Middle School Science Skills: First Days of School Activities

Three activities to start off a new year of middle school science:

I. Lab Safety: Cause and Effect

- Handout: Common science lab safety rules in cartoon form.

- Activity: Students determine the possible negative consequences of not following safety rules. (Skills: cause and effect, working with a group, writing, oral presentation)

II.Observation and Inference: The Misadventures of Mitzi

- Activity: Mitzi is missing. Who is Mitzi? What happened to her? Students will use their observation and inference skills to solve the mystery. (Skills: observation, inference, working with a group, writing, oral presentation)

III. Measurement: Review and Practice

- Worksheet: Review how to measure length, mass, and volume on paper.

- Activity: Students will use lab equipment to practice measuring length, mass, and volume in order to estimate how many beans are in a beaker. (Skills: measurement, calculating averages, estimation, working with a group)

Copyright © E. Stubbe (The Wasp Whisperer)

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