Weeki Wachee High School students are excited about what’s happening around them, and a social studies is doing his part to make that happen.

"I tell them all the time, I don't care who you vote for, I just want you to vote,” said Adam Maternowski, who has been teaching for nearly 15 years.

“Just go out there and do that basic civic duty."

His students have been learning about history, government and economics during this big election year. His efforts are connecting kids to powerful current events.

"If they can understand their past. If they can understand demographics. If they can understand the different political stuff going on out there, they can predict the future,” Maternowski said.

“They can have an understanding of what's going to happen to them, when they can see what's already happened in the past. Then there's the obvious, so they can try to avoid the mistakes they've made in the past."

This week has seen tough topics such as slavery in the South.

“This claim that slaves were happy with what they're doing is completely false. It's human nature to push back against that kind of control. It's human nature to break chains,” he said.

"If you can make it connect to their own lives, they'll pay more attention. They'll want to know more."

For this teacher of the year finalist, that means bringing positive energy to the room, caring about the content he's teaching and building relationships.

Maternowski is always challenging them.

"It's how I was raised to never really be satisfied,” he said. “Always try to push for that next level. And so I try to impart that on the students. Always try to be better. Always seek out information. If you don't know some something, try to know it."