Teaching biology
James Krupa, who teaches biology for non-science majors at the University of Kentucky, writes a nice essay on why he undertakes that effort:
Then I heard an interview with the renowned evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson in which he addressed why, as a senior professor—and one of the most famous biologists in the world—he continued to teach non-majors biology at Harvard. Wilson explained that non-majors biology is the most important science class that one could teach. He felt many of the future leaders of this nation would take the class, and that this was the last chance to convey to them an appreciation for biology and science.
I’m thankful for everyone who teaches this class, including my brother-in-law in east Texas, who likely faces some of the same issues as there are in Kentucky.
Rturpin's Blog 
Reblogged this on Rturpin's Blog.
Even as early as middle school many kids have checked out of science, and the most frequent question/complaint I get is the garden variety, “Why am I learning this, I’m not going to be a scientist.” It’s so very difficult to convey the need for the appreciation of analyzing the world in a factual, non-biased way, and how science is an even more pure search for the ultimate truths in life, than any religion out there. The new push for higher standards in education is unfortunately leaving us little time to do all the projects that help convey the wonder and fun of the discovery process, which is what keeps kids invested in the learning process.