Pre-Lab Tips

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1. Insure that proper safety equipment and procedures are in place. Make sure students understand safety precautions before entering the lab.
2. Structure the first laboratory experience so that students become aware of the location of glassware, chemicals, other laboratory equipment, safety showers, and other safety equipment. An easy, safe experiment such as density measurement allows students to become familiar with lab layout and protocol.
3. Plan ahead: order chemicals and other necessary supplies for each laboratory.
4. Prepare materials (solutions, supplies, etc.) and collect the equipment for each lab.
5. Complete a trial run not only to insure that the procedure works as expected, but also to familiarize yourself with the process. Know a lab inside out so you can explain steps, answer student questions, and deal more easily with the unexpected.
6. Teach students how and why to write up a lab to create a lab notebook or portfolio for the course.
   1. Lab write-ups are worth doing even in introductory classes.
   2. Require students to turn in the procedure part of the lab write-up at the beginning of each lab to make sure each student is familiar with the procedure.

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