How to Teach Practical Planning Skills | Ideas

Practical lessons are hard to do well. There is huge cognitive demand. Understanding the purpose of a practice can be abstract and difficult.

Hands-on exercises help explain concepts and give students the opportunity to use specialized equipment. They show aspects of the method, what a particular reaction looks like, and develop transferable skills.A student looking to further study or her STEM career will know how to plan hands-on work is needed.

Practical planning is an essential skill for learners at all levels

your behavior management It should be tight during practice. Students should avoid distractions from their peers.

Example: making salt

To understand the intricacies involved in practice, consider the following canonical method. Using this standard method, you can mark the following questions: Describe how to make pure dry crystals of copper sulfate from metal oxides and dilute acids.

1. measure 25 cm³ Add sulfuric acid and place in a beaker.
2. Warm the sulfuric acid slowly.
3. Add excess copper oxide and stir.
4. Filter the solution using a funnel and filter paper to remove excess copper oxide.
5. The solution is placed in an evaporator on a water bath and heated to the crystallization point.
6. Place the solution on a windowsill to crystallize and dab the crystals dry with filter paper.

Each of these steps consists of several components. Students should have a thorough understanding of these so that they can successfully plan their practice.

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How can a student actually do this, create a method from scratch, fully understand why each step is taken, and be able to use specific equipment?

Consider expertise in your curriculum. Before students do the practical, think about where they have encountered it before in the curriculum. How have they progressed over the years? What do they need to know and be able to do? Need a summary? Do you have time to isolate and practice certain components before doing this practice? When do they repeat these techniques so that they become fluent in their practical use of salt?

Clarify the purpose of your practice. Compromises may have to be made to reduce the actual demands (for example, laying out equipment in trays, keeping water in beakers, etc.). You don’t have to test everything at once.

This article is part of our teach science skills This series brings together strategies and classroom activities that help learners develop essential scientific skills. Check back every Wednesday for the following articles and resources. Plus, get a print version of all articles in the May EiC print issue.

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Teach your students how steps are missing or incorrect. Identify these and ask them to suggest improvements. For example, say you want your students to make copper sulfate, but the method uses hydrochloric acid instead of sulfuric acid.

Give students pictures of equipment and ask them to create methods that lead to valid results. Have them write a method on a mini whiteboard and compare it to the entire class.

Please teach your students how. Identify the variables and ask them to explain the purpose of each step and why it is best to use a particular piece of equipment.

Good practice planning is an essential skill for learners at all levels. Following these steps will guide your students to get the best out of their practice.