Teaching Chemistry Within a Physical Science Course for Non-Science Majors: A Hands-On Approach

Beginning in the fall of 2004, Mount Saint Mary's College will incorporate into the core curriculum a two-semester science course sequence for non-science majors. All students who are not science majors will be required to take a course in physical science followed by a course in biological science. In preparation for this event, I have been developing a workshop-style course in physical science that (a) incorporates elements of physics, chemistry, and astronomy; (b) provides students with a heavy dose of technology as well as the fundamentals of each discipline; (c) develops critical thinking skills; and (d) is designed to keep the interest of non-science majors. This paper will describe how chemistry is integrated into the broad framework of the course and relate my experience in teaching the course for the 3 previous semesters.