Description
Science-learning spaces are different from general-purpose classrooms. So if your school is planning to build or renovate, you need the fully updated NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities. It’s the definitive resource for every K-12 school that seeks safe, effective science space without costly, time-consuming mistakes.
New to this edition is a chapter on “green” schools, including how to think outside the traditional walls and use the entire grounds to encourage environmental responsibility in students. The revised guide also provides essential up-to-date coverage such as:
• Practical information on laboratory and general room design, budget priorities, space considerations, and furnishings.
• Stages of the planning process for new and renovated science facilities.
• Current trends and future directions in science education and safety, accessibility, and legal guidelines.
• Detailed appendices about equipment-needs planning, classroom dimensions, and new safety research, plus an updated science facilities audit.
NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities will help science teachers, district coordinators, school administrators, boards of education, and schoolhouse architects understand those differences and develop science facilities that will serve students for years to come.
Ideas For Use
This book is designed to provide teachers, curriculum leaders, and administrators with a broad vision of the role of facilities in science teaching, as well as the background they will need to become valuable contributors to any facilities project team. It also reflects the most up-to-date research on best practice and environments for science learning. The authors hope that this book will help planning teams design effective spaces that meet their objectives for teaching and learning science.
Contents
CONTENTS
Preface
Dedication
Introduction
CHAPTER 1 Advocacy and the Planning Process
• Empowering with Information
• Support for Good Facilities
• An Interpretation of the Standards
• The Planning Phase
• Participants
• Planning Committee
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Facilities Subcommittee
• Project Oversight
• The Planning Process
• Defining the Science Curriculum
• Evaluating Existing Facilities
• Determining Future Enrollment
• Determining the Nature of the Facilities
• Clustering Facilities
• Planning for Future Change
• Obtaining Approval and Financing
• Selecting the Architect
• The Design Phase
• The Role of the Science Education Leader
• Supervisory Roles
• Addressing the School Board
• Communicating with the Board
• The Presentation
• Building the Science Facility
• Charting the Path
• Time Line
• Construction
• Paying the Bill
• Developing a Project Budget
• Relocation
• Controlling Extra Costs
• Avoiding Surprises
CHAPTER 2 Current Trends and Future Directions in Science Education: Breaking Down the Walls
• Standards-Based Programs
• Integrated Curricula
• Co-Teaching and Inclusion
• Independent and Small Group Projects
• Secondary Courses
• Instructional Methods
• Technology and Tomorrow’s Curriculum
• Breaking Down the Walls
• Hard or Soft, Large or Small
• Hitchhike the Universe
• The Virtual Classroom
• Lights, Camera—Where’s the Action?
• Adaptive Technology
• Safe and Secure
• Sidebar: Hitting a Moving Target—Planning for Technology in New Science Spaces
CHAPTER 3 Safety Guidelines
• Building for Safety
• Safety Guidelines
• Adequate Space
• Room Size
• Space per Individual Student
• Class Size
• Space for Technology
• Space for Accessibility
• Calculating an Adequate Number of Laboratory/Classrooms
• Emergency Exits
• Electricity
• Heat Sources
• Hot Water
• Eyewash and Safety Shower
• Storage Facilities for Students
• Storage of Hazardous Chemicals
• Security of Chemicals
• Separate Chemical Storeroom
• Specialized Cabinets
• Ventilation
• Fume Hoods
• Fire Protection
• Housekeeping
• Other Factors
• Special Precautions for Seismic Areas
• Problems Specific to Renovations
• Minimizing Litigation
• Tort Law
• Best Practice
• The Research Base
CHAPTER 4 Designing Facilities for the Elementary School (K–5)
• Space Requirements, Room Design
• The Multiple-Use Classroom
• Furnishings
• The Specialized Science Classroom
• Furnishings (K–2)
• Sinks (K–2)
• Work Space (K–2)
• Storage (K–2)
• Display Space (K–2)
• Utilities (K–2)
• Lighting and Darkening Rooms (K–2)
• Computers (K–2)
• Furnishings (3–5)
• Sinks (3–5)
• Work Space (3–5)
• Storage (3-5)
• Display Space (3–5)
• Utilities, Lighting and Darkening Rooms (3–5)
• Computers (3–5)
• Teacher’s Space
• Preparation and Storage Areas for K–5
CHAPTER 5 Designing Facilities for the Middle School (6–8)
• Grouping Facilities for Integration
• Space Requirements
• The Combination Laboratory/Classroom
• Movable Lab Stations Arrangement
• Movable Lab Stations With Perimeter Utilities
• Movable Lab Tables With Fixed Freestanding Service Islands
Trifacial Service Islands
Square Service Islands
• Fixed Lab Stations Arrangement
Fixed Perimeter Lab Stations
Fixed Freestanding Lab Stations
Fixed Freestanding Long Lab Stations
• Furnishings
• Sinks
• Work Space
• Teacher’s Demo Table
• Storage
• Display Space
• Utilities
• Lighting and Darkening Rooms
• Computers
• Workstations for Students with Disabilities
• Teacher’s Space
• Preparation and Storage Rooms
• Student Project Areas
CHAPTER 6 Designing Facilities for the High School (9–12)
• Grouping Facilities for Integration
• Types of Science Rooms
• Space Requirements
• No More Separate Laboratory and Classroom
• The Combination Laboratory/Classroom
• Fixed Lab Stations
Fixed Perimeter Pier Design
“Banjos” Design
“Pier,” “Finger,” or “Peninsula” Design
Fixed Island with Work Surfaces
Fixed Octagonal Islands
Fixed Rectangular Islands
• Movable Lab Tables
Movable Lab Tables at Perimeter Design
Movable Lab Tables at Utility Islands Design
Trifacial Service Island
• Fixed Lab Stations Without a Separate Classroom Area
• Classroom Area
• Furnishings
• Sinks
• Work Space
• Storage
• Instructional Walls and Space
• Utilities
• Lighting and Darkening Rooms
• Computers
• Workstations for Students with Disabilities
• Teacher’s Space
• Preparation and Storage Rooms
• Student Project Areas
• Small Group Spaces
• Other Spaces
CHAPTER 7 Green Schools
• Start Inside
• Orientation
• Ventilation
• Cooling and Heating
• Water Supply and Drainage
• Lighting
• Materials of Construction and Furnishings
• Location
• Outdoor Facilities
• Native Plantings
• Ponds and Waterways and Rain Gardens
• Courtyards and Outdoor Classrooms
• Beyond Photosynthesis
• Building Conservation In
CHAPTER 8 Buildings That Teach
• If They Look at the Ceilings During Class
• Imaginative Planning Just Beyond the Classroom Door
• Finishing Materials for Science Rooms
• Floors
• Ceilings
• Walls
CHAPTER 9 Science for All
• ADA Guidelines
• ADA Guidelines for High School Laboratory/Classrooms
• Laboratory Workstations
• Laboratory Sinks
• Fume hoods
• Eyewashes and Safety Showers
• Other Adaptations
• ADA Checklist For Designing Science Facilities
• Information Sources
• 24-7 Schools
• Signs of the Times
• Can You Hear Me Now?
• Can I Sit in the Front?
• Always on the Move
• Making Best Use of Our Gifts
• It Takes a Whole Community
• Plan for the Worst to Achieve the Best
APPENDIX
A: Solar Energy for School Facilities
B: Building for Safety in Secondary School Science Facilities: An Audit
C: Table of Critical Dimensions
D: Equipment
E: Sample Checklists
Elementary Science
Middle School Science
High School Science
F: Glossary of Construction Terms
G: NSTA Position Statement: The Integral Role of Laboratory Investigations in
Science Instruction
H. NSTA Position Statement: Safety and School Science Instruction
I: Number of Lab/Classrooms Required Per Enrollment
J: Bibliography