Most undergraduate chemistry students are asked to take required and elective courses which focus primarily on the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills.  While this information is vital for a quality education, many students fail to gain sufficient context for their undergraduate education and struggle to understand their role in the broader scope of the industrial and/or research career paths.  As a result, the author developed an upper level undergraduate chemistry elective which aims to provide context through the investigation of the historical development of mankind’s material world.  Many eras of human civilization have been defined by the materials we’ve learned to use to our advantage (ie: stone age, bronze age, etc) and most modern chemical enterprises can date their origins to isolated discoveries.  This presentation will focus on how content from cCWCS workshops (Chemistry and Art, Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Forensic Science) were incorporated into the classroom and the value of providing students with a contextual basis for their undergraduate degree will be highlighted.

Providing context for the undergraduate chemistry degree in an upper level elective course titled: History of Chemistry, A Materials Perspective

2019 Spring National Meeting

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