3.0

Average Course Rating

Science in Situ introduces students to the art of science writing via an exploration of the sites where science is happening in Baltimore. Effective science communicators have a deep understanding of their subject matter and are skilled at conveying complex ideas in accessible ways. However, explaining the facts is not enough; science writers also need to make meaning out of information by placing it in social and narrative contexts that are relevant to their audience. This course encourages students to write creatively, with humor, and in multimedia formats to communicate scientific content to a wide range of audiences. Students will learn about key techniques as well as challenges in science journalism and gain practice communicating technical subject matter in a variety of modalities. Through field trips to local museums and forensic labs, and interviews with researchers and editors of science magazines, students will identify opportunities to share their ideas and knowledge in engaging ways, and to reflect on why science matters to broader audiences. This course is aimed at junior and senior undergraduate students who are STEM majors. All first-year students who have taken Reintro and all students at the sophomore level or above are welcome.