Abstract:

How to increase chemistry's interest or science’s interest in students who want to continue their studies in the humanities? And, how to increase the interest to make presentations, reading and writing in students who want to enrol in scientific studies?

The answer presented here is a new experience, a new pedagogical innovation. Students who are good at science and not so good at humanities have to present a scientific work performed with the help of some classmates who have different interests, they are good at humanities but not at science. The methodology used is to mix these different groups of students who share the same objective, to developing their science's job from secondary school or university.

First of all, this educational experience was carried out in Catalan Secondary school level with groups of four students (14 to 16 years old), two of them who wanted to enrol in science studies and the other two do not. At this secondary school level, a newspaper page about science and science news was edited during the secondary school scientific week performed some years ago. In addition, an important contest about scientific controversies were performed in the classroom with same students.

When this experiment was developed at high school level, students (16 to 18 years old) were more involved into the controversies than in secondary school level. The presentations and defence of controversies by the students were very appreciated by the teachers. Furthermore, a theatre play about the history of science was prepared and represented by the students.

Finally, applying the same methodology with first year university students, some journalist work and novels, both with a scientific background, were developed by students.

It has been demonstrated that the mix of students and interests allow them to obtain good academic results to both groups of students, scientific ones and humanistic the others.

This study presents the work done by students from different educational levels and their discussion led teachers to understand how science and humanities together can help our students.

Keywords:

Chemistry, reading, writing, presenting, science, social sciences.