Chemistry for the Nonscience Major: The Hard-Boiled Chemical Detective

Abstract

That required science courses for nonscience majors are viewed negatively by students and science faculty alike is a reality of aca demic life. Many nonscience majors fear science or regard it as an unneces sary part of the college curriculum that adds little or nothing to their major emphasis in other areas of speciali zation. For teachers of these students, is at times a lack of total commit ment, perhaps because they view their task as a step down from that of teach ing majors or because it is difficult to be enthusiastic about teaching students who are indifferent. With regard to the attitudes of science teachers, a recent report of a National Research Council (NRC) committee makes a salient point: Teaching the nonscience major remains the science department's unwanted chore too often (Schatz 1982, 3). Despite these negative attitudes, stu dent and teacher would agree that the science requirement of the college cur riculum is here to stay. The NRC com mittee referred to previously argues that, since there are students who, while not scientists, will have to deal specifically with scientific and techni