Tips, Tricks, and Techniques to Run PLTW Biomedical Labs

Tim Walsh

Becky Howell

Objectives

1. You will learn how to plan PLTW labs by ordering perishables, planning lab days, and properly preparing labs.
2. You will learn strategies to organize labs, so they run smoothly and succinctly.
3. You will learn several ways to make your labs more routine to improve student behavior and learning.

PLTW Labs

1. Planning: What do you need to do ahead of time?
2. Organization: How do you organize materials?
3. Routine: What can you repeat every lab?

Planning

Ordering Perishables

Prep Days

Practice Days

Ordering All Materials

Planning

1. Order at the beginning of the summer to ensure you have all of your materials.
2. Double check orders as they arrive to ensure you received everything.
3. Organize your materials as they come in (more on this later).
4. Look for perishable items (sticker on box)

Ordering All Materials

Planning

• If orders arrive over summer, you receive coupons to redeem perishable items.
• Email each different vendor at the beginning of the semester, so they ship you your perishables.
• Most will ship ALL perishable items, but you may request they ship them at certain times (allow 2 weeks for shipping)

Ordering Perishables

Planning

Ordering Perishables

Planning

• Look at lab protocol 1-2 weeks ahead of when you plan to run the lab.
• Be sure to stick to the timelines for preparing items.
• Build in teacher prep time for 1-2 days ahead of the lab.

Prep Days

Planning

Prep Days

Planning

• Build in practice days ahead of some labs for certain skills students need.
• Review lab techniques on day of lab for skills students have already learned.

Practice Days

Planning

Practice Days

Planning

Turn and talk to someone next to you and discuss strategies you use for planning labs.

Organization

Materials for Lab

Classroom Lab Organization

Organization

• Organize the consumables in your classroom by class (i.e. PBS, HBS, etc.) and then by lab
• Set up areas for specific durable lab equipment: micropipette, glassware, gel electrophoresis.

Classroom Lab Organization

Organization

• For most labs: put items needed for each group in individual buckets for each group
• For some labs: group each supply and pass out to groups during lab (best for items with temperature requirements)

Materials for Lab

Organization

What is one way you make your labs more organized?

Routine

Lab Structure

Lab Roles

Routine

Observation

Question

Hypothesis

Experimental Design

Prediction

Data

Conclusion

Reading and pre-lab questions

What are we trying to answer with this lab?

A possible answer to your question

Tie hypothesis to experiment

Detailed steps (TIMING!)

Tables, graphs, etc.

Is your hypothesis supported by the data?

Routine

Lab Structure

PBS Example

MI Example

Routine

• Leader: creates plan
• Materials manager: gathers materials, assures materials are used properly, returns materials.
• Facilitator: ensures plan is executed
• Data collector: writes down results

Lab Roles

Routine

What routines do you follow when you conduct a lab?

Questions?

STEM Week reminder! Upload student (grades 6-12) BY FRIDAY 10/22

• Teachers grades 6-12 submit PLTW student work
• Models, sketches, prototypes
• With student explanation video
• Students receive personalized feedback on their work from industry professionals
• STEM professional schedules a virtual classroom visit
• Students eligible to win prizes

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• Be a part of a pathway-specific community of fellow PLTW educators.
• Collaborate with peers to plan, share ideas, and problem-solve.
• Learn about meaningful programming to enhance your students' PLTW experiences.

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