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Computers, VCRs, laser disk players, CD-ROMs, and innovative software programs supplement instruction and work well for both large and small groups. Many teachers use computers linked to large-screen monitors to demonstrate software or run multimedia presentations.

"This is the way science is done today — on computers," says Morello. "We use computers for everything from data collection and experiments to tests. It's amazing how the students have come along with technology. And accessibility to computers is vital during class time. I use them all the time to reinforce a point or to answer questions. It's often spur-of-the-moment, which shows how integral the technology has become."

Making Experimentation Safe

While computer-based instruction and creative curriculum keep students challenged, teachers are also focused on another important concern: safety. In science classes, glassware, hot plates, Bunsen burners, and chemicals present a host of potential hazards to students.

Many teachers point to the classroom space itself as a factor in the safety of a science program. "I always worry about students getting cut or burned when the room is too crowded," says Morello, who moved into a more spacious classroom/lab when Poe Middle School was renovated and expanded.

"Now, the room is big enough that students can spread out and work without bumping into each other or tripping. We can rearrange the tables several different ways. They can stand at the counters around the perimeter of the room, or work in small groups at the tables."

Tess Ewart, an eighth-grade teacher at A.I. Root Middle School in Medina, Ohio, agrees that space is critical to both safety and the quality of instruction in science. "It's great to have a larger room and more room to work," Ewart says.

"We have space for the lab stations and for classroom instruction; and with the room layout, it's easy to watch and supervise — especially students working at the fume hood." Ewart points to the inclusion of a fume hood and eyewash station as important to the overall safety factor.

"In our old school, we didn't have proper ventilation. Now I don't have to be concerned about the students inhaling vapors because of poor ventilation in the room."

Ewart and Morello also note that lockable storage is crucial within the science program. At Poe Middle School, a large storeroom with a sink is shared by two science rooms. "We have a nice, large storeroom," says Morello.

"About half of the space is used for teacher preparation, and the other half for chemical storage. We also have another chemical storage room down the hall, which is locked. Lockable storage is a big plus in the design. If the chemicals are too accessible you really have to keep an eye on everything."

Finding Room for Learning

At Angola Middle School, completion of the school's renovation and expansion meant new science labs in each of the grade-level wings. "We used to have four or five science classes going on at one time but only two labs," says seventh-grade science teacher Paul Beckwith.

"It was like trying to go next door to cook at your neighbor's stove." A lack of running water and storage space for equipment and glassware also frustrated Angola Middle School teachers prior to the renovation.

"We use more equipment and materials now than we did before," says sixth-grade science teacher Dean Harter. "It's convenient, and we can find things and do a lot more in the lab."

Adds Angola science teacher Penny Snyder, "We can get all 100 students on our team into the science room. That's the kind of space we need. I think it's wonderful to have room so that the kids can actually get up and move around and do hands-on activities."

Planning the Whole Campus

The science labs at the Crestview Middle School in Huntington, Indiana are clustered around the media center at the core of the academic wing. Two science classrooms are positioned directly across the hall from each of the grade-level pods, enabling the science program to work as part of the team units.

Grouping the rooms at the academic core also allows the program to work as a department. Proximity to the media center — which features a large skylight — also enables the science rooms to take advantage of the natural light.

Many middle schools extend their science program into the outdoors. Use of environmental labs, gardens, ponds, wetland areas, forests, and fields enhances the study of wildlife, plants, rocks and minerals, the weather, and the environment in general.

"We use the outdoors as often as we can," says William Nettles, a sixth-grade science teacher at A.l. Root Middle School. Sixth-grade projects have included mapping the woods by the school, a study of the nearby creek, rock identification, and making crystals.

"We built a weather station in the field next to our school," says Nettles. "It's equipped with thermometers, barometers, a wind vane, and a rain gauge. We've studied clouds and learned about forecasting the weather. The students really like it, and we've been able to combine science, math, and writing."

"When we did our study of the weather, I asked the students to describe the weather each day. They were only allowed to use each adjective once a month, so once 'rainy' and "cold' were used, it was a struggle. Toward the end of each month, we had a lot of creative ways to describe the weather."

Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. is a 400-person firm with offices in ten U.S. cities. The firm has completed over 700 schools within the last five years and has placed first in a School Business Affairs magazine ranking of architectural and engineering firms that specialize in educational facilities.

Fanning/Howey Associates has created comprehensive design guidelines for public school systems in Detroit, Michigan, the District of Columbia, and the state of Ohio. These standards are based on a critical analysis of space and material components necessary for both new construction and modernization of elementary, middle, and high school facilities.

This article is excerpted from Shaping the Future: Middle Schools copyright © 1998, and is available from the Fanning/Howey Associates Web site.

Note: Photographs in the book are in black and white.

Having more sinks in a Poe Middle School classroom makes cleaning up faster, leaving more time for instruction. Photo: David Emery The outdoors is used extensively by students of the A.I. Root Middle School's science program. They plant trees on Arbor Day and study rocks and crystals. Photo: William Nettles, A.I. Root Middle School Sixth graders at A.I. Root Middle School in Medina, Ohio study weather in an earth science program. Their weather station houses barometers, thermometers, a wind vane, and a rain gauge. Photo: William Nettles, A.I. Root Middle School The science labs at the Crestview Middle School in Huntington, Indiana are clustered around the media center at the core of the academic wing. Photo: David Emery Grouping the science rooms at the academic core of at the Crestview Middle School allows the program to work as a department. Photo: David Emery Proximity to the Crestview Middle School media center — which features a large skylight — enables the science rooms to take advantage of the natural light. Photo: David Emery At Hamilton Southeastern Junior High School in Fishers, Indiana, ample daylight supports instruction in plant life. Photo: David Emery Shaping the Future: Middle Schools is part of the Impact on Education Series by Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. Image: Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc.   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.