☰ Year plan · Science

Gold, recycling and lab safety

Week 14 · Chapter 10: exercises and Review & Practice; Column: The Science of Change; Lab Safety and Professional Tools · 3 lessons
3

Safe habits in a science lab

Science P6: Term 1, Chapter 10, pp. 86–91
GoalName the habits that keep a science lab safe and design a lab rules poster.
New words
goggles · clear eye protection worn in a labwaft · to move a smell toward you with your handspill · liquid that has gone where it should not
Explanation

A science lab is a place for careful discoveries. Good habits keep everyone safe. Wear goggles whenever liquids or powders are used. Tie back long hair. Listen to the teacher before you begin. Never taste anything in the lab. If you must smell something, do not put your nose near it: move the smell toward you with your hand, which is called wafting. If you spill something, wash it off with plenty of water and tell the teacher at once. Use special tools, such as gas detector tubes, only with the teacher, because glass can break. At the end, clean up and wash your hands. In class we only use the activities chosen by the teacher.

goggleswaft the smellwash spillstell the teacher
Worked examples
Hana sees a puddle of liquid on the table. She does not wipe it with her hand. She tells the teacher.
Omar is curious about the smell of the liquid. He wafts the smell to his nose with his hand from a safe distance.
RulePicture idea
wear gogglesa face with goggles
no tastinga crossed-out spoon
tell the teacher about spillsa hand up
wash your handsa tap
Mina’s poster has four rules with a picture beside each one.
Class activity

Lab rules poster. On a big sheet of paper, draw your own poster with five rules for a safe lab. Choose bright colours and add a picture for each rule. Share it with your class or your family.

Practice
1
Why do we wear goggles?
2
What is wafting?
3
What do you do if you spill a liquid?
4
Why should only the teacher handle a gas detector tube?