Simu Science Lab — a laboratory in your pocket

§ 01What it is

“A virtual science lab built for every Ghanaian classroom.” Most JHS students never get near a real lab bench — Simu Lab puts one on a phone: light a bulb, test soils, separate mixtures, watch particles change state, dissect a cell under a virtual microscope. Every experiment is repeatable infinitely, maps to a NaCCA indicator, and uses materials from Ghanaian life — charcoal, sobolo, palm oil, the school garden.

It covers all five Integrated Science strands across B7, B8 and B9, with 133 experiments ready to run. Open it from the Student Portal or at lab.simusim.com.

§ 02Finding an experiment

• Search — the search bar on the home screen filters by title or curriculum code as you type.
• Featured strip — curated picks across strands, good for a first visit.
• Strand tiles — the five strands (Diversity of Matter, Cycles, Systems, Forces & Energy, Humans & Environment), each showing how many experiments are ready inside. Tap Explore to browse a strand; each experiment card shows its code, title, summary, and how long it takes (8–18 minutes).

§ 03The experiment arc

Every experiment follows the same scientific method, on purpose:

1. The intro card. What today's investigation is (e.g. “Today we are classifying solids, liquids and gases”) and 2–4 objectives. Press Start experiment.
2. Predict. Before touching anything, commit to a prediction — “when you push the temperature above 100 °C, what will happen?” — from four options. You get feedback on your guess either way; being wrong here is the point. Begin investigation unlocks the simulation.
3. Investigate. The simulation itself: sliders, drag-and-drop, buttons, with live visual feedback. Heat water from −50 °C to +150 °C and watch the particle view change from lattice to jumble to scatter; pick a mixture and run filtration, evaporation or decanting and watch the apparatus work.
4. Ask. Professor Ama (next section) is one tap away the whole time.
5. Recap. A single check question ties the result back to the concept.
6. Record & test. Fill the lab record and try the exam practice (sections 05–06).

§ 04Professor Ama — the built-in tutor

Professor Ama is an AI science tutor scoped to the experiment you're inside. She knows that experiment's key facts, common misconceptions, and the official curriculum wording — and answers in plain language with Ghanaian examples.

• Type anything into “Ask Professor Ama…” — or tap a suggested prompt like “How do I identify a gas?” or “Give me Ghanaian examples.”
• She corrects gently: “Students sometimes think gases have no mass. Air is matter; it takes up space and can inflate a ball.”
• She needs internet. Offline, the chat says the tutor is unavailable — everything else in the experiment keeps working.

§ 05Lab records

Like a real practical book: each experiment's lab record states the aim in student language and gives observation prompts to answer in your own words (“Move the slider below 0 °C. What did the particles do?”), with hints under each. Records are printable — one page per experiment — so a class can run virtual practicals and still hand in written work.

§ 06Exam practice

Each experiment ends with BECE-style questions:

• Multiple choice — NaCCA-phrased questions with feedback on your pick.
• Structured — short-answer questions (“State one difference between a solid and a liquid…”) with a model answer to reveal and mark yourself against, exactly like marking schemes train you to.

§ 07The full catalogue — 133 experiments

Every ready experiment, by strand, with its NaCCA code and typical duration. Find any of them instantly with the in-app search.

Diversity of Matter — 14 experiments

Cycles — 16 experiments

Systems — 23 experiments

Forces & Energy — 51 experiments

Humans & Environment — 29 experiments

§ 08Offline use

Install the app and tap the offline download card while connected — the experiments, simulations, lab records and exam practice all work without data afterwards. The one thing that stays online-only is Professor Ama. See the general offline guide.

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