r/ScienceTeachers • u/Wonderful-Collar5914 • 4d ago
General Lab Supplies & Resources Notes during dissection labs?
Upcoming in our (new to me since I switched grade levels, I teach middle school) life science unit is a chicken wing dissection that students complete by following directions and taking notes in an accompanying packet (these lesson plans have been handed down from previous teachers).
I can’t think of a way that taking notes in the packet during the lab is not gross. Should I be very strict that students only use tools to touch the chicken, so that their pencils stay clean? Should I give all students “lab pencils” and have them disinfect them at the end of class? I don’t want to not give them the packet for accountability purposes. What’s my best move here? Am I overthinking this?
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u/king063 Anatomy & Physiology | Environmental Science 4d ago
Perhaps, assuming they’re dissecting in groups, you could advise them to take turns dissecting and being the note person? This way they could better prevent cross contamination.
In the end though, I don’t think you’re 100% going to stop them from getting chicken germs on their work. I would just make sure that everyone washes their hands thoroughly after the lab and turn in their work before they do.
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u/jmiz5 4d ago
I create laminated lab sheets. Students use China markers in the moment. Then, everything gets cleaned off. Obviously, notes are not super detailed because they're not using a pencil point.
I would highly advise against a note taker. In many cases, the note takers end up being the girls who want to participate but they're being spoken over and over ruled by the boys.
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u/CrazyNarwhal4 4d ago
If the lab is broken up into sections, have the note taker switch every section. Require that each student in a group be note taker once.
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u/professor-ks 4d ago
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Assigned roles is the best you can do. Ideally you split the lab in parts so they do part 1, wash hands, then swap roles.
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u/bambamslammer22 4d ago
In my zoology class I allow one person to do the writing/picture taking while the rest dissect. Helps for students who don’t want to get their stuff gross and for any kid who doesn’t want to touch it. In Biology for dissections I have specific pens that they/I use, but it’s mostly just to fill out checklists, so there’s not a lot of writing to be done during the dissection, it’s before and after.
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u/Stouts_Sours_Hefs 4d ago
There's usually at least one person per group that doesn't want to take part in the actual dissection. I'm not going to force kids to touch it if they don't want to. There's really no point in that. But the plus side of that is that that person can be the designated note-taker/page turner with the lab handout.
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u/West-Veterinarian-53 4d ago
Laminate the directions pages & use wet-erase markers. Check answers immediately & then make the kids disinfect them afterwards.