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I agree with Anonymous’ post in that science is indeed made out to be a daunting and difficult subject. I think part of the reason that science frightens people is due to the fact that the subject’s content is primarily objective and fact-laden. Science classes— be it high school or college— are more often than not lecture style as opposed to discussion based or writing intensive. Already at this point, expressive and communicative students rule out the possibility of studying Biology. Content in a Biology course is eternal; there is no way to study the life of a leaf without explaining photosynthesis. However, I think the pedagogy, namely the strategy of instruction, of a Biology course can be altered to appeal to a broader range of students.

In my Philosophy of Mind course, we are discussing whether consciousness is a brain process. Is it? Well, the mind (not brain) is intangible, something like the soul. If we cannot see the mind and we have no scientific evidence of the mind, how can we say that consciousness is attributed to Biology? What does it truly mean to be conscious? While it would be ineffective to spend a day in a Biology course on such mind-boggling discussions, I think it is nevertheless important to address such questions, even if it is to a class full of future Biologists. The debate of consciousness is a very relevant discussion in the study of Philosophy and of Biology. So, why not include it in a Biology class? This approach, I think, will represent Biology as the comprehensive subject it truly is.

As another example, my Critical Feminist Studies class (an English course), is discussing the effect Biology has on sex and gender of human beings. Biology in an English course? Yes. Why? Because Biology is an integral part of studying practically everything. In other words, it is evident that Biology (a natural science) is vital in answering life’s most important questions; this fact I will not deny. It is clear to me that Biology is interdisciplinary and so Biology should become a more inclusive area of study. If Biology can be the topic of discussion in an English course and in a Philosophy course, why can’t we use English and Philosophy in Biology?

While it cannot be taught as a subject that is as writing intensive as an English course or as freethinking as a Philosophy course, I strongly believe that Biology should still include different perspectives from various ares of study-- from English, from Philosophy, from Sociology, from Anthropology—-into course content. Obviously, the extent of discussion and the type of discussion should be the discretion of the teacher/Professor of the course. In my opinion, the approach would make the idea of taking a Biology course less stressful and more attractive to all students, to every student.