Part of Lesson Plan: MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheet) Safety Training

Activity Overview / Details

Students will walk in to a darkened room with weird and scary music playing. As they take their seats they will see a skull with crossbones projected on the screen in front of the room. (You can use a single image or multiple rotating images to hold student interest. See supplied downloaded images of skull and crossbones).   As they look at the screen and listen to the music, ask them to describe what they are feeling?  Start a list on the board. Next ask them what the skull and crossbones represent? It represents death normally associated with poisonous chemicals, etc. Construct another list from student responses. Draw lines from one list to the other connecting matching words. Ask if anyone knows the origin of the skull and cross bones symbol?  The symbol originates from a time when caskets were just easy to build simple square wooden boxes. To fit the dead body in to the box, the legs had to be broken and crossed under or over the body. 

Explain that today we are going to investigate the chemicals we use here in our lab that have the skull and cross bones symbol on them. This is a very important segment of study in order to keep us and our environment safe so we don't have to fear being harmed.  Inform students of their right to access such information should they ever work in an environment where chemicals are used.