Toxicology for Nonscience Majors

Abstract

Teaching nonscience majors can be difficult for college science teach ers?in many instances, more dif ficult than teaching science majors. Be cause many science majors are planning on a career in science, they usually come to class eager to learn science and to deal with the rigor that invariably accompanies its study. The nonscience major, on the other hand, generally selects the class solely to fulfill a curric ulum requirement, and the motivation to learn is often lacking or, at best, minimal. Science teachers attempt to correct this attitude by stressing that a background in science is an important part of education because nonmajors should be equipped to deal with the many scientific issues that they are like ly to encounter throughout their lives. This argument probably stimulates some nonmajors, but many counter that they do not need to study science to achieve professional success and comfortable living. Nevertheless, the science requirement for the undergraduate major is likely to remain, and college science teachers will always be challenged to design ways to increase students' interest. One way that has proved effective for me in portions of chemistry-based courses for nonscience majors is to rely on tele