Science First Week Activity Gab Lab Stations First Days Getting to Know You

Use these Science Gab Lab stations to elicit conversation about science content and help your students to get to know each other during the first days or weeks of school! These stations are meant for grades 7-10 and for early in the school year, semester, or term when your students are first learning each others’ names and getting to know one another! They will appreciate the chance to talk about themselves and complete small coloring tasks along with engaging with interesting science content! This is also a nice early-assessment tool for you to assess your students' collaboration, writing, and higher-level thinking skills!

These 8 stations cover science topics in biology, chemistry, physics, the human body, and space. For example, at one station, the students will learn about the elements that are used in a smart phone...at another station they will watch a video clip showing motion on the International Space Station and discuss what they're seeing. This activity can be used in any science-related class as all of science ties together! The point is that your students will be talking about science with each other during week 1!

Each station of this lab involves minimal prep time for the teacher. There is a station sign for each station containing the directions for the Science Task that the students complete first at each station. The students will each have their own lab packet, which contains 8 sheets that can be copied back-to-back, plus the ‘science montage’ graphic on which they will color based on the Social Task directions at each station (this can be used as classroom décor or as a cover page for a science notebook!). For each Social Task, the students will discuss a given question about themselves then they will follow the directions to color on the montage based on each others' answers...(for example, find out each person's birth order...then color the polka dots red for the oldest children, purple for the middle children, blue for the youngest children, pink for any only children.)

You will need a set of colored pencils for each of the 8 stations, as well as two computers or devices with internet for the activity at 2 of the stations. You will also need a "drinking bird" toy, which can be purchased for about $6 on Amazon.

This lab activity will take approximately 2 to 2½ 40-minute class periods as you will need 5-10 minutes on the first day to explain the directions for moving from station to station, and it should take about 8-10 minutes for the students to complete the science and social task at each station.

The Answer Keys are provided for all stations.

*There is a completely editable version now included in the download. I have also included a blank station sheet and a blank student page in case you would like to change a station or add an additional one!

You may also be interested in these BACK TO SCHOOL resources:

Science Doodle Syllabus

Google Slides Bellwork/Do Now Boards

Brown Bag Biography Getting to Know You Activity

Periodic Partners Appointment Clock

Back to School Bundle

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Sunrise Science