Science Lab Safety and Equipment Teaching Resources

Introduce students to the science lab with lab equipment activities, safety posters for the classroom and more teacher resources created by teachers for teachers like you!

Aligned with the NGSS curriculum, this collection of resources will introduce students to common lab equipment and how to use each tool, plus ensure that kids know how to stay safe while testing their hypotheses in the lab! From Bunsen burners to beakers and beyond, this collection has everything you need to craft your lesson plans.

Whether this is your first year teaching science, or you're just looking for a handy reference, read on for a primer from our teacher team!

Science Lab Equipment for Schools — A Vocabulary List for Teachers

The average school science lab has plenty of different items of equipment, and most are new to students. So our teacher team has drafted a simple list of terms that can help you introduce each type to your class!

Safety Goggles

Key to lab safety is wearing protective eyewear during science experiments to protect our eyes from potential hazards like chemicals or flying objects.

Safety goggles are a type of safety equipment that creates a protective barrier around the eyes, shielding them from harm during our science experiments and other lab activities.

Microscope

A microscope is a special tool that magnifies tiny objects so that we can see them in the science lab.

These objects would be too small to see with the naked eye, but the lens of the microscope allows us to look at details and structures of cells and tiny organisms.

Bunsen Burner

A Bunsen burner is a heat source that provides a controlled flame for various classroom science experiments. The burner has a metal base with a gas inlet and an adjustable air vent. We control the flow of gas and air to adjust the size and intensity of the flame.

It's important to follow lab safety rules — including wearing our safety goggles — when we're using a Bunsen burner.

Thermometer

This piece of common science lab equipment is one students likely have seen in the real world. After all, a thermometer is a device we use to measure temperature, and that includes measuring the temperature outside or a person's body temperature.

Students may, however, be more familiar with a digital thermometer or than the type they'll encounter in the science lab. This handy tool is made of a long glass tube with a scale that indicates the temperature reading.