No abstract

A service learning course has been developed through which undergraduate science students create problembased learning materials for use in high school science classes. Undergraduate students research active learning pedagogies with a specific focus on problem-based learning, create original materials to be used in grades 11 and 12 chemistry and environmental science classes, and work in coordination with secondary school teachers to facilitate the use of their original problems in high school classes. For many of the participating students, this is their first experience with self-directed learning and a rare opportunity to develop pedagogical content knowledge. Beginning through a partnership with a single high school teacher, this program has expanded to include nine teachers at five different schools, and interest continues to grow. This article presents the motivations and goals of the course for participating students, the structure and outline of the course, sample works that have been created by students, as well as some student outcomes from past sessions of the course.

The Science of Human Health is an undergraduate chemistry course for non-science majors. This course presents chemistry content following a systems thinking approach and was created with the goal of providing students with the necessary chemistry foundation to make informed decisions which will affect their own well-being and their global citizenship. Chemistry is taught and learned on a need-to-know basis in order to address the three themes: nutrition for the prevention of disease, diagnostics for the detection of disease, and medicine for the treatment of disease. The course relies heavily on active learning assignments and group work, promoting the development of critical thinking and communication skills. Presenting chemistry with a systems thinking orientation through the context of human health and well-being is particularly effective at engaging non-science students who might otherwise struggle to relate to chemistry.