An interdisciplinary Pop-Up Learning Community (PLC) allowed students from various disciplines with different levels of content knowledge to discuss their perspectives on and beliefs about climate change. The impact of this event on students' climate change beliefs was gauged by a survey from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. This…

This article describes a general education course offering, Physics and the Arts. During the development of this course, physics and arts faculty collaborated closely. We cover the usual physics phenomena for such a course--light, color, and sound--in addition to gravity, equilibrium, and spacetime. Goals of the course are to increase students'…

College science is often poorly taught and it is rare that any consideration is given to the nine visions for reform of science teaching featured in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) (NRC 1996, p. 52). It is even more rare to see interdisciplinary science courses taught in colleges. At many universities, this is changing where there…

Describes reasons for radically reducing topics usually included in freshman chemistry courses, and stresses historical, philosophical, and sociological aspects in the course presentation. (CC)

In the wake of general interest in science and especially in physics, attempts are made in the physics departments to simplify the content and its nature. Describes one such program which could be taken for an undergraduate degree, with physics as a major, by non-science students. (PS)

Discusses some of the alternative approaches adopted by the Experimental College-Earth Science Teacher Project at Minot State College in an attempt to attract general education students and transmit the excitement and challenge of science to non-majors. (JR)

Theses proposed in C. P. Snow's book "The Two Cultures," including uncommunicative scientific and literary groups, gap between rich and poor, overpopulation, and nuclear war remain viable topics. Discusses the scientific and literary cultural gap and what can be done in general studies science courses to ameliorate the condition.…

Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary science course that combines essential questions from life, physical, and Earth sciences. An effective astrobiology course also capitalizes on students' natural curiosity about social science implications of studying the origin of life and the impact of finding life elsewhere in the universe. (Contains 2…

Student interest was stimulated and critical thinking skills developed through an "Issues in Social Biology" course which include several topics in genetics. Judicious selection of topics, course format, and ordering of subjects are discussed, along with suggestions for course improvement development. (DH)