salad (anonymous) says…

The race to make the world "hazzard-free" for children, and "lawsuit-free" for school edu-crats has resulted in:
1. No more shop class'
2. No more auto tech class
3. No more science labs with chemicals
4. Many many hoops to jump through to even take a field trip.
5. Discouraging teachers to even take their classes outside the building!!!
6. The ultimate goal of good test scores, no complaints, and no one getting excited about anything.
7. Actual learning can take place outside of school if necessary.
October 5, 2009 at 2:20 p.m.
autie (anonymous) says…

We did things in shop class and chemistry class...that, well..I'm just glad we never got caught. I always loved the physics experiment we did in shop class in ninth grade. Drop a chunk of 2X4 on top of the whirling table saw blade sans guard and launch it across the room...with the aim of striking someone up side the head. Or stapling that one boys shirt to the workbench about 3 seconds before the bell rang to go to the next class...after we locked the teacher in the tool crib room. Oh good times...good times.
October 5, 2009 at 2:35 p.m.
devobrun (anonymous) says…

Well Paul, I teach physics at a private high school.

We blow things up.

At the end of this week we are shooting darts (10 penny nails with a crude tail fin attached) at a cardboard target. The darts are blown through a 3/4" ID pipe about 18" long.

Blowing the dart at 10 meters/sec and hitting a target about 5 meters away is loud, exciting and competitive. We could put an eye out!

The idea is to shoot the dart fast, slow, and in between. The drop from the aiming point is because of gravity. My honors students are deriving the equations as homework tonight.

We are measuring the acceleration of gravity, 9.81 m/s^2. That is, I've told them that earth's gravity is an acceleration of 981. Now we test it.

Don't tell the puritans that we are having fun. Videos or pictures will be taken OF us for use in the yearbook.
October 5, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.