Practise purposeful practicals

By Euan Douglas2021-03-24T08:00:00

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Identify the reason you’re teaching a particular experiment to ensure students learn not just how to do it, but the concept and technique too

Practical work is a key feature of science teaching, but what is its purpose? That varies from lesson to lesson and between age groups. Taking a wider view of what’s involved and identifying that purpose – developing knowledge of chemistry concepts, techniques and procedures – will help you prepare students to understand and analyse, rather than simply follow a recipe for an experiment. This article suggests way to do that, in your lesson planning, and in class.

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