© 2023 by Greg Landry. For permission to reprint in blogs, newsletters, web sites, etc. please contact Greg Landry.
I receive lots of questions about what constitutes a high school "science lab".
Most colleges and state requirements want to see science labs that include:
1. A student participating (interacting) in the lab they're working on - either in person or in an interactive virtual lab (rather than just watching a video, for example) and following a systematic "method" or "procedure."
2. A student collecting data and / or recording observations from the lab they're working on. This is typically recording results, numbers, observations, etc.
3. A student writing a full, formal lab report on the lab they've completed. It should include statement of purpose, background information, hypothesis, materials, method / procedure, results (typically in data table and graphic formats), hypothesis evaluation, errors or anomalous results, future research, and conclusions.
4. A minimum of eight labs in a school year completed with full, formal lab reports.