Revised 875664000000

NAS 101-102 - Natural Science I-II (4 CR.)

Course Description

Presents a multidisciplinary perspective integrating the main fields of science. Emphasizes the interaction of the scientific disciplines. (Primarily for non-science majors.) Lecture 3 hours per week. Recitation and laboratory 3 hours per week. Total 6 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

The course is intended for non-science majors who desire or need a lab science course. Topics will come from the sciences of Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics. Emphasis will be placed upon relating the concepts of science to the real world of one’s environment. One-day field trips will be a part of this course.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Students should be able to use arithmetic in problem solving and be able to read and express themselves both orally and in writing.

Course Objectives

• Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to: A. Provide the student with a better understanding of the laws of nature as they relate to the fields of astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. B. Gain an understanding of the interrelated nature of physical, chemical and biological processes C. Provide elementary and secondary school teachers an opportunity to improve their understanding of the natural sciences D. Serve as an introductory course for the more advanced cours in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology and physics E. Gain a better understanding of the evolution of scientific thinking and methods of experimentation that have put science where it is today

Major Topics to Be Included

NAS 101 1. Early scientific thinking 2. Laws of motion 3. Energy and power 4. Heat 5. Sound 6. Electricity and magnetism 7. Light 8. Atoms and molecules 9. Basic inorganic chemistry 10. Basic organic chemistry 11. Radioactivity and nuclear physics NAS 102 1. Stars and galaxies 2. The sun and planets 3. Geology of the earth 4. Rocks - the records of geological time 5. The earth’s environment 6. The cell and cell division 7. Cell metabolism 8. Human Genetics NAS 101-102 10/97 2 9. Evolution 10. Ecology and the future