Introduction To Chemistry And The Liberal Arts Approach

Modern liberal arts instruction promotes student learning, critical thinking, and civic engagement through intentional reading, class discussion, focused writing, and thoughtful reflection. In contrast, science courses tend to focus on exposing students to discipline-specific, technical knowledge. How, when, and why should a chemistry instructor take cues from the humanities and social sciences? What are the best teaching practices from other disciplines, and how can they be adapted to the field of chemistry? This introductory chapter and book explore best practices for making interdisciplinary connections and integrating liberal arts-inspired teaching strategies for a range of courses from high school to upper-level college courses. Chapters include descriptions of themed courses and specific class activities that are all great examples of how to bring liberal arts content into a chemistry class.