Tour Guide Suggestions

"Doing Science"

Each tour of the Science Building should highlight how the facilities support science teaching and learning!

• Science is a participatory endeavor:
  • The building only contains about 20 classrooms, and many of those are designed to promote discussion, small-group activities, active learning
  • The building contains over 40 class-related teaching labs (with the teaching part of the greenhouse), in which students actively engage in scientific activity
    • in the style of scientists
    • starting in many introductory courses
  • The building contains about 60 faculty/student group research labs, in which students work with faculty on research projects

Throughout building, science labs well equipped, reflecting current practices in each discipline.

• Layout of curriculum, courses, and labs provides students with first-hand experience
• A range of grants from the National Science Foundation and other sources contribute to available resources

Safety a vital theme

• Hoods often include proximity sensors — outflow of air increases when people are nearby
• Eye wash units and showers throughout several areas of building
• Don't try to take a drink from the eye wash units (alarm, flood)
• Sufficient water flows from eye washes, showers for safety, that drains cannot handle the flood (hence no separate drains — they would not be helpful)

Many corridors are lined with bulletin boards displaying posters of student projects

• Students engage in scholarly projects at all levels
  • Some introductory courses introduce perspectives of research from the beginning
  • In many disciplines, over 3/4 of student majors gain research experience
  • 60-80 students work directly on student-faculty science projects on campus each summer (stipend plus academic credit)
  • Projects through the academic year also common
• Observe: some posters have been presented at regional, national, and international conferences

Science "elbow" area common place for poster sessions for various science courses at end of each semester.

• Posters are common way for professional scientists to communicate preliminary results to colleagues at conferences
• Science posters at Grinnell reflect professional practices.

created 25 June 2013 last revised 25 June 2013