Uri Zoller Haifa University-Oranim The School of Education of the Kibbutz Movement P. O. Kiriat Tivon, Israel
I
Chemistry of Man's Environment An undergraduate chemistry teacher training program
Since understanding the fundamentals of chemistry and the chemical aspects of our world is vital for every citizen in modern society and not only for prospective scientists, the purpose of our program would be to achieve teaching and educational objectives beyond those that dictate the accepted conventional study programs of existing chemistry departments. Regardless of whether our physical growth can or cannot continueindefinitely,because our e n v i r o n m e n t t h e earthis finite (I), the consequences of this growth pose unprecedented challenge to mankind, the essence of which is to assure both the future of man in society and the quality of human life within the limits of the natural environment we live in (2).The development of an intelligent decision-making citizen with resoect to environmental nrohlems is thus one of the tasks ahead for sound education. The relevance of environmental education (3)-a significant component of which is chemical education-to the contemporary needs of our society is therefore clear: it addresses itself to many of the crucial issues we face today (i.e., resources, energy, technological development, conservation of the environment and quality of life), while simultaneously meeting the requirement of ''action on real problems" posed extensively on modern education in general and on science education (4) (chemical education included (5-6)) in ~articular. Chemistry is perhaps the most basic discipline with respect to understanding and alleviating environmental problems (7-8). Nevertheless.. in snite of the oroliferation of either specific env~ronmentalchemistry courses offered particularly for nonscience maiors (9 10). the inclusion of environmentallv oriented topics inkxisting c&rses (11,12), and the many new environmentally oriented chemistry textbooks (13) (including new editions of elementary chemistry textbooks into which environmentallv related tooics have been incoroorated (14)). . ... no single ful
