How to Design Science Activities

Designing science activities involves planning for proper materials to carry out experiments.

Science is an integral part of curriculum in schools at the primary, middle and high school levels. When properly taught, science aids students in developing sound research and observation skills. The scientific method is important for teaching students how to develop hypotheses regarding scientific phenomena and how to test those hypotheses for accuracy. Designing science activities requires careful consideration of desired learning outcomes, as well as the skill level of the learners. As with other areas of study, designing science activities also involves preparation of materials and planning for a safe environment for experiments and testing.

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with who will perform the science activities. Learn the age of the participants and find out what previous experience they have with science, experiments and laboratory work. Identify any special challenges that could affect the way you approach your science activities, including learning, behavioral or emotional disabilities and physical handicaps.

2. Determine the content of the activities. When designing an activity, you must consider what you are trying to teach; for example, in a weather unit, you may want to show how a cloud is formed. While designing your science activity, you must discover the best activity to explain cloud formation, including evaporation of water through heating of the earth's surface and changes in air pressure.

3. Find the most appropriate scientific approach for teaching the chosen concept. Science can be taught in a variety of ways, including through laboratory experiments where students attempt to precisely imitate certain conditions to produce a desired result. In addition, in inquiry-based science, students ask questions and predict outcomes, then carry out an investigation to verify the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of their predictions. Find the approach that will best enable students to arrive at a conclusion.

4. Write a lesson plan. Your lesson plan should include the objective of the activity. For example, in the case of the cloud formation lesson, you can state as an objective that students see the meteorological conditions necessary to make clouds. Make sure that your lesson plan lists all materials necessary for the activity and who will provide the materials.

5. Plan for safety. Make sure that goggles are available for all students to protect their eyes, as well as a fire extinguisher when using incendiary materials and a wet/dry vacuum for removing spills and debris. Advise students regarding the steps for remaining safe during experiments and while collecting data.

Tips & Warnings

• When designing the activity, think about making it an active process so the students are engaged at all times through gathering data or observing phenomenon.

• Short activities often have more impact than experiments that have to take place over several days. Students like to see immediate results.

References

• TASC The After School Corporation: How to Design and Run Great Program Activities

Resources

• EO.UCAR.edu: Hands-On Science Activities