History of ecology education in the K-12 system

Background/Question/Methods

Ecology deals with organismal relationships with each other and their physical surroundings. Ecological science has been conducted perhaps as far back as the 4^th Century BC with the observations of Aristotle and Theophrastus, and gathered pace in the mid-18^th Century with the rise of the British naturalist-parson, exemplified by Gilbert White.  However, when did the science of ecology become integrated into the formal K-12 education system in the USA?  This question is pursued here using the State of Pennsylvania as a case-study.  Archives of past state curricula and academic standards are examined to investigate the history of the incorporation of ecology and environmental science into the K-12 education system in Pennsylvania.  This process is supplemented by interviewing teachers within the Pennsylvania state school system to gain a more anecdotal oral history of the development of ecology education over the past 30 years.

Results/Conclusions

Ecology first entered schools in Pennsylvania in the late 19^th Century in the form of the related subject ‘nature studies’ with a focus on observations of natural history. The next step towards teaching the science of ecology was not until the environmental catastrophes of the 1920s and 30s.  In conclusion, through the 20^th and into the 21^st Century, the teaching of ecology in the K-12 system in the USA has been driven by awareness of the country as a whole, in the face of large changes and threats to the environment. More emphasis needs to be placed in the school curriculum system to develop our knowledge of ecological systems.  Ecology – the world around us – will always be a very useful vehicle for the teaching of scientific inquiry and the ability to critically analyze scientific reporting in the media.