Staying Safe While You Investigate

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to show safe habits and use safety equipment during science investigations in the classroom and outdoors.

Science is fun, but it can also be messy. You might mix liquids, heat something warm, or walk through tall grass on a field investigation, which is science work done outside the classroom. Safety rules keep you and your classmates from getting hurt so the learning can keep going.

Think about a class trip to a pond near your school in Texas. Before you go, your teacher tells everyone to wear closed shoes, stay with a partner, and never taste or touch unknown plants. You put on safety goggles, which are clear glasses that protect your eyes, before scooping water into a cup. You wear gloves so pond water does not touch a cut on your hand. These small steps stop big problems.

In the classroom, the same idea is true. You read all the directions before you start. You tie back long hair near a heat source. You tell your teacher right away if something spills or breaks, instead of cleaning it yourself. You know where the eyewash station and the fire blanket are, because a fire blanket is a thick cloth used to smother flames. When the work is done, you wash your hands and put every tool back where it belongs.

Good scientists also protect living things and the land. On a field investigation, you leave animals alone, stay on the trail, and carry your trash back with you. You return to your group when the teacher calls, so nobody gets lost.

Try it: You are about to pour vinegar into a cup to watch it bubble, and your goggles are sitting on the table beside you. What should you do first, and why?