In the nonmajor science classroom, case studies--when used as learning tools--should help students build the necessary framework to understand the nature of science. For most students, the nonmajor science course (in this case, Astronomy 101) may be the last time that they interact with science in a formal learning setting. A National Science Foundation-funded project (DUE#0536246) being conducted at Ithaca College, New York, examines methods of helping students understand the nature of science and build an appropriate epistemological framework. Students have explicit discussions about the nature of science and the "values and beliefs inherent to scientific knowledge" to include science-society interactions. The discussion of and activities concerning the construction of scientific models are particularly effective in helping students understand the nature of science. The authors share the first of many model building exercises.