2. Science
Okay, Star Trek is not a recognized resource for teaching the practical sciences. Still, as a kid, the idea of moving faster than light seemed completely feasible to me where warp engines are concerned, so I started to read more about space travel, the properties of a zero-gravity environment and Einstein's concept of relativity. Why? Because these were the practical bases that the theories behind 23rd and 24th century technology were built on. I wanted to know more, so I began my own inquiry. It's the desire to learn that teachers want to capitalize on, not the process, actual content or rote memorization of facts. If a kid gets inspired by a science fiction television show to want to know more about the world around her, then by all means, let her continue to watch the show. Heck, in a unit on water conservation, I've asked kids to create designs of futuristic water filtration devices. They have to understand and demonstrate the necessary elements in the process behind filtration (e.g. chemical addition, micro-bacterial filters, UV light, etc.) in their designs first, but the actual device itself has to be something that they might find in a science fiction story. For example, imagine a world, devastated by nuclear fall-out how are they going to purify water in that type of an environment? It's amazing what kids will come up with if you just allow them the opportunity to dream and have fun with science. That's Star Trek. It allowed an entire generation to think about the applications of science. It allowed women to think about being engineers and astronauts: Julie Payette, Roberta Bondar and other women in this generation who watched and grew up with Star Trek. Think about the first space shuttle: Enterprise. If that isn't a practical example of science and technology inspiring science fiction, then I don't know what is.