Chemistry Everyday for Everyone JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu • Vol. 76 No. 12 December 1999 • Jo urna l o f Chemic a l Educ a tio n 1667 Project-based learning promotes students’ understanding of the practice of science through planning, conducting, and presenting a research project (1–3). Engaging undergraduates in campus-based research has been the focus of an environ- mental resource assessment (ERA) at Santa Clara University. A cornerstone for the environmental research effort has been a non-science majors chemistry course Chemistry and the En- vironment. Typically, 40–50 students are enrolled in this quarter-long course and they work in groups of four to six on ERA research. ERA and Research Projects A preliminary ERA at Santa Clara University was con- ducted in Fall 1995 by Al Fritsch, SJ, of Appalachia–Science in the Public Interest. As a visiting scholar for one quarter, Fritsch was able to complete an initial resource assessment and produce a series of recommendations for future study emphasizing ten areas of special concern including waste man- agement, energy conservation, water conservation, and food ser- vices. An external examiner is not needed to conduct an ERA, although having an unbiased perspective is valuable. Resources and recommendations are available from the National Wildlife Federation for conducting a self-assessment ( http:// www.nwf.org/campus/). Campus-based environmental research related to the ERA has been conducted in Chemistry and the Environment. Examples of specific projects and related chemistry connections over the past three years are listed in Table 1. Campus Environmental Resource Assessment Projects for Non-Science Majors Amy M. Shachter* and Janice S. Edgerly Department of Chemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053; * ashachter@mailer.scu.edu s t c e j o r P t n e m s s e s s A e c r u o s e R l a t n e m n o r i v n E f o s e l p m a x E . 1 e l b a T e l t i T s u c o F s n o i t c e n n o C y r t s i m e h C s n o i s s i m E e l c i h e V s e v i t a n r e t l A n o i t a t r o p s n a r T n o i t u l l o p r i A s n o i s s i m e e l i b o m o t u A s e v i t i d d a l e u f d n a s l e u F s n o i t c a e r n o i t s u b m o C s r e t r e v n o c c i t y l a t a C g n i t s e t e l i b o m o t u A g o m s l a c i m e h c o t o h P g n i m r a w l a b o l G t c e f f e e s u o h n e e r G U C S t a s s e n e r a w A g n i l c y c e R g n i l c y c e r r e p a p , c i t s a l p , l a t e M g n i t s o p m o C s e r o l a t e m , l a t e M n i a r d i c a d n a g n i t l e m S s e l u c e l o m c i n a g r O s t c u d o r p m u e l o r t e P s r e m y l o p d n a s c i t s a l P y r t s i m e h c r e p a P n o i t u l l o p r i A n o i t u l l o p r e t a W e h t r o f s t c u d o r P l a t n e m n o r i v n E l l a H e c n e d i s e R w e N s l a s o p o r p l l a h e c n e d i s e r w e N d n a s l l e c r a l o s f o e s u e h t r o f s t e p r a c d e l c y c e r m u r t c e p s c i t e n g a m o r t c e l E y g r e n e r a l o S s r o t c u d n o c i m e S s l l e c c i a t l o v o t o h P s e l u c e l o m c i n a g r O s t c u d o r p m u e l o r t e P s r e m y l o p d n a s c i t s a l P U C S d n a n o i t a l u g e r e D y t i c i r t c e l E s u p m a c e h t r o f s n o i t p o y t i c i r t c e l E s e c r u o s y g r e n E n i a r d i c A g n i m r a w l a b o l G ? r e t t e B r e t a W d e l t t o B s I r e t a w p a t s v r e t a w d e l t t o B s n o i , s e l u c e l o m , s m o t A s n o i l a t e m d n a s l a t e M s e l u c e l o m c i n a g r O s i s y l a n a f o s d o h t e M y p o c s o r t c e p S n o i t a c i f i r u p r e t a W s n o i t a l u g e r A D F d n a A P E y t i l a u Q r i A r o o d n I , s r e i p o c o t d e t a l e r n o i t u l l o p r o o d n I n o d a r d n a , s l a i r e t a m w e n r i a e h t y f i r u p o t s t n a l P e r u t c u r t s c i m o t A y r t s i m e h c r a e l c u N g n i t s e t n o d a R ) s C O V ( s e l u c e l o m c i n a g r O g n i t s e t r i A s n o i t a l u g e r A H S O s t r A e h t n i s l a i r e t a M s u o d r a z a H l a s o p s i d d n a g n i l d n a h e t a i r p o r p p A s l a i r e t a m s u o d r a z a h f o s t n i a p n i s l a t e M ) s C O V ( s e l u c e l o m c i n a g r O s S D S M d n a s u o d r a z a h g n i n i f e D s n o i t a l u g e r A P E d n a A H S O l a s o p s i d e t s a W n o i t u l l o p r i a r o o d n I r e t a W d e m i a l c e R d n a U C S r e t a w d e m i a l c e r f o s e s u s u p m a C a r a l C a t n a S / e s o J n a S e h t m o r f y t i l i c a f t n e m t a e r t e g a w e s s n o i d n a s e l u c e l o m , s m o t A s n o i l a t e m d n a s l a t e M t n e m t a e r t d n a n o i t a c i f i r u p r e t a W