Who Is Ultimately Responsible?

Part of me says this article is not an issue. Buying commercial science kits from well known companies would lead me to have an expectation that the creator of the kit would err on the side... See More

Part of me says this article is not an issue. Buying commercial science kits from well known companies would lead me to have an expectation that the creator of the kit would err on the side of overstated safety due to some much knowledge about the harmful effects of chemicals and such by young children. So what is left? I think it is important for the educator to make sure the kit is age appropriate for the target students so that they don’t inadvertently harm themselves. The second concern for the educator is to provide a safe location to use the kit. Lastly, any student can create a safety issue if they are not properly supervised so adequate supervision is a must. These issues are not ones that well know manufactures of science safety kits should be concerned with. Perhaps an educator needs to make sure they are familiar with the safety record of the company they purchase from first.

Safety in Science Kits

Considering the number of school districts embracing kit based instruction, this short article provides basic guidelines for assessing the safety considerations addressed within a kit. It pr... See More

Considering the number of school districts embracing kit based instruction, this short article provides basic guidelines for assessing the safety considerations addressed within a kit. It provides questions to ask when considering specific science kits. The article is worth reading if you're considering kit based instruction for science teaching at any level.