Investigation Skills Workshop

Overview

In this practical preparation lesson, students refine the method, data table and safety controls for their planned cell investigation. They apply biological knowledge and scientific inquiry skills to identify hazards, select appropriate PPE, manage biological and chemical waste, and justify how their procedures will produce valid, reliable evidence.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• refine a clear, repeatable method for their planned investigation
• identify hazards and select suitable risk controls and PPE
• design a results table that records relevant, measurable data
• explain how safe and controlled procedures support valid biological conclusions

Success criteria

• I can identify hazards associated with my investigation and explain how each will be controlled.
• I can select PPE and describe how biological and chemical waste will be managed.
• I can produce a results table with appropriate headings, units and space for repeated trials.
• I can justify one improvement to my method or data collection.

Curriculum links

• Cell structures and functions: explaining how cell structures enable biological processes needed for life.
• Cells and their environments: planning investigations involving cells and their interactions with conditions.
• Biochemical processes: collecting evidence about processes occurring in living cells.
• Scientific investigation, safe laboratory practice and communicating evidence support the development of explanations about cells as the basis of life.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Safety hook and retrieval. Teacher opens the hazard hook and lesson goals with a deliberately unsafe cell investigation scenario, then asks: “What could harm people, damage equipment or invalidate the results?” Students individually list hazards, then compare ideas with a partner and recall the purpose of independent, dependent and controlled variables.

2. 7–17 min · Explicit safety instruction. Teacher uses the safety and risk-control slides to model the sequence hazard → risk → control, including elimination or substitution where possible, safe work practices, PPE, supervision and emergency responses. Students annotate their planned investigation, identifying biological hazards such as living cultures or tissue, chemical hazards such as stains, acids or disinfectants, sharps, heat, glassware and spills.

3. 17–30 min · Group risk assessment. Teacher places students in seven groups of five and distributes the investigation refinement and risk-assessment worksheet; circulate to question whether controls are specific and realistic. Students complete a risk table for their own investigation, select PPE, describe safe handling and disposal of biological and chemical waste, and nominate a group safety checker. Each group must identify at least four hazards and rank the remaining risk after controls are applied.

4. 30–43 min · Method and data-table clinic. Teacher returns to the method and results-table examples and models improving a vague instruction such as “measure the change” into a precise, repeatable step with quantities, timing and measurement technique. Students revise their method and construct a results table showing the independent variable, dependent variable, units, controlled variables, repeated trials and space for qualitative observations; groups complete a 60-second peer check using the worksheet prompts.

5. 43–53 min · Peer review and troubleshooting. Teacher displays the peer-review questions and troubleshooting prompts and assigns each group a paired reviewer. Students explain their method to another group, which checks whether the procedure is safe, repeatable, fair and capable of producing useful evidence. Reviewers identify one strength, one hazard requiring stronger control and one change that would improve reliability or validity; groups record and act on the feedback.

6. 53–60 min · Approval check and exit response. Teacher uses the plenary and exit-ticket prompt to revisit the essential question: “How do careful methods and safety controls improve the quality of biological evidence?” Students submit the completed worksheet or show it for approval, then independently answer: “Name one hazard in your investigation, its control, and one method change that will improve the data.” Teacher confirms that no group proceeds to the practical until its method and risk controls are approved.

Resources

• the investigation skills workshop deck
• the investigation refinement and risk-assessment worksheet
• Students’ planned investigation questions and draft methods
• Sample laboratory equipment, labels or photographs for hazard discussion
• PPE: safety glasses, gloves, lab coats or aprons as appropriate
• School laboratory risk-assessment and waste-disposal procedures
• Whiteboard and markers
• Timer

Assessment

• Formatively assess hazard identification, risk-control choices and understanding through questioning during group planning.
• Check each method and results table for measurable variables, units, controlled variables, repeat trials and sufficient detail for another student to follow.
• Use the exit response to identify misconceptions about PPE, waste management, validity or reliability before the practical lesson.

Differentiation

• Provide a partially completed risk table, a hazard-and-control word bank and sentence starters such as “The hazard is…”, “The risk is reduced by…” and “This improves reliability because…”.
• Allow students to explain controls orally before recording them; provide enlarged, high-contrast worksheet copies and assign clear group roles for students requiring organisational or motor support.
• For EAL/D learners, pre-teach hazard, risk, control, PPE, contamination, validity and reliability using the slide visuals and model responses.
• Challenge confident students to distinguish validity from reliability, justify a control using the investigation’s variables, and identify a possible source of systematic error.