When you have just been introduced to a person socially and answer the question, "And what do you do?" with the reply, "I teach chemistry," how frequently does your new friend draw hack and say, "Oh, I never could understand that stuff," or "I suppose you blow things u p and make all kinds of smelly junk, don't you?" This concept of chemistry as mysterious, explosive, and stinky is all too prevalent for the good of contemporary society. For tw long we chemists have been satisfied to he looked up to as priests in the practice of scientific mysteries. We must come out of our ivory labs and tell the man in the street what we are doing and how it is affectina him. To this man. chemistrv is all mvsterv. . - We teach& have an obligation to decrease the mystery and enhance his understanding of chem. We can beein this task by working with college students who are not majoring in science. Many articles (1-17) in this Journal have offered convincing arguments for devoting considerable effort to teaching chemistry to college students not majoring in science and have suggested the subject matter which might well he included in courses for them. The suggestions presented in this paper are based on the following assumptions 1) The well-being of American democracy is promoted by edueating the citizen to as high a level of understanding of governmental ~mhlemsas he can achieve. Benevolent dietatorshi~is no substitute for decision making by representatives duly
elected by and responsive to the people. 2) The problems of highest priority in the next decades will be concerned with maximizing the use of natural resources for human welfare and minimizing the deterioration of the envi-
ronment. 3) The man in the street, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House must have a better understanding of science and technology if American democracy is to achieve the best possible way of life for the most people. How Can We Motivate the Nonscience Student?
The delights of chemistry for its own sake are not likely to move the nonscience student. We must show him that learning some chemistry is worth the considerable effort involved. Many of today's students have some interest in the following general topics The energy crisis Water and air pollution and solid waste disposal Dietsand human nutrition Food production for the world's hungry The effects of drugs, patent medicines, and cosmetics on humans 6) Conservation of natural resources 7) Chemistry in the human body 8) The use of chemicals in modern medicine 9) The impact of technology on the quality of life 10) Space exploration and the chemical problems involved 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
I£ we can weave some of these topics into our courses for nonscience students we will better our chances of getting them to learn some chemistry. Presented at the Symposium on Ecological and Environmental Approaches to Teaching Chemistry at the Two-Year College Chemistry Conference, Chicago, August 24, 1973. 260
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Journal of Chemical Education
What Chemistry Should We Teach Nonscience Students?
My experience in teaching various courses to nonscience students over a number of years has led me to the following statement of teaching objectives, listed in order of decreasing importance 1) We should make clear to these students what chemistry is,
how it grows, and how it relates to other knowledge. 2) We should show haw chemistry makes sense out of many com-
plex phenomena which we observe in the natural world around US.
3) We should help our students to practice the scientific habit of thought: To approach a problem with an open mind; to seek
all available faets concerning it; to evaluate these faets in the light of all information obtainable; to propme a solution based on a rational rather than an emotional analysis of the facts; and to be willing to revise the proposed solution in the light of new facts when they are discovered. 4) We should relate the science of chemistry to chemical technology, and chemical technology to contemporary life, in order to increase the student's understanding of the role of science and technology in our culture. 5 ) We should present chemistry as an exciting intellectual enterprise--a subject which is interesting to learn and rewarding to understand. 6) We should teach enough chemical faets and principles to achieve the preceding objectives hut should not try to cover any specific body of such faets and ~rincinles.It is as imwrtant to leave outsome of our chemical loves as it is to put bthers in. How Can We Work Topics of Current Interest to Students into Our Courses?
We can first select those motivating topics we wish to include and then determine what chemical principles the student needs to learn if he is to understand these topics. From a list of these principles we can organize a sequence of chemical topics which will begin with the simplest concepts and move to the more complex. We can then determine the mints in the chemical develonment when we are ready to (reat a motivating topic. ~ a n permutations i and combinations of these t o ~ i c sare oossihle. One is described below. Using Environmental Problems to Motivate Student Interest
A course in chemistry and man's environment may include aspects of: the energy crisis, environmental pollution, and dynamic equilibrium in the natural world; some problems related to human nutrition and food production; and an overview of the origin of the elements, life-supporting compounds, and living organisms. The chemistry used in this course is limited to a minimum core of facts and principles which are needed to treat these subjects on an elementary level. The textbook for the course begins with three chapters on the nature of environmental science, chemical symbolism, simple stoichiometrv. and Dalton's atomic theorv. The next-chapter uses some of the concepts in considering solutions to the problems of solid waste dis~osal.A chaDter on the three-states of matter and energy involved in transformations from one state to another is followed by one on the kinetic-molecular model of matter. These give the necessary background for a study of the atmosphere
and its pollution. A chapter on the discovery of electrons, protons, and neutrons and the nuclear structure of the atom is followed by one on nuclear reactions and the use of nuclear energy (one important factor in meeting the energy crisis). A chapter on the periodic table of the elements emphasizes the base-forming properties of metallic oxides and the acid-forming characteristics of nonmetallic oxides, and builds the chemical background needed for the next chanter. which deals with various methods for minimizing air .≪tion caused by the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. Production of electricity by harnessing solar and geothermal energy is studied as an alternative to total dependence on fossil and nuclear fuels. A chapter on the properties of water solutions of electrolytes and nonelectrolytes is followed by one on water pollution by various organic and inorganic substances. A study of dynamic equilibrium in some simple chemical systems is then extended to the more complex cycles of water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus through the biosphere. Chapters on the nature of light and other forms of radiant energy and on the relation between atomic spectra and atomic structure are followed by studies of the formation of simple ionic and covalent compounds. A chapter on simple organic compounds related to carbohydrates, fats, and proteins gives the basis for one of the elements of human nutrition and the problem of balancing f w d production against environmental pollutions. The text concludes with a sketch of theories for the origin of the elements and their combinations on earth to form the simple molecules that may have developed into the complex patterns needed to support life. A glance a t . . the interactions of plants, aliimals, primitive man, and industrial man with the environment is presented as a lesson in hope for man's ability to adapt his society to minimize environmental deterioration. Some Philosophical Themes Which Emerge from This Course 1) Scientific concepts grow out of careful observations of natural phenomena and experimental data. An excellent example is the evolution of the atomic concept of matter from the times of theanoienr Greeks rothmeuf John Dalton. 21 Simpliflrativn hy rlassifiratiw The rcrentisr appruauhes a cumvlvx ~rohlemby crearmg categories of thing.,and pmeesses which enable him io consider two or three factors at a time. Breaking the problem dawn in this way helps him to grasp relationships bit by bit and finally to see the problem as a whole. For example: classifying chemical elements as metals and nonmetals helps us to understand many similarities and differences among the hundred or so elements. 3) The boundaries between manmade categories for natural phenomena are diffuse, not sharp. Though simplification by clas-
sification is helpful, we must not assume that the classes we create are inherent in nature. Classification of elements into metals and nonmetals is useful, but some of them (the metalloids) are not clearly in either category. Nevertheless, simplification hy classification is useful even if the categories are not completely exclusive. 4) Mental models are useful to the scientist. We cannot see atoms and molecules, but thinking of their behavior in tends of the kinetic-molecular model of matter helps us to interpret various properties of matter and some of the processes involved when it changes from one form into another. The eleetron-pratonneutron model of the atom makes it easier to understand many different chemical reactions and the properties of the compounds involved. 5) Changes in matter are always accompanied by changes in energy. Changes of state and most chemical changes produce or consume heat. Batteries produce electrical energy; electrolysis produces metals. Photographic images are produced by the effect of lieht on chemicals; fireflies produce light from chemical reactions. 6) When quantitative measurements can be made of phenomena first observed qualitatively, deeper insights are almost always obtained. The concept of atomism was greatly strengthened when quantitative measurements of weights and volumes of reactants were studied. Arrhenius' theory of ionization was strengthened hy measurements of freezing point depressions in solutionsof electrolytesand nonelectrolytes. Summary The well-being of the American people depends upon their having the greatest possible understanding of the scientific and technological problems which beset our culture. Those of us who teach science to students of any age have a special obligation to deepen this understanding. Environmental issues are of prime importance today. Teaching chemistry to our students will help them to understand these issues. Many of them will work harder a t learning chemistry if we relate it to environmental science. We can use this learning experience to teach our students some important attitudes toward nature, science, and technology. Uterature Cited (1) Kieffer. W. F., J. CHEM. EDUC.. 45.550l1968). (2) Caesidy, H. G., J. CHEM. EDUC.. 46.64 11969). (3) Wmd. E. A., J. CHEM. EDUC. 46.69 11969). ( I ) Hoffman, R L., and Kolb, D. K.. J. CHEM. EDUC.. 47.383 (1970). (5) Wolfrang,RL., J.CHEM. EDUC..48.22(1971). (6) C-idy, H.G.. J. C H E M EDUC.,(8.212~1971I. (7) KnYht,D. M., J.CHEM. EDUC..(8.2ffil1911l. (8) West,R.. J. CHEM.EDUC.. M.M8I19711. (9) Gnflin, R. W.. J. CHEM. EDUC.. M, 685 119711. (10) Fuller,E.C..J. C H E M EDUC.,d9, lOl1972). (11) BOg-, J. E.. J. C H E M EDUC..49.189l19721. (12) Cmk, W. B., J. CHEM. EDUC., 49.316(19721. (13) Report offhe Mt. Hoiyoke Conlerence. J. CHEM. EDUC.. 50.39 11913). (14) SteckIer. B.M., J.CHEM. EDUC.,50,46(1973).
(Is) Fahronholtz, S.. J. C H E M EDUC.,50.4S%l19731. (16) Kolh. K. E., and Taylor. M. A , J. CHEM. EDUC., 50.5Ml19731. (17) Cssscn,T.,andForster.L., J . C H E M EDUC.,50,550119731.
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