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The National 5 Lab Skills Course is designed to introduce candidates to the knowledge and skills which are required for employment/further study in the wide range of industries and services using laboratory science, and to develop an awareness of the opportunities and range of employment within the sector.
Pupils will explore a variety and range of industries and services and the career opportunities, in science laboratories, in a local, national and global setting. Pupils will have the opportunity to develop the basic practical skills for working in a laboratory: measuring, weighing and preparing compounds and solutions, and to understand and implement the health and safety requirements for a safe working environment. The specific practical skills related to microbiology, radioactivity, chemical handling and laboratory instrumentation are developed. Pupils will work with others to produce a plan to undertake a practical investigation to test scientific hypotheses related to a scientific topic. This will also involve reporting of the results, conclusions and evaluations of the investigation.
National 5 Lab Skills Curriculum
4 units are studied: Careers Using Laboratory Science, Working in a Laboratory, Practical Skills, Practical Investigation
Although there is no final exam for the Lab Skills course, pupils must maintain a portfolio of work completed throughout the year.