A six‐week noncalculus‐based introductory course was designed and taught with the intention of promoting students’ conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Primary emphasis was placed on (1) laboratories structured to induce Socratic dialogue; (2) lectures stressing aqualitativeapproach to problem solving, and contrasting Newtonian and students’ non‐Newtonian concepts of motion; (3) videotapes fromTheMechanicalUniverseseries. That the course was effective in promoting student crossover to the Newtonian world was suggested by student performance on pre‐ and post‐course mechanics exams.