Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of laboratory safety, scientific inquiry, and reasoning. Through guided laboratory and field investigations, students will practice safety procedures alongside environmentally responsible and ethical scientific practices.

Students will gain proficiency with a range of scientific tools and equipment—including laboratory journals and notebooks, beakers, Petri dishes, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, test tubes, balances, microscopes, thermometers, computers, and timing devices—to collect, record, and analyze data. Students will also learn to properly use preventative safety equipment, such as goggles, aprons, and gloves, and will receive training in the use of emergency safety equipment, including eye/face wash stations, fire blankets, and fire extinguishers.

Through the application of empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and rigorous experimental and observational testing, students will learn to analyze and evaluate scientific explanations, fostering the development of critical thinking skills essential to scientific literacy.