If you want to create the formal effect of a science lab for your homeschooling students you need to get some equipment that you would find in a school science lab. This will allow your homeschooling science class to get a more formal structure. Here are some such lab equipments that you can buy and keep in the science lab at your home.
[am4show have=’p8;p9;p11;p38;’ guest_error=’Guest error message’ user_error=’User error message’ ]
Build your science lab
Clear out a table or counter top in the class room for the science lab equipment. Have a chest of drawers handy to put away the equipment when it is not in use. Make sure that the children understand the safety rules associated with using science lab equipment. They must know beyond a shadow of doubt that these things are not toys or play material. they are serious study equipment.
What to buy and stock in the science lab
Here is a list of things that you can buy and keep for your homeschool science lab. Magnifying glasses, goggles, Petri dishes, plastic bags with ziplocs, tweezers, foreceps, test tubes, beakers of different shapes and sizes, filter paper, regular flashlights, pipettes (droppers), litmus papers both red and blue, ID badges, small notepads to record experiments, pens, invisible ink pens,magnets of different sizes and shapes, circuit making wires, small screwdriver set, batteries, LED or light up toys, blacklight torch, and crazy straws. This is an indicative list and you can add or delete items as per your own personal needs.
Care for the equipment and restocking
As with any other study material or educational resource you will have to teach the children to care for their science lab equipment. Cleaning up the material that they have used in an experiment is part of teaching them how to use it correctly. They should know that while a glass test tube can be washed it would not be safe to wash wires in water. Basic restocking would also have to be done to ensure that the science lab never runs out of material to conduct experiments with. The reusable materials aside take stock of the materials that can not be used more than once. Have your child list out the material which will be used up and need to be replaced after each experiment and add that to your shopping list.
Article Inspiration: About Homeschooling
[/am4show]