Science education faces a number of problems today: separating science into discrete disciplines; mixing majors and non-majors in the same courses; creating an adversarial, competitive climate which repels minority, female, and learning disabled students; ignoring the need for special science preparation for elementary education majors; failing to teach science skills and processes directly; and passive lecture/demonstration teaching without students experiencing much "real" science. The Natural World: Explorations in Science--an introductory, integrated science course for non-science and elementary education majors is laboratory-based and experientaly driven. It is designed around four major concepts matter and energy, change and constancy, diversity and order, and interactions with the following goals: To provide broad, integrated science knowledge To foster the development of effective process learning skills in science To prepare future elementary teachers * To create a continuing interest in science Methods include extensive writing, concept mapping, guided discovery laboratory experiences, reading in the history of science and popular journals, collaborative teams, library/Internet research, quantifying, computer modeling, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. Collaborations include teaming physics, chemistry, and biology faculty and a writing specialist to create the course with university science education faculty for project evaluation. The integrated course may serve as a model for introductory science courses at similar small colleges and teacher preparation institutions. Researchers plan to write articles, make presentations, and collaborate on producing the guided discovery materials for publication.
