Abstract: Aligned with the philosophy of cultivating undergraduate talents with a “solid foundation, broad knowledge, high quality, strong abilities, and a focus on innovation”, and in line with the development goals of Shaanxi Normal University and the requirements of the “double first-class” initiative, this optional general education course, “Chemistry & Social Progress”, is designed to meet the diverse needs of students. The course aims to adapt to both the demands of socio-economic development and the individual developmental needs of students, fostering the training of excellent teachers and specialists. To address the challenge of students with varying disciplinary backgrounds and levels of chemistry knowledge attending the same classes, the teaching strategy employed in this course departs from using ready-made templates or textbooks. Instead, it focuses on “thematic lectures based on popular science”, utilizing a series of instructional designs to fully leverage the functionality of classroom teaching.

Key words: Optional course of general education, Chemistry & social progress, Curriculum design, Thematic lecture