Russell Ham McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA 70609
Consumer-Oriented Chemistry for the Liberal Arts Student
Each year incidents such as the Love Canal and Three Mile Island continue to illustrate the need for courses which will present chemistry and science to non-science majors in such a way as to enable them to make intelligent decisions concerning the role of science in the future. At McNeese State University such a course has been offered for six years. The course, called Environmental Chemistry, is a three-credit hourlone semester course with no laboratory. In the course such topics are covered as: foods; drugs; polymers; rubber; textile fibers and dyes; paints; personal care products; soaps and detergents; pesticides; petroleum; nuclear processes; lasers; paper; and metals and photography. A complete list of topics and an outline of the course may be obtained from the author, Perhaps the most striking difference between the content of this course and other more traditional chemistry courses is the apparent lack of basic chemistry-only seven of 42 lectures present pure chemical principles. This level of basic chemistry has proven to be adequate to enable the student to understand each of the course topics. Additional chemical conceots are introduced as necessa~vin the sections to which they directly apply. Examples includ; the discussion of surface tension during a study of soaps and detergents, nuclear principles in a section on nuclear chemistry, and hydrogen bondine durine discussions of . wlvmers. textiles. and hair care . products. There are. naturallv. a number of ~roblemsthat have surfaced in theteaching such acourse-as thisone. Perhaps the most pressing problem is that of finding materials that can be used as sources for lectures and student reading. For lecture material, current literature such as scientific publications, news media, and student questions are relied on heavily in order to bring current and relevant material to the course. Unfortunatelv. no textbook has been found which adeauatelv satisfies the needs of this course. Thus we have t&ed collections of articles such as "Impact: Science on Society,"
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to publications such as Chernecology, to current literature, and even to videotaped movies such as Shell's "Paint," "Oil," "Rubber," and "Refinery Processes" to provide outside information for studenta. These outside reading or viewing activities amount to approximately one hour's work for each 50-min class neriod. One result'of this course has been a notable increase of student interest in chemistrv. In addition to non-maiors. manv students who major in scilnce-related fields are &king thk course as an elective for the s i m ~ l ereason that it Dresents information which they can a d d y apply to their d&ly lives. At present, interest is such that material from this course is being used in adult education courses and workshops for middle and high school teachers who wish to add relevance to their classes. Interest by the general public in the material covered in the class has also led to a number of invitations to appear on mid-day local television programs in order to discuss such topics as over-the-counter drugs and personal care preparations. References
Texts Wolks. R. L (Editor),"Impam Science and Soeiety,"W.B.Saundem Co.. Philadelphi. 1975.
Diddinpa. J. C.. aod Monme. M.B. (Editoral, "Our Chemical Envimviment," Ssn Frsneiam, 1972.
RhineharZ Jr.. 8. L., MeClm. W . 0.. and Bmm.T. L. (Editom). "WedneadwNiiht at the Leb," Harp., and Row,New Yark. 1975.
Supplementary Materials J o u m l of Ckmical Education. Chemcolo~y.monthly by Manuf.EturiagChsmbt's*sraistioo. Films from Shell Oil Company on videotap. for individunl view. '"TheHandbaok ofNo".P-"ptim Drugs," 5th Ed., Arne"Pharmaauwksaiatim,
