SHIFTING LAB LESSONS FROM 'COOKBOOK' TO INQUIRY

Science education is full of “cookbook” labs. We have all done them: take 5 grams of this, stir in 10 ml of that, heat, measure or whatever….. then put your answer to this question on the following line. Besides being boring, these lab procedures don’t allow or even expect students to think creatively, identify and manipulate variables, or truly use the scientific process. You can save your labs from this abyss! These “cookbook” labs can easily be shifted to full inquiry mode with a few easy steps. This process can be utilized for all grade levels from elementary to college. Student gains include a better understanding of the science and background of the topic, experiences with manipulating variables, writing questions that can be investigated, and creating individualized lab procedures that can lead the whole class to a deeper understanding of the key concepts being studied.

Using an example lab of soda bottles, carbon dioxide and temperature, I demonstrate shifting the lab from cookbook to inquiry. Materials are from www.ctenergyeducation.com, a free lesson resource that was created by the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University.