Beaver Dam Unified School District, Beaver Dam, Wis.: High school science labs renovation

Following the passage of a successful referendum, the Beaver Dam Unified School District retained PRA to assist in renovating four existing science labs at Beaver Dam High School. The district’s superintendent, Steve Vessey, and school board members were cognizant of the fact that their high school science department needed to update its facilities to accommodate student need and the ever-evolving nature of educational delivery. The district chose to renovate the science labs to meet the demands set forth by the Next Generation Science Standards.

The defining features of the new science labs include unique island configurations, curved workstations, technology integration and an overall layout that eliminates the lecture-style format. These features are inspired by the vision established by the NGSS, which insists that students be actively engaged in scientific practices and apply crosscutting concepts to deepen their understanding of these practices. Science is a field rooted in inquiry and exploration, and the island configurations and curved workstations encourage students to interact with each other, sharing knowledge and exchanging ideas, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Technology integration throughout the science lab is strategically discreet. The NGSS recognize technology’s impact on educational delivery, but the standards also emphasize that technology be used as a tool to deepen students’ understanding of scientific practices without stifling collaboration or engagement. Each workstation is equipped with multiple power outlets, and select labs feature power outlets suspended from the ceiling, which can be lowered as necessary. By approaching the integration of science and technology in a more practical manner, students learn how to use technology as a tool to develop and refine their existing knowledge, thus deepening their understanding of the issue at hand.

Finally, the elimination of a lecture-style classroom further reinforces the inherent value in engaging students and fostering collaborative learning. Students are no longer required to face the front of the classroom, instead facing each other in a naturally synergetic setting. The Beaver Dam Unified School District also understood the role facilities play in preparing students for the “real” world, and the skills that its new science labs aim to cultivate – including collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking – will effectively prepare students for an increasingly competitive global economy.