WK 42

Teaching Organic Chemistry As If Biology Matters

Science instructors have been encouraged to adopt  an interdisciplinary approach to science education , but progress in accomplishing that goal has been slow in some academic areas.  Using chemical techniques to answer biological questions in cellular biology has resulted in the spectacularly successful field of molecular biology  and this new knowledge has been incorporated into many  undergraduate biology text books.   Chemical techniques  and perspectives are being increasingly used in  ecological, field biology, and environmental science  at the research level, but this perspective has been slow to filter down into undergraduate textbooks in these disciplines.   Chemistry, especially organic chemistry, continues to be regarded as a source of pain and suffering and irrelevant by biology and pre-med students and at least part of the reason for this is the lack of  connection between traditionally taught organic chemistry and  biology.  An  overview of how  to  integrate biological topics into an organic chemistry course for biology and environmental science students will be  followed by a short  forum for  workshop attendees  to discuss topics  in either their courses or research where a chemical perspective   provides  increased  understanding and insight into biological topics.  The intent  would be that some of these perspectives would be incorporated into courses taught by  other attendees and that they might also be passed on to chemistry faculty  in their respective institutions.  Access to the materials  used in my course will be provided