The Unity of Science: A Year-Long, Exploration-Oriented Interdisciplinary Science Course

这门课程的目标是为一年级的大学生开发一门跨学科的科学入门课程，强调科学探究的方法和相关性。目标学生主要是那些不打算主修一门科学的学生。课程内容旨在包括在逻辑顺序方面具有广泛兴趣的跨学科主题。例如，我们从色觉(生理学、知觉、光学、光谱学)、秋叶(分离叶绿素、光合作用、光作为能量)和富氧大气的起源(呼吸、通过生物圈的能量流动、生态系统)开始。然后，这个主题(光、能量和物质)带领我们进入天文学、物理学、化学、地质学和生物学的主题，所有这些都是在背景下进行的，没有传统的学科界限。实验演示和练习将以探索为导向，学生将积极参与定义所提出的问题以及我们如何寻找答案。在下半年，学生小组将开展自我指导的研究项目，并向班级展示他们的成果。来自不同学科的三名教师将通过向全班(大约三分之一的会议)和较小的讨论小组(三分之二的会议)讲授这门课程。课程内容能够根据特定年份所涉及的教员的不同而变化。一名实验室主任将促进每周的实验练习，来自所有学科的高年级学生将担任教学助理和榜样。学生将根据探索报告、项目和个人日记(没有计时考试)的质量进行评分。一个由外部人员组成的咨询委员会将就课程内容和评估提供意见。

The goal of this course is to develop an interdisciplinary introductory science course for first-year college students that will emphasize the methods and relevance of scientific inquiry. Target students are primarily those students that do not intend to major in a science. The course content is intended to include interdisciplinary topics of broad interest in logical sequences. We start, for example, with color vision (physiology, perception, optics, spectroscopy), autumn foliage (isolation of chlorophyll, photosynthesis, light as energy), and the origin of oxygen-rich atmosphere (respiration, flow of energy through biosphere, ecosystems). This theme (light, energy, and matter) then leads us through topics in astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology, and biology, all in context and without traditional discipline boundaries. Laboratory demonstrations and exercises will be exploration-driven with students actively participating in defining the questions that are asked and how we look for answers. In the last half of the year, small groups of students will carry out self-directed research projects and present their results to the class. Three faculty from different disciplines will teach the course through lectures to the entire class (approximately 1/3 of the meetings) and in smaller discussion groups (2/3 of the meetings). Course content is able to evolve and change depending on the faculty involved in a given year. A lab director will facilitate weekly lab exercises, and senior students from all disciplines will serve as teaching assistants and role models. Students will be graded by the quality of exploration reports, projects, and personal journals (no timed exams). An Advisory Committee of outside persons will provide input on course content and evaluation.