Science teachers are turning to investigative labs with object-driven phenomena to gain student interest and understanding.

Ask any science teacher about the keys to a successful lab experiment, and “getting students interested” is at the top of their list. Without student engagement, the lab becomes just another assignment to complete and then leave behind. But when students get excited about a lab, they carry what they learn with them for a lifetime. You probably have a few persistent memories of an early school lesson that really grabbed your interest, and it still comes to life in your mind many years later. That is the power of using real-life phenomena in lab investigations.

"Integrating 3-dimensional learning into labs" is another top priority for teachers, as an increasing number of schools are adopting the NGSS, or phenomena-based science standards. When students develop an intuitive habit of using all three dimensions of learning, it provides them with a skillset they can use in all areas of life.

So, what can be done to increase the odds of students embracing their lab studies, and how can this be done within a three-dimensional learning environment? At Carolina, we continuously seek input from teachers on what is working well for them and what they need to meet these goals. We recently asked several middle and high school teachers for feedback on how the Carolina Kits 3D™ labs help them do just that.

In keeping with the phenomenon-based approach of three-dimensional learning, the Carolina Kits 3D™ labs begin with a real-world event or situation—known as the "anchor phenomena"— that students can observe and consider. This is the focus of the lab to help students integrate the three dimensions of learning and gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon.

Teachers find the phenomenon-based approach an effective way to gain and expand student interest. The molecular structure kit, for example, uses an introductory video to introduce students to the variety of plastic types used in different products. Buchanan says some of the products are everyday realities for students, while other uses of plastics are "real eye openers for them." She describes how this introduction to diversity of plastic polymers "really expands the students’ realization of how many products contain plastic and how their physical and chemical properties reflect their intended use."

Students in Demers’ classes are also intrigued by their phenomenon-based experiments. In the chemical bonding lab, her students first consider how the substances discovered on Mars are evaluated for their physical characteristics, including the types of chemical bonds they contain. The students then conduct hands-on tests of several known substances to learn the observable characteristics of different chemical bonds.

The ultimate goal of phenomenon-based learning is for students to learn to make sense of the event or situation and be able to extrapolate their findings to similar phenomena. The chemical bonding lab encourages this by asking students to identify an unknown substance’s bond type by applying what they previously learned about the bonds of known substances. The molecular structure lab does so by asking students to design their own specific-use plastic using the knowledge gained from their earlier study of the characteristics of different plastic polymers.

These multi-step, multi-day labs lead students from phenomenon introduction and consideration, through experimentation, and finally to application to unknowns or a design challenge. As Demers confirms, "this approach really improves student learning." She explains that the lab’s "cookie recipe" approach to the basic chemistry of the polymer lesson is then reinforced when students apply that learning to the polymer design competition. "Students have no problem picking out on a multiple-choice test that polymers are covalently bonded and that they are repeating patterns of the same molecule which lead to the properties they discovered in lab."

Carolina is committed to helping students and teachers succeed in the many different ways such success is measured. The Carolina Kits 3D™ labs use real-life phenomena to capture students’ attention and strengthen their three-dimensional learning skills. The comprehensive and user-friendly kits help teachers easily integrate 3-dimensional learning into their classes so both students and teachers can enjoy the labs.

Learn more about the science-educator developed and reviewed teacher’s manuals, student guides, pre-prepped lab materials, engaging activities, and digital lab resources that make up Carolina Kits 3D™ labs at www.carolina.com/3D.