In this lesson students will learn that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its "source." Grades 6-8
In this lesson students will learn that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its "source." Grades 9-12
Students consider the scope of agriculture and how it is the source of most of our day-to-day necessities in preparation to explore the five agricultural career pathways. Grades 6-8
Through project-based learning, students will work in groups to design an agritourism experience that will increase profits for a family-owned farm and provide agricultural literacy opportunities for community members. Grades 6-8
Students investigate animal handling preferences, design a cattle corral system that is durable, efficient, and effective, and discover the skills needed to be an agricultural engineer. Grades 3-5
Through project-based learning, students will design games that will assist others with identifying a variety of agricultural careers, possible emerging agricultural careers, the education required for agricultural career options, and the types of salaries that can be expected in each career. Grades 6-8
Students will explore careers in the fields of agriculture and natural resources through online research. They will check their understanding by playing Career Trek—a board game that requires students to identify careers in agriculture and natural resources. Grades 6-8
Students will use infographics and charts to explore the careers that produce food, clothing, shelter, and fuel along with a variety of agricultural STEM careers requiring critical thinkers and problem solvers. Grades 6-8
Students make fresh mozzarella cheese and explore a career as an artisan cheesemaker as they discover the science, art, and craft involved in the development of specialty cheeses. Grades 6-8
In this lesson students will learn that product packaging is a balance between function, food safety, and economics by designing a protective package for shipping perishable fruit. Each package will be presented to the class for evaluation, and the best design will be shipped to test the product's durability. Grades 6-8
Through project-based learning, students will develop and manufacture a unique and nutritious food product that includes ingredients that have been sourced locally and can be served in retail outlets or the school cafeteria. Grades 6-8
Through project-based learning, students will develop, market, and brand a healthy energy bar and packaging to be sold to a target audience. Grades 6-8
Through project-based learning, students conduct surveys with their peers at school about healthy food products they think will be marketable for school concessions. Based on surveys and research, they choose an in-demand product to test in class and then present to a guest panel as a healthy choice. Grades 6-8
Students discover the variety of agricultural careers available and consider their career paths in terms of economics, interests, and suitability to their personal talents and characteristics. Grades 3-5
Students discover the variety of agricultural careers available and consider their career paths in terms of economics, interests, and suitability to their personal talents and characteristics. Grades 6-8
Students discover the variety of agricultural careers available and consider their future career paths in terms of economics, interests, and suitability to their personal talents and characteristics. Grades 9-12
In this lesson students will learn about foodborne illness, its prevention, and the people and organizations that are involved in food safety. Students will conduct an experiment to learn how hand-washing affects the presence of bacteria on their hands. Grades 6-8
Students explore the phenomenon of what makes bread dough rise. Using baker's yeast, students will observe alcoholic fermentation and its connection to cellular respiration as they are challenged to act as food scientists and develop the best recipe for quick-rising bread dough. Grades 9-12
Students focus on the science involved in the production of our food and explore the high-tech aspects of agricultural production as they learn about careers in food science. Grades 6-8
Students investigate the collaborative work of an agricultural scientist and engineer who found new uses for soybeans and discuss careers in science and engineering, biobased products, and the use of renewable resources. Grades 3-5
Students will recognize the importance of fuel energy and the fact that agriculture can produce biofuel; students will identify career opportunities in the biofuel industry. Grades 6-8
Students investigate the different digestive systems of livestock, examine the unique nutritional needs based on these structures, and discover the responsibilities of an animal nutritionist. Grades 3-5
Students use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to evaluate styles of housing used for hens that lay eggs. Using critical thinking and scientific investigation skills, students will compare housing styles, determine which system meets their animal welfare standards, and engineer their own hen house model to meet the needs of laying hens. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12
Students design a board game that reinforces how rangelands provide habitat for livestock and wildlife while benefiting humans, animals, and plants and explore the responsibilities of a range manager. Grades 3-5
Students will explore careers related to agriculture, identify personal interests within agriculture or a related field and discuss how agricultural professionals can impact world food. Grades 6-8
Students will explore careers related to agriculture, identify personal interests within agriculture or a related field and discuss how agricultural professionals can impact world food. Grades 9-12
Students will explore new technologies that will impact the future of farming, understand the role of developing countries in food security, and explain how consumers influence the production of food. Grades 9-12
Students identify the differences between needs and wants, goods and services, and producers and consumers by participating in a grocery store simulation, exploring the source of grocery store items, and designing their own products to sell. Grades 3-5
Students identify the differences between needs and wants, goods and services, and producers and consumers by participating in a grocery store simulation, exploring the source of grocery store items, and designing their own products to sell. Grades K-2
Students explore the numerous career opportunities involved in the dairy industry and solve real world math problems related to specific careers within the industry. Grades 3-5
Through project-based learning, students solve the problem of excess beeswax, a byproduct of honey bees, by developing a useful beeswax product and marketing their product to be sold in a local boutique or farmers market. Grades 6-8
In this lesson, students will model the responsibilities of a food scientist by working in product development teams to create a new food product. Tasks will involve market analysis, economics, food chemistry and safety, graphic design, and communication. Grades 6-8
Students explore the connection between individual behavior and resource use, learn the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and identify careers related to natural resource management by playing an active, futuristic simulation game in which teams have to collect limited resources from "Planet Zorcon." Grades 6-8
Explore the use of natural resources and how humans impact the environment. Discover the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources and identify careers related to natural resource management by playing a futuristic simulation game in which teams have to collect limited resources from "Planet Zorcon." Grades 9-12
Students explore how genes affect important traits such as growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and behavior and discover the responsibilities of an animal geneticist. Grades 3-5
Students will develop an appreciation for the extensive materials and career fields provided by agriculture, specifically as related to cereal grain production, processing, and consumption. Activities include playing a game in which students become agronomy specialists, mapping the top grain-producing states, and watching videos about careers related to grain production. Grades 6-8
Through project-based learning, students work in groups to create a flavorful and nutritious meal for astronauts to eat in space. They experience careers in food and nutrition, food science, and marketing, research different ways to preserve foods, and discover how food is taken to and eaten in space. Grades 6-8
Students will demonstrate understanding of the importance of the relationship between producers and consumers by explaining how agricultural supply and demand affects commodity prices. Grades 6-8
In this lesson, students will follow the farm to fork process of producing beef, learn how cattle and other ruminants convert grass into nutrient-rich foods such as milk and meat, discover ways cattle recycle food waste, and identify careers in the beef cattle industry. Grades 6-8
Students will explore cattle flight zones and work as agricultural engineers to design a corral system that uses the research of Dr. Temple Grandin. Grades 6-8
This activity prepares students to interview someone in an agricultural career. Students will gain a greater awareness of the role agriculture plays in the American economy, practice oral and written communication skills, and learn about numerous agricultural careers.
Using the context of a county fair livestock show, students explore how zoonotic diseases are spread. This program is designed to educate youth about the spread of disease and best practices for human and animal interaction. The online module can be accessed directly for virtual or remote learning. For in-person learning, see the full lesson plans linked below for upper elementary and secondary classrooms.
Career Trek is an interactive game for up to four players. The object of the game is for students to be able to name 10 careers in agriculture and natural resources. The kit includes 10 game boards for a classroom of 40 middle school students. Order this game online from agclassroomstore.com.
This elementary activity illustrates the wide array of career paths available in agriculture. Students will create a paper "pinwheel" illustration of the many hats that farmers wear.
This question and answer based children's book shows students what it's like to be a farmer. The book is illustrated with photographs of the daily tasks of a farmer and includes fun farm facts. There is also a clock on each page to represent the time of day the chore is usually done. This book is an excellent addition to a lessons about careers, reading a clock, or learning about farms and farmers.
Agronomy Grow with It! explores the science of agriculture. Agronomy is the science we use to grow the crops that feed us, feed our livestock, and even fuel our cars. It's a science that tackles the big challenge of our future: How can we grow enough food to end world hunger and, at the same time, adapt to a changing climate and protect our environment? This book introduces you to 20 real agronomists who face that challenge every day.
A secondary level e-book designed as a guide for students and young people considering their career opportunities by presenting them with a current, in-depth, thorough, and real view of the agricultural industry. Each page is equipped with interactive links to videos, further reading, and more.
Have you ever wondered why Swiss cheese has holes? You'll find out in this story about a Swiss cheese maker named Casper Jaggi. Casper Jaggi was only six years old when his father taught him how to make cheese in the Swiss Alps. In 1913, Jaggi left Switzerland in search of new opportunities in the United States. Like many other Swiss, he settled in Green County, Wisconsin, where the rolling hills dotted with grazing cows reminded him of home. And soon, he'd be turning cow's milk into cheese, just as he did in Switzerland. The book opens the doors to Jaggi's Brodhead Swiss Cheese Factory—largest factory of its kind in Wisconsin in the 1950s. Archival photos help illustrate, step-by-step, the process Jaggi and his workers followed to transform 2,000 pounds of milk in a copper kettle into a 200-pound wheel of Swiss cheese. Jaggi was one of the many European immigrants who helped establish Wisconsin's reputation for delicious cheese. The Artisan cheese makers crafting award-winning cheeses today are continuing this rich tradition in America's Dairyland.
Born into slavery, George Washington Carver worked hard, earned a university graduate degree, and eventually became a world-famous expert on plants. By experimenting with peanuts and other plants, he learned how to make many useful products from them. Carver taught students and farmers how to grow plants without damaging the soil.
Here, in their second stunning collaboration, Diane Siebert and Wendell Minor create a joyful, singing celebration of this country's Heartland, the Midwest. It is a land where wheat fields grow and cornfields stretch across the plains to create a patchwork quilt in hues of yellow, green, and brown; a land where herds of cattle graze in pastures draped in lush, green grass, and a newborn calf stands in the sun. And upon this land toils the farmer, strong and proud, whose weathered face tells a tale of a life of work that's never done. The Heartland's a land where, despite man's power, nature reigns.
This book will help get kids excited about the living world of soil. Targeted for children aged 9-12, this 36-page, full-color book explores how soil is part of our life-the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses we live in, and more. Along the way, readers learn about different kinds of soil and meet the scientists who work with soil every day.
Tori and Jade are best friends until a friendly competition to grow the most prized pumpkin nearly tears their friendship apart! Come along as they create plans, work with an agronomist and beekeeper, learn from their mistakes and successes all in an effort to grow weird, warty, and ginormous pumpkins. The summer of the prized pumpkin competition will be one Tori and Jade will never forget!
Join Cas, Kanga Blue, and their new friend Tillie on an adventure through a wide range of agriculture careers as they imagine the exciting things they might do someday. Agriculture is the backbone of society, and it goes far beyond farming or ranching. In The Things You'll Grow, young readers get a firsthand glimpse of how multiple fields are connected to agriculture: culinary, technology, aviation, engineering, supply chain, and conservation, to name a few. This light-hearted adventure encourages children's interest in career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Get a glimpse inside some of the STEM career paths available in agriculture and see women in STEM. Edition 1 is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Edition 2 is available in English and Spanish.
The Beef Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students will learn about how cattle are raised, the life cycle of cattle, careers, cattle breeds, cuts of beef, fun facts, and more. Visit the Interactive Map to discover where your state ranks in beef production. The reader can be viewed by students electronically, as a class with a SMARTboard, or printed.
The Careers Ag Mag was written for elementary, middle, and high school students. In this issue, students will learn about agricultural careers as they pertain to specific pathways: Agricultural Business, Agricultural Production and Mechanics, Animal Science, Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, Food Science, Plant Science, and Education. Students will discover the relationships between all agricultural careers and farmers and ranchers. The reader can be viewed by students electronically, as a class with a SMARTboard, or printed.
The Christmas Tree Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students will learn about the origin of the Christmas tree tradition, discover different varieties of evergreen trees, identify pests that can damage trees, explore careers, and other fun facts. The ag mag includes specific statistics for North Carolina, the 2nd largest producer of Christmas trees. Visit the Interactive Map webpage to discover if your state produces Christmas trees. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.
The 2021 Food and Farm Facts series features interesting and educational facts about food in America - how and where it is grown, and who produces it. Color photographs and USA Today-style graphics illustrate the many fascinating facets of today’s agriculture. The series includes a 32-page book with map insert.
Questions about agriculture are not always easy to answer. Answering the questions children have is important as it helps them understand where their food, fiber, and energy comes from. Food and Farm Facts Junior takes questions many children have and provides a simple way of understanding farming practices and contributions. It gives children an answer and opens the door for more exploration.
The Nutrition Ag Mag is an agricultural magazine for students. This issue focuses on nutrition with segments highlighting physical fitness, career options, making healthy dietary choices, and how to read a food label. The entire publication can be viewed online.
The Pork Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students learn about the history of domesticated pigs, the life cycle of a pig, careers, fun facts, and more. This ag mag includes specific statistics for North Carolina, the 2nd largest pork producing state. Visit the Interactive Map to discover where your state ranks in pork production. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.
This printable four-page reader is packed with information about chickens, turkeys, and other poultry. Use this reader to share information about the parts of an egg, poultry-related careers, the diets of chickens, and more.
Do you have students that believe Agriculture only provides careers for farmers? This activity booklet defines agriculture and examines careers within the industry that include agricultural engineers, dairy farmers, turf scientist, veterinarians, and many more that are important but rarely discussed. The booklet also includes questions and activities for student engagement that builds vocabulary and knowledge.
The Strawberry Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students learn about the history of the strawberry, hybridization, the life cycle and anatomy of the strawberry plant, careers, and more. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.
The Sweetpotato Ag Mag is an agricultural magazine written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students will learn that North Carolina is the #1 producer of sweetpotatoes in the United States and how the root vegetable was introduced to the nation. They will also explore the life cycle of the sweetpotato plant, its health benefits to humans, the STEM-focused processes for growing, harvesting, and curing sweetpotatoes, visit a fourth-generation sweetpotato farm, and investigate three careers that involve sweetpotato production. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.
This is a great resource to help your students better understand the exciting and diverse array of STEM employment opportunities in food, agriculture, and natural resources. Each kit comes with yarn, signs, and seven Living Science Careers Equipment Bags, all in a sturdy plastic storage container. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Making mozzarella cheese in the classroom can provide an engaging opportunity to discuss food processing, the science of enzymes and proteins, careers, and more. This kit includes rennet (enzymes), and citric acid (acid), two of the components used in the cheesemaking process. Order this kit online fromagclassroomstore.com.
This interactive group activity will help your students understand the limited resources available for consumption on earth. Students will work in groups to explore the connection between individual behavior and resource use, explain the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and identify careers related to natural resource management. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Use this kit to introduce students to careers that keep cereal on grocery store shelves. Just as grains were foundational in the advent of agriculture thousands of years ago, they continue to play a central role in agriculture and food security today. Corn, rice, and wheat provide more than half of the calories consumed by people worldwide. The science of cereal science is serious business! Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Use this 8-minute video clip to profile a career in Agricultural Engineering. Learn how agricultural engineers apply engineering technology and science to help farmers be more productive, reduce environmental impacts, and keep our food affordable, safe, healthy and delicious.
Learn from Catherine Swoboda about being an educator and agronomist. Discover how she became interested in the field and how she has used her education to help alleviate hunger by increasing education on the production of food.
This collection of 40 short videos highlights a wide variety of careers in agriculture and natural resources. Each video is one to four minutes long and features an interview with a professional working in an agricultural field. Give your students time to explore these videos on their own or select a few to show in class. Allow students to hear directly from a plant scientist, a cheese production manager, an algae farmer, or a GIS specialist and learn how these professionals chose the career paths that got them where they are today.
This 17-minute video is a great way for students to learn about how agriculture connects to their lives. Animation, fun facts, and farmers tell the story of agriculture and how it relates to economics, science, and business. Interwoven through the commodity stories of corn, cotton, apples, dairy, and soybeans are important concepts such as: biodegradable properties, renewable resources, biotechnology, foreign trade, pest management, conservation practices, and food quality. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.
Explore more than 20 agriculture-related careers with these "snapshot" videos. The video playlist features careers on the farm as well as many others in sales, technology, education, and more.
Farmers have the biggest job on earth. The population is increasing — yet farmland isn't — so farmers have taken on the responsibility of producing more high-quality crops with fewer resources. This 3.5-minute video illustrates the remarkable improvements that have been made in agricultural efficiency and productivity while bringing home the challenges that the future holds. The attention-grabbing message makes for a great introduction to any lesson on agricultural production or careers in agriculture.
1-hour recorded field trip to the Marzetti Innovation Center in Columbus Ohio. Learn how soybean oil is used to create dressings, dips, sauces and bakery items for the T. Marzetti Company. The field trip highlights the science used to develop these products and introduces students to numerous careers in the food science industry.
Help your students understand the difference between a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and cooperative with this video from the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. This 10-minute DVD highlights the distinguishing details of each type of business structure and gives examples that students can relate to. A great video for Business CTE or basic economics courses. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.
Take a virtual tour of three different egg farms. Learn why each farmer chose their career, how their farm manages their ecological footprint and how they conserve natural resources all while raising the laying hens that produce eggs for our food supply.
The Living Science Career Cards feature 32 science careers associated with our nation's food, agricultural, and natural resource system. This is a great resource to help your students better understand the exciting and diverse array of employment opportunities for scientists working to generate new knowledge and to advance technology. These cards are available for free download.
This 42" x 42" bulletin board uses the skill of "telling time" to help students understand the time it takes to grow, process, and produce the ingredients of a pizza. It can easily be used to teach concepts of time, community involvement, raw to finished products, careers, and much more. The hands of the clock are movable. An activity sheet is included to demonstrate to students just how long it really takes to make a pizza. You'd be surprised! Order this bulletin board online from agclassroomstore.com.
Ever suck a bug to study insects or make mud pies to evaluate soil texture? The 2016 revised JMG Teacher & Leader Guide provides elementary teachers with the tools to teach the world of gardening with eight chapters of novel, hands-on and proven lessons. The curriculum also helps develops life skills, includes career exploration and provides opportunities for students to culminate the JMG experience with service-learning projects. As students complete areas of study, they can earn different recognition certifications including designation as Certified Junior Master Gardeners.
Food scientists have a career in developing foods that are appealing to the eye and taste bud as well as being nutritious. Use this research article about fruit and vegetable wraps to highlight what a career in food science would entail.
This website, put together by a partnership of agricultural organizations in Pennsylvania, has agricultural career resources that are applicable to all states. See over 50 careers in agriculture through videos, and infographics on the Ag & Food Careers List. Additionally, there is an Educator Resource section that includes 4 web scavenger hunts to guide students through the videos.
Students interested in a plant science career can use this website to find information on specialized career paths in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Discover the demand for nursery and greenhouse workers, horticulturists, florists, flower specialists, and more.
The Crop Science Society of America promotes and encourages career opportunities in the agronomic, crop, soil and environmental sciences. The Career Placement webpage contains career profiles, salary survey reports, and career brochures for teachers and students who are interested in learning more about available jobs in these areas.
This report describes projected job opportunities for U.S. college graduates in the food, agricultural, and natural resources system for the years 2020-2025. It highlights areas where graduating students are most likely to find jobs. The publication also describes factors that are driving trends in the job market, as well as characteristics of students graduating from U.S. Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. Visit the website or download the printable PDF.
Tired of higher food prices? The food industry is focusing on tighter cost controls to hold the line against future increases. But you might be surprised to see what worries food executives most. Explore the importance of transportation in the food supply chain using this article from Dirt to Dinner.
AgExplorer is a comprehensive career resource to help you explore the broad range of careers within the industry of agriculture. Careers may have you using advanced equipment, creating new hybrid seeds, raising animals, managing people, or designing new products and packaging. The industry of agriculture can open up a world of possibilities, and the demand for professionals in every agricultural area is high. Learn more about which career might be right for you by watching the videos, exploring the career pages, and completing the Career Finder interactive.
Pathful Connect matches teachers and students with the right industry professionals virtually, without having to spend much planning time or leaving the classroom, while providing an effective way for companies to extend education outreach and create equity of access.
We pay less for food than citizens of other nations; the United States enjoys the cheapest food in the world. Each year, dozens of improved products and new varieties of fruits, nuts, and vegetables emerge from the laboratories and greenhouses of the Agricultural Research Service. But walking through the grocery store, do we ever consider where such an abundance and variety of food and products come from?
View the Science in Your Shopping Cart eReader or order copies from AgClassroomStore. (Fall 2024)
Learn about ARS research and how it affects your food using the Science in Your Shopping Cart Factsheets and the Science in Your Shopping Cart Podcasts.
Seed Your Future is the movement to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants. The website has a database of horticulture career profiles, as well as a YouTube playlist of videos describing horticulture career areas in "BLOOM!" categories. Students unlock their plant power as they explore careers in horticulture.
