The author raises several questions concerning teaching conservation to nonconservators, such as: what level of conservation should be taught; how can the instructor know how much the students have assimilated from previous courses; what is the appropriate course length; what is the most effective teaching technique for the audience; is a follow-up needed; is the level taught dependent on the audience. The author defines basic conservation as a subject going beyond preventive conservation, which gives the student a greater depth of knowledge (for example, of deterioration processes), includes a hands-on lab work, and addresses selected issues in treatment areas, such as cleaning and repair. The curriculum of course A451 Conservation of Artifacts, which the author teaches at the Department of Anthropology of the University of British Columbia, is discussed. The author concludes with six recommendations: 1) lab work should be on one specific subject unless the course is quite long; 2) lab components should be offered only to small groups of seven or eight; 3) beginners and intermediates should not be mixed; 4) all aspects of courses should be critically reviewed to determine if successful 5) professional educators should advise on teaching methods; 6) major professional organizations should provide recommendations as to how best to teach conservation to nonconservators. -- AATA