I enjoy teaching. I like to develop new courses and teach classes on topics that I am starting to explore in my research. Teaching these topics enables me to approach my research questions from new perspectives, and set them into a broader context. However, the most important reason why I like teaching is that I like sharing my fascination for doing research. I like to show students how exciting historical research is, and I enjoy helping them to come up with fascinating questions for conducting research themselves.
My current teaching interests include:
- history of science survey
- climate change and history
- history of air pollution
- history of science popularization
- scientific controversies
- modern physics in context
My current teaching interests include:
- history of science survey
- climate change and history
- history of air pollution
- history of science popularization
- scientific controversies
- modern physics in context
What do I do in class?
My classes are usually a mix of lectures and discussions, and include group work, class debates and simulation games. Recently I spend quite some time developing and preparing simulation games for class and really enjoy doing so. My experience from including simulations in teaching is that they provide students with a unique learning experience: not only are they strongly motivated to prepare for their role, they also learn about the social dynamics of scientific debates or policy negotiations.
Lectures
My lectures include breaks in which we discuss and reflect on topics covered so far, or in which students present prepared questions or short discussion statements in class.
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Debates
Students present and debate two conflicting views, for instance, on the nature of light, for and against materialism, or for or against banning bisphenol A.
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Group Work
In particular on primary sources. This can include popular science magazines from the 19th century, but also material from environmental case law.
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Simulation Games
Students represent a historical figure in scientific debates or act as a participant in policy negotiations, for instance as national delegate in negotiations on environmental agreements.
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Classes taught
International Environmental Politics, New York University, Environmental Studies Program, Spring 2012
European Environmental Policy, New York University, Environmental Studies Program, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
Conspiracy Theories in History, Humboldt University Berlin, History Department, Summer 2010
Science and Worldview in the 19th Century, Humboldt University Berlin, History Department, Winter 2009
Science Popularization in the 19th Century, Humboldt University Berlin, History Department, Winter 2008.
European Environmental Policy, New York University, Environmental Studies Program, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
Conspiracy Theories in History, Humboldt University Berlin, History Department, Summer 2010
Science and Worldview in the 19th Century, Humboldt University Berlin, History Department, Winter 2009
Science Popularization in the 19th Century, Humboldt University Berlin, History Department, Winter 2008.