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The Nature of Science book project

I am writing a first-of-its-kind science textbook to help college students get in touch with their "inner scientist"!

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The Nature of Science book project

The Nature of Science book project

The Nature of Science book project

The Nature of Science book project

The Nature of Science book project

I am writing a first-of-its-kind science textbook to help college students get in touch with their "inner scientist"!

I am writing a first-of-its-kind science textbook to help college students get in touch with their "inner scientist"!

I am writing a first-of-its-kind science textbook to help college students get in touch with their "inner scientist"!

I am writing a first-of-its-kind science textbook to help college students get in touch with their "inner scientist"!

Jeffrey Marx
Jeffrey Marx
Jeffrey Marx
Jeffrey Marx
1 Campaign |
Westminster, United States
$2,201 USD 19 backers
5% of $37,500 Fixed Goal Fixed Goal

Introduction

I am writing a first-of-its-kind science textbook to help college students get in touch with their "inner scientist".

This book will strongly influence a serious and much-needed shift in how college-level science courses for non-science majors are taught. Instead of teaching basic facts, we need courses to focus on improving students’ scientific process skills, their attitudes toward science, and their understanding of the nature of science. Such courses represent our last chance to help our future leaders and fellow citizens understand the process of science and better appreciate the scientific endeavor.

The right textbook is needed to get this movement going! We need to give everyone the opportunity to connect with their inner scientist!

The idea for this book project came out of a class that I have been teaching at McDaniel College for several years now, The Nature of Science. Back in 2010 my colleague, Dr. Karen Cummings, and I were awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to develop in-class materials for non-science majors in which the highest priorities would be to improve students’ scientific process skills, their attitudes toward science, and their understanding of the nature of science, which is collectively referred to as student’s scientific literacy. We are now quite confident that all of these materials are appropriate and stimulating for the intended population of students. Despite the effectiveness of these materials, I have discovered that, without a textbook, instructors at other colleges and universities find it difficult to commit to offering a course devoted purely to improving students’ scientific literacy. So, I am now beginning to undertake the major project of authoring the first textbook of its kind to serve courses in scientific literacy. Such a textbook will provide the missing critical link to the spread of this type of course to other institutions.

One more thing: If I reach my funding goal, besides writing the book, at the end of the campaign I will also let my students completely (and permanently) paint my car with their own science-related images, cartoons, graphics, whatever!

Details about me

First, I’ve been a college physics professor for over fifteen years and have dedicated myself to researching and teaching all undergraduate students about science. I have authored a dozen peer-reviewed articles specifically addressing science and non-science majors’ attitudes and beliefs about the nature of science and scientific reasoning and papers related to characterizing students’ conceptual understanding of fundamental physical phenomena. Also, I have delivered over forty presentations at national meetings of educators on improving science education. Finally, I am currently finishing-up with Dr. Karen Cummings writing a second edition of a research-inspired, introductory, calculus-based textbook, Understanding Physics, that is under contract with a major publisher, Wiley. I was also a contributing author to the first edition of RealTime Physics: Module 3, also published by Wiley.

I have taught the following courses at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, University of Oregon, and McDaniel College:

             Courses for non-science majors

  • The Nature of Science
  • General Physics (algebra-based)
  • The Science of Sound, Music, and Hearing
  • Light and Color
  • Astronomy
  • Earth Science
  • Tropical Marine Biology
  • Natural History of the American Southwest
  • The Science of Energy

             Courses for Science Majors

  • Introductory Physics (both calculus-based and trigonometry-based)
  • Mathematical Methods for Physics
  • Intermediate Mechanics
  • Electromagnetic Theory
  • Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
  • Quantum Mechanics
  • Scientific Writing and Presentation

             Other

  • The Art of Juggling
  • Backpacking along the Appalachian Trail
  • Backpacking the American Southwest

Why I need the funding

You may be wondering, “If this is such a great idea for a book, why not have a publishing house support its development and creation?” I tried that. This is an experimental topic, so the traditional lines of support are unavailable. For now, at least, I am on my own, which is why I need your support, so I can devote myself to this book. If my project is funded, I will completely give over the next year of my life to writing this book.

I have selected a funding option that does not let me collect a dime until my funding goal is reached. This is all or nothing!

What's in it for you?

I have bunch of perks lined up! Some of the highlights include: donating over $25 will get you a hand-signed post card that on the front will have a picture of my student-painted, science-themed car; donating over $50 will get you an acknowledgement in the book; giving over $500 will mean that you and I will personally arrange for me to speak to a group of students, friends, community members, whomever, about science and the scientific endeavor; and giving over $2,000 means that you will share the dedication of the book! 

Goals for the book project

When the book is complete it will be somewhere on the order of 100,000 to 150,000 words and divided into thirteen chapters (see below). Each chapter will cover the relevant material and have examples and questions for students to work on as they progress through the reading. At the end of each chapter there will be mini-projects for students to work on by themselves or in groups and deeper discussion questions. I will also write a complementary teacher’s guide to help instructors navigate the materials and provide activities and suggestions for class time. Everywhere, I will stress that course time associated with the textbook should be spent having the students working on projects and developing ideas among themselves, not having the instructor lecture to them. Class time should be the time when the students cement the ideas they have read in the textbook, not hear the textbook again.

Here is a tentative table of contents for the book:

  • Introduction
  • What does it mean to do science?
  • The sociology of science
  • Measurement and means
  • Experimental design
  • Creativity and intuition
  • Estimation
  • Scaling
  • Probability and statistics
  • Correlation and causation
  • Science in the media
  • Theoretical and computation science
  • Science in society

I plan to write the book in a very conversational tone. It has been my experience that students greatly prefer that style of writing and it seems to come naturally to me. You can click here to see an example of my writing on the form of an essay that will serve as the basis of the chapter on estimation.

Risks and Challenges

As I said above, If my project is funded, I will devote the next year of my life to writing this book. As such, I will not suffer from any distractions or unexpected, work-related commitments. In a year, if I am not completely done, then when I return to work my schedule is flexible enough that I can finish what might be left on the book in addition to my teaching duties.

Since this is a first-of-its-kind book, there are no overly constraining expectations regarding what to include and exclude. If, for example, I find that a particular topic bogs down the process of writing, I have no external pressures preventing me from removing that topic to keep the greater project on schedule.

If you can't donate, ...

... I can still use your help! Below you will see links to visit my NatureOfScienceGuy page on Facebook, NatureofScience on Twitter, and my website Nature-of-Science Guy. Also, just telling your friends about this project will certainly help, too. Thanks!

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Choose your Perk

Backer status: Comet

$1 USD
Oh, glamorous Comet! Thanks so much for backing my project, l really appreciate it! At Comet Status you will receive an e-mail "Thank you" from me for showing that you care about helping students learn more deeply about the scientific endeavor.
Estimated Shipping
October 2013
0 claimed

Backer status: Moon

$5 USD
Ah, the Moon. Thanks for chipping in! Yep, you want students to understand science. For your support, you will get an e-mail "Thank you" from me and a social media shout-out on my Facebook page: Nature-of-Science Guy.
Estimated Shipping
October 2013
0 claimed

Backer status: Planet

$15 USD
Where would I be without the Planets? Hard to imagine. Certainly, I wouldn't accomplish much science (or writing). Thanks, Planets, for giving me the support I need. Planets, you'll get what the Moons get, plus a cool Nature of Science bookmark.
Estimated Shipping
November 2013
0 claimed

Backer status: Star

$25 USD
Your luminousness guides me on my quest. Thanks a million. At this level of support, Stars will receive a personally signed postcard with a picture of my car after the students have painted it! You will also receive the e-mail "Thank you" and the social media shout-out on my Facebook page.
Estimated Shipping
November 2013
0 claimed

Backer status: Solar System

$50 USD
Wow, an entire Solar System backing me. Science education must be really important to you. With this much support, how can I go wrong? You are getting what the Stars get, and Solar Systems will have their names listed in the acknowledgement of the book!
Estimated Shipping
November 2013
0 claimed

Backer status: Nebula

$100 USD
You are one of the jewels of the night sky! Thanks for supporting science. Nebula, you just got yourself everything that the Solar Systems are getting, plus an electronic copy (pre-print) of the book!
Estimated Shipping
November 2014
0 claimed

Backer status: Star Cluster

$250 USD
What could be better than a Star? An entire Star Cluster, that's what! You glow with science. Thank you for your support of this educational project. Star Clusters, I can't wait to send you a hard copy of the book, plus everything the Nebulae have coming to them.
Estimated Shipping
December 2014
0 claimed

Backer status: Galaxy

$500 USD
Gasp! There’s so much support for science in a Galaxy, I can't describe it. Galaxies are awesome! Here's what I’m going to do to show my appreciation for the Galaxies. First, you get everything the Star Clusters will receive. On top of that, you and I will personally arrange for me to speak to a group of students, friends, community members, whomever, about science and the scientific endeavor. (Disclaimer: I can only travel to places within a day's drive of my home, outside of Baltimore, MD.)
Estimated Shipping
December 2014
0 claimed

Backer status: Cosmos

$2,000 USD
Cosmos: You ARE science! Thanks! What else is there to say, "You've got it all!" Take what the Galaxies are getting and add to that the fact that you will share the DEDICATION of the book with the other Galaxies and my students!
Estimated Shipping
December 2014
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