Innovation through Science Awareness

Shifts in generations from Millennials to Generation Z have brought changes to today's classroom. In turn, these changes indicate the need for reform and innovation in education. If the goal for education remains to put contributing members into society, then educators must search for the most effective ways to prepare students to enter society today, rather than in the past. The purpose of this article is to introduce creative ways to share the lives and work of outstanding ecologists to enhance students' knowledge in both English language arts and science, while also addressing state and national standards. Integrating the lives and work of well-known ecologists or environmentalists into middle school science has the potential to enhance the understanding our students have of what it means to be a scientist. Taking these small steps to broaden students' understanding of science and scientists may inspire a young person to consider a science career for themselves someday. The nation and the state have done their parts in giving teachers the outline for student learning and success in science. Now, it is up to teachers to utilize the standards within their classrooms to make science come to life.