Chemistry in Context: Integrating Chemical Information Literacy, Scientific Writing, and Contemporary Issues in the First-Year Undergraduate Curriculum

A broad range of information and communication competencies are required of science professionals and a scientifically literate populace. To systematically develop such knowledge, skills, and attitudes, undergraduate students must be exposed early and often to learning opportunities and instruction that explicitly embed these goals within and across disciplinary contexts. This chapter describes a successful example of chemical information instruction and writing practice in a large-enrollment General Chemistry lecture course populated by a diversity of science and engineering majors. Highlighted are the objectives, design, iterative implementations, outcomes, challenges, and future adaptations of a project titled "Chemistry in a Sustainable Context".