Teaching at the intersection of science and society: An activity on healthcare disparities.

Understanding the relationship between science and society is an objective of science education and is included as a core competency in the AAAS guidelines for biology education. However, traditional undergraduate biology instruction emphasizes scientific practice and generally avoids potentially controversial issues at the intersection of biology and society. By including these topics in biology coursework, instructors can challenge damaging ideologies and systemic inequalities that have influenced science, such as biological essentialism and health disparities.