Three Different Kinds of Labs

I recall a heartwarming moment when a student approached me the day after a projectile motion lab named “Hit the Target.” The objective was for students to utilize their grasp of physics and mathematics to determine where a ball would land on the ground after rolling off a table. Their performance on this task would influence their grade. The student remarked, “When I saw that ball roll down the ramp, onto the table, and then perfectly fall into the cup where I had calculated, I felt like a magician! But there was no magic involved, it was pure SCIENCE!”

As an educator, I thrive on labs and projects – they constitute my absolute favorite days in class. Every year, when I ask my students to anonymously complete a Google form, more than 75% of the class consistently cites labs and projects as their preferred aspect of the curriculum. I relish presenting clear and concise instructions, then stepping back to observe them wrestle, deliberate, and strategize their way through the task. It’s their moment to shine, to become miniature scientists. They embark on a journey of discovery, data collection, and using science to predict the future.

The labs I assign to my students fall into three distinct categories:

1) **Inquiry-Based Labs (Mainly Simulations)**

2) **Engaging and Entertaining Labs**

3) **Predicting the Future (My Personal Favorite)**

In this video, I delve deeper into these three types of labs, providing illustrative examples:

Witnessing my students’ enthusiasm and dedication during these lab sessions reinforces my passion for teaching and the remarkable impact of hands-on learning.

Warm regards,

Ray Burns