“From Beakers to Behavior: The Material Culture of the Science Laboratory” supports New Haven Public Schools’ vision for rigorous, inquiry-based science instruction and fully aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards.40 This unit centers on three key Science and Engineering Practices.41 These practices are embedded throughout the unit to help students build both content mastery and scientific identity rooted in thoughtful lab behavior.
Students engage deeply in Constructing Explanations (SEP 6) as they investigate the physical and chemical properties of everyday lab materials and explain why certain tools are made from specific substances. Rather than memorizing safety rules, students are encouraged to explain the rationale behind them, fostering deeper conceptual understanding and personal responsibility.
Throughout the unit, students also Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information (SEP 8) from a variety of sources, including visual art, historical texts, contemporary lab manuals, and classroom experiments. They critically analyze how scientists and labs are represented in media, comparing those depictions with the realities of their own classroom lab environment. Communication in this unit is not limited to written reports; it includes visual analysis, discussion protocols, and reflective writing that reinforces safety, identity, and respect for scientific spaces. This emphasis on sensemaking and communication supports the development of both science literacy and lab citizenship.
Additionally, students Develop and Use Models (SEP 2) to visualize the structure, function, and behavior of lab tools and scientific concepts. They draw and label diagrams of equipment, model how heat moves through different materials, and represent molecular structures of matter. These models help students connect abstract scientific ideas to the real, tangible tools they use, bridging chemistry content with cultural understanding of how science is practiced in context.
By grounding SEPs in the material realities of the lab, this unit supports district goals for building critical thinking, disciplinary literacy, and responsible scientific engagement. By the end of this unit, students will not only know how to “think like scientists,” but also act like them with care, clarity, and curiosity.
