Ag-Bites are bite-sized ways to bring agriculture into your classroom. These one-page sheets explain how to perform hands-on learning activities with students in various grade levels (K-12).
A 30-minute activity teaching students about food allergies, reading food labels to identify allergens, and food substitutions. It can be added to any lesson on food labels, nutrition, etc.
This activity can be a supplement to any nutrition lesson. Students will complete puzzles by matching food groups to the nutrients the food group provides and examples of foods within the food group. A digital and paper version is included.
Growing microgreens is a quick, easy, and tasty way to explore the seed germination and plant growth life cycle. There are MANY different kinds of microgreens—some taste mild and juicy, others pack a spicy punch! Try growing a variety of microgreens to observe and eat.
Do you have a complicated issue or problem to discuss with your students? Use a beach ball (or any other type of ball) to demonstrate why a person might have a different "point of view." This activity helps students recognize that every issue can be seen from different points of view.
A "Price is Right" style activity designed to help illustrate the sugar and salt content found in processed foods. This activity can supplement nutrition and food processing lessons.
A 20-minute activity to illustrate to students that many of our foods come from around the world. Activity can be added to any lesson on food, food sources, nutrition, etc.
In this activity, students will explore the global problem of hunger and nutrient availability along with techniques that are being used to improve nutrient supplies where shortages exist. Students will also exercise their ability to identify credible information sources.
This activity can supplement any nutrition lesson. Students will identify portion sizes for food and compare them with common every-day items through a "Grab Bag" activity.
This 20-minute activity allows students to apply their knowledge of reading food labels and identifying the nutrient content of food. Students work in groups and are challenged to create a nutritious meal with processed foods. This is an ideal capstone activity for a lesson on reading food labels and determining the nutrient content of foods.
This activity provides basic instructions for growing edible sprouts. By sprouting seeds in your classroom, students can learn about the science of seed germination, plant growth, and how sprouts can contribute to a healthy diet. A seed is the miraculous start of a new plant. It contains all the food a new plant will need until its leaves reach sunlight and begin to make more food for the plant. Seeds are essential to agriculture and are the original source of much of our food, clothing, and shelter. Understanding agriculture and its role in civilization can provide a context for understanding social studies, science, and nutrition. Seeds need warmth, moisture, oxygen, and sometimes light or darkness to germinate. Changing these variables will produce measurably different results students can experiment with to explore the scientific method.
In this activity students categorize foods into food groups and describe the USDA MyPlate icon by participating in an activity where students act out the role of a grocery store worker and stock the "shelves" with food from each food group.
Learn about the history and present use of the White House lawn and gardens with this interesting and thorough nonfiction work. This book also presents factual information on gardening as well as important nutrition guidelines for healthy eating.
This book covers early history, cultivation, processing, and nutritional importance of grains. One chapter is dedicated to each grain, including wheat, rice, corn, millet and barley, and oats and rye. The two-column text reads easily and is full of informative material.
This book offers all the basics found in an adult nutrition guide in a format designed specifically for kids. Lizzy Rockwell has filled Good Enough to Eat with funny speech bubbles, detailed illustrations, and an engaging cast of children who explain everything from why your body needs protein to how long it takes to burn 100 calories. All this plus hands-on experiments and recipes make learning so much fun, kids can taste it!
Grains are hearty, wholesome, and healthy. Learn about how MyPlate helps kids make great food choices every day, including grains.
"Dad says we are going to grow vegetable soup." So begins Lois Ehlert’s bright, bold picture book about vegetable gardening for the very young. The necessary tools are pictured and labeled, as are the seeds (green bean, pea, corn, zucchini squash, and carrot). Then the real gardening happens... planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, chopping, and cooking! In the end? "It was the best soup ever." Ehlert’s simple, colorful cut-paper-style illustrations are child-friendly, as is the big black type. A recipe for vegetable soup tops it all off!
Harlem Grown tells the inspiring story of how one man made a big difference in a neighborhood. After seeing how restless they were and their lack of healthy food options, Tony Hillery invited students from an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful and functional farm. By getting their hands dirty, these kids turned an abandoned space into something beautiful and useful while learning about healthy, sustainable eating and collaboration. Five years later, the kids and their parents, with the support of the Harlem Grown staff, grow thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables a year. All of it is given to the kids and their families.
This story makes a fun hook to engage young students with healthy eating. Lola is a very fussy eater. Carrots are for rabbits and peas are 'too small and too green.' One day, after rattling off her long list of despised foods, she ends with the vehement pronouncement, "And I absolutely will never not ever eat a tomato." Not convinced, Lola's older brother Charlie has an idea. He tells Lola that the orange things on the table are not carrots, but "orange twiglets from Jupiter" and peas are in fact "green drops from Greenland." Mashed potatoes, when pitched as "cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji" suddenly seem appealing to Lola. And in the end, might she even eat a tomato?
Yummy! Colorful images of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein foods fill the pages of this picture book starring Jack of beanstalk fame. Fortunately, the friendly giant in this version of the story is happy to invite a guest for dinner. As they cook together, Jack learns about the food groups that are a part of a well-balanced meal. The book is an appetizing way to introduce children to the MyPlate nutrition program, written and illustrated by Loreen Leedy.
The first zucchini of a summer garden is always exciting, but what happens when the plants just keep growing...and growing...and growing? Zora soon finds herself with more zucchini than her family can bake, saute, or barbecue. Fortunately, the ever-resourceful girl comes up with the perfect plan—a garden swap!
A picky eater discovers the joy of growing food and the pleasure of tasting something new. Sylvia Spivens always says no to spinach. But one day Sylvia's teacher giver her a packet of spinach seeds to plant for the school garden. Overcoming her initial reluctance and giving the seeds a little love and patience, Sylvia discovers the joy of growing food and the pleasure of tasting something new.
Maddi's Fridge
Best friends Sofia and Maddi live in the same neighborhood, go to the same school, and play in the same park, but while Sofia's fridge at home is full of nutritious food, the fridge at Maddi's house is empty. Sofia learns that Maddi's family doesn't have enough money to fill their fridge and promises Maddi she'll keep this discovery a secret. But because Sofia wants to help her friend, she's faced with a difficult decision: to keep her promise or tell her parents about Maddi's empty fridge. Maddi's Fridge addresses issues of poverty with honesty and sensitivity while instilling important lessons in friendship, empathy, trust, and helping others.
Midday Meals Around the World
Discover what children around the world eat for their midday meals. Menus include one or two meals from North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Kid-friendly recipes are also included.
No Ordinary Apple: A Story About Eating Mindfully
On an otherwise ordinary day, Elliot discovers something extraordinary: the power of mindfulness. When he asks his neighbor Carmen for a snack, he's at first disappointed when she hands him an apple — he wanted candy! But when encouraged to carefully and attentively look, feel, smell, taste, and even listen to the apple, Elliot discovers that this apple is not ordinary at all.
Oliver's Fruit Salad
Oliver is off to stay with Grandpa, who grows his own vegetables. But Oliver doesn't eat vegetables—only chips. How will Grandpa persuade him into a week of healthy eating?
Plants Feed Me
Plants Feed Me is an early elementary, non-fiction picture book about the plant foods we eat. This book describes which parts of plants are edible in simple accessible language using botanically realistic illustrations. Basic botanical science concepts of seed, sprout, flower, fruit, and plant structure are introduced with words and pictures.
Poverty and Hunger
Poverty and Hunger discusses the questions, "What is poverty and hunger? How do they affect people in countries all over the world?" It helps children begin to understand the ways others struggle with these issues and learn about ways they can help.
Rah, Rah, Radishes!: A Vegetable Chant
Know any kids that don't like veggies? Here's a book that's sure to change their hungry minds. Rah, Rah, Radishes! celebrates fresh vegetables, nature's bright colors, and the joy of healthy eating.
Spring is for Strawberries
When a farm family brings their spring crops to a city farmers market, the farmer's daughter befriends the daughter of a neighborhood family doing their weekly shopping. Over the course of a year, the girls explore the bounty of each season. Sweet spring strawberries and crisp, fresh greens make way for corn on the cob, peppers, and a rainbow of tomatoes. Fall brings pumpkin patches and the crunch of apples. The friends part at the final winter market, already looking forward to the sweet red strawberries that will unite them again next spring.
Sylvia's Spinach
A picky eater discovers the joy of growing food and the pleasure of tasting something new. Sylvia Spivens always says no to spinach. But one day Sylvia's teacher gives her a packet of spinach seeds to plant for the school garden. Overcoming her initial reluctance and giving the seeds a little love and patience, Sylvia discovers the joy of growing food and the pleasure of tasting something new.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever—he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
The Good Garden
Maria's family are poor Honduran farmers, growing barely enough to eat. Then a new teacher comes to town and shows Maria sustainable farming practices that yield good crops. An inspiring story, based on actual events, that shows us how farms and hopes are transformed as good gardens begin to grow.
Tomatoes for Neela
Neela loves cooking with her amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati's famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.
When Vegetables Go Bad
This work of fiction is a great tool to introduce nutrition to younger audiences and encourage them to eat vegetables. This title might mislead you to think the vegetables in the book are spoiling but the story is really about vegetables behaving badly because Ivy refused to eat them. Instead of eating her vegetables, Ivy stuffed them into her pocket. At night when she is sleeping, the vegetables form a taunting chorus in Ivy's sleep and invade her dreams with nasty songs. No matter how Ivy tries to run from this nightmare, the vegetables chase her down and continue their harassment. Once she admits she likes vegetables, the nightmare stops.
Zora's Zucchini
The first zucchini of a summer garden is always exciting, but what happens when the plants just keep growing...and growing...and growing? Zora soon finds herself with more zucchini than her family can bake, saute, or barbecue. Fortunately, the ever-resourceful girl comes up with the perfect plan—a garden swap!
#SoilScience Reader
This digital reader introduces soil formation and soil horizons with a fun edible soil activity. Other topics include the nitrogen cycle, plant nutrition, and fertilizer basics featuring the 4R Nutrient Stewardship. This resource is an excellent supplement to soil lessons and can be requested for free from the Nutrients for Life Foundation. There is a
student reader as well as a
teacher guide.
Ag Today
Agriculture is everywhere! From the time we wake up in the morning until we end our day at night, we have encountered agriculture through the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the fuel we use for transportation. Ag Today is a great reading supplement for upper elementary students to learn about agriculture. The six issues correlate with the themes of the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes and can be integrated into science, social studies, and language arts curriculum. Each reader provides real-world connections to STEM and makes learning relevant for students in becoming agriculturally literate.
Dairy Reader
Dairy cows are amazing animals. This printable student reader takes kids through the basics of milk production, how dairy cows are cared for, important vocabulary, and why milk is part of a healthy diet.
Jr. Sprout - Healthy Eating
This creative activity booklet engages students to create their own food faces while using healthy fruits and vegetables grown in a vegetable garden. It also discusses challenges that people encounter while selecting "bad foods" that contain oils, sugars, and fats versus "good foods."
Nutrition Ag Mag
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.
Sweetpotato Ag Mag
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.
Food Models
These full-color, life-size cardboard photographs of 200 commonly eaten foods are pictured in portion sizes with nutrition information presented in label format on the back. A perfect hands-on tool for teaching food and nutrition concepts! Included with your purchase are the Food Models and Leader Guide.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Food Science in a Box
This kit is designed to support various forms of homeschool, virtual learning, and online classes by providing ready-to-use supplies to facilitate hands-on learning and discovery. The kit contains materials for one student to complete a variety of activities found in the following lessons:
What's on MyPlate? (Activity 1);
Get Popping! (Interest Approach—Engagement);
Cultures, Food, and Communities Around the World (Activity 1);
Cheesemaking: From Liquid to Solid (Activity 1);
By Land, Air, or Sea (Activities 2 & 3).
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
Live Hunger Map
The World Food Programme (WFP) Live Hunger Map monitors food security in more than 90 countries and issues predictions where data is limited. The live map aims to identify areas that are currently food insecure or are sliding towards food insecurity. A static hunger map can be found if you click on "undernourishment" at the bottom of the page. It includes data from 2017-2019.
An Almond Story
This video along with its companion activity book tells the California Almond story from the perspective of a bee left behind in the orchard after the pollination season is over. Auntie Bee’s story is spellbinding as she expounds on the almond’s history, its unique food properties and many uses, as well as its incredible nutritional value. “An Almond Story” is a captivating classroom learning experience that’s as much fun as it is educational. The
video and the
activity book are meant to be used together by grade school teachers.
Bon a la Beef Videos
Four professional video clips featuring elementary through high school students preparing recipes to educate students, teachers, and the public about beef, its nutritional value, and its proper handling and preparation. The student-developed recipes use easy techniques and readily available ingredients.
Brittlelactica: Planet in Need
The "Brittlelactica" integrated campaign tells the story of a race of calcium deficient aliens who discover the health benefits of milk and begin abducting cows, whom they dub "The Supreme Ones."
Dairy Tour 360
Milk, leche, lait. No matter what you call it, real milk offers tons of nutrition and is sustainably produced—and we've got the receipts. Come behind the scenes on a few dairy farms: see the cow care and learn the real science. Oh, and did we mention you'll be flying around on a butterfly? Available for
desktop or
VR headset use.
Follow That Food: Carrot Edition
Discover how carrots travel from farm to table! Watch as this video follows carrots grown at Open Hands Farm in Northfields, Minnesota all the way to elementary schools in Minneapolis.
Food Facts: 7 Reasons to Eat Insects
When discussing world food supply, hunger, or agricultural sustainability discuss the idea of eating bugs as an alternative protein source. How does it compare to other forms of nutrition in terms of protein, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids?
From Moo to You Video
This 26-minute program from the Gee Whiz in Agriculture series explores a dairy food processing plant that makes many of our favorite foods, such as cheese, butter, and ice cream. Why "milk does a body good" and why it's considered nature's most perfect food are emphasized. A direct comparison of the nutrient values of milk and soft drinks are made, along with other nutritional considerations. This video can be purchased on
DVD or accessed on
YouTube.
How to Feed the World in 2050: Actions in a Changing Climate video
Learn how climate change has affected agriculture and how steps can be taken to preserve our ability to sustainably produce food for our planet.
How to Read Nutrition Facts - Food Labels Made Easy video
A 5-minute explanation of the Nutrition Facts label. Learn about servings, serving size, calories, fat, and more.
Portion Size Me & Portion Size Me Too DVDs
"Portion size is the key to the American obesity epidemic," said James Painter, chair of Eastern Illinois University's School of Family and Consumer Sciences. He believed that healthy choices could be found in every fast-food restaurant. To prove his point, he followed two graduate students--254-pound Aaron and 111-pound Ellen--who ate portions suitable to their body types for a month. They could chose only foods from 10 fast-food restaurants and gas stations. Both ended up losing weight and lowering their cholesterol. While Portion Size Me showcases the details of the study, Portion Size Me Too highlights how they did it. Students will enjoy the details of how to make healthier choices at their favorite fast-food restaurants.
Sorghum: The Super Grain
Explore the world of sorghum in school meals. Learn about its origin, growth in the United States, sustainability, and nutritional benefits. Discover how sorghum can be used in various recipes and its advantages as a gluten-free, high-fiber, and antioxidant-rich grain.
TEDMED Talk: What Does the World Eat?
Peter Menzel is a freelance photojournalist known for his coverage of international feature stories on science and the environment, and his wife Faith D’Aluisio is a former award-winning television news producer. In this 14-minute talk, Menzel discusses the projects they have undertaken together, including publishing The Hungry Planet. He further explores the changes they have observed in what and how people eat around the world, touching on issues such as obesity and food security.
Utah Beefscapes
Beef cattle are the leading source of farm income in Utah. This video is a mountain of beefy goodness that allows you to examine Utah beef from farm to fork.
Berries Flowchart
This three-page informational sheet describes the process of how berries are grown and harvested, how they get from the farm to the store, and nutrition facts. Words and graphics are used to portray this information for strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Print your own or order a set of 30" x 8" printed charts from
agclassroomstore.com.
Dig In! Posters
These dynamic posters visually express the world of possibilities found in growing and eating fruits and vegetables. Display them in your classroom, the school cafeteria, and throughout the school to motivate students to choose more fruits and vegetables at meals and as snacks. Horizontal posters are 24" x 36". Vertical posters are 36" x 24". Posters are available in
PDF or upon request from
USDA Team Nutrition.
Grains Flowchart
This three-page informational sheet describes the process of how grains are grown and harvested, how they get from the farm to the store, and nutrition facts. Words and graphics are used to portray this information for barley, corn, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, and wheat.
Print your own or order a set of 30" x 8" printed charts from
agclassroomstore.com.
MyPlate Activity Poster
Use this 30" x 26" MyPlate poster to teach your students about food groups and healthy eating. MyPlate is the USDA’s visual nutrition guide, which depicts a place setting showing the five food groups and the relative proportions they take up in a healthy diet. MyPlate provides a simple, highly visual approach to nutrition that is directly applicable to daily life.
Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.
Nutrition Posters
How would you rather eat calcium, fiber, iron, protein, vitamin C, and zinc? This set of posters provides examples of foods that fit into each category and includes nutrition information about each.
Nuts Flowchart
This six-page informational sheet describes the process of how nuts are grown and harvested, how they get from the farm to the store, and nutrition facts. Words and graphics are used to portray this information for almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.
Print your own or order a set of 30" x 8" printed charts from
agclassroomstore.com.
Oilseeds Flowchart
This three-page informational sheet describes the process of how oilseed crops are grown and harvested, how the products get from the farm to the store, and nutrition facts. Words and graphics are used to portray this information for canola, cottonseed, peanuts, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.
Print your own or order a set of 30" x 8" printed charts from
agclassroomstore.com.
Pizza Time Bulletin Board
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.
The Power of Choice Bulletin Board
In a society with so many choices and a bewildering array of options, it's important to learn about healthful eating and active living. Students need to discover the connection between their food and the farm, learn facts about food and nutrition, and explore ways to be more active. This 42" x 42" nutrition bulletin board emphasizes the importance of making healthy choices that will last a lifetime.
Order this bulletin board online from agclassroomstore.com.
Tree Fruits Flowchart
This three-page informational sheet describes the process of how tree fruit crops are grown and harvested, how the products get from the farm to the store, and nutrition facts. Words and graphics are used to portray this information for apples, cherries, oranges, peaches, and pears.
Botany on Your Plate: Investigating Plants We Eat
This investigative science curriculum introduces the world of plants to elementary school students through foods we eat. Watch children's understanding of our world grow as they partake in hands-on activities that explore edible roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds through observation, dissection, journaling, discussion of findings, and, of course, tasting! This book can be used in educators' instruction to support standards in nutrition, math, language arts, and social studies. Every lesson includes plant snacks that spark curiosity, interesting questions, and social dialogue to fuel the learning process.
Health and Nutrition from the Garden
This guide from the Junior Master Gardener series is packed with basic gardening information that includes growing techniques, food safety, healthy eating tips, and nutritious snack food preparation. This book is a great tool for educators who use garden programs to teach students about health, nutrition, food safety, and wise decision-making skills. Grades 3-5.
How to Teach Nutrition to Kids
Teaching nutrition to children early and often is the key to developing healthy eating habits. The fourth edition of How to Teach Nutrition to Kids includes over 200 cross-curricular activities featuring the MyPlate food guide, children's books, gardening, recipes, food art, label reading, fitness and more.
Learn, Grow, Eat, and Go!
Created by teachers, this multifaceted garden, nutrition, and physical activities curriculum is evidence-based and academically rich. Through a linear set of hands-on, proven lessons, your students will better understand plants and how plants provide for people’s needs. The 10-week (2 lessons/week) unit of study will step your class through process of establishing a thriving garden that is easy to create and maintain.
Magical Sour Cabbage: How Sauerkraut Helped Save the Age of Sail
"Super food" is a well-known term representing a food rich in nutrients. Did you know sauerkraut was a superfood on sailing ships in the 1500-1800s? Introduce or support a lesson on food preservation, food storage, or nutrients by teaching your students how fermented cabbage prevented sailors from coming down with scurvy on long voyages.
Math in the Garden
This engaging curriculum uses a mathematical lens to take children on an education-filled exploration of the garden. Dozens of hands-on activities hone math skills and promote inquiry, language arts, and nutrition. All were developed to support mathematics and science standards and were extensively trial-tested by educators and youth leaders nationwide.
Nutrition Research Articles
See a collection of articles reporting the results of various research projects carried out by the United States Department of Agriculture. These articles can help secondary students make connections with topics such as food, nutrition, and overall health.
The Growing Classroom
This teacher's manual provides a road map to successful school gardening and curriculum integration, including hands-on strategies for planning a garden laboratory, facilitating investigative lessons on ecology and nutrition, and involving the community in learning activities.
Dirt to Dinner
Looking for topics to engage students in critical thinking and argumentation? This site deals in "food matters" highlighting the relationship between producers and consumers using credible resources on the topics of global food production, sustainable agriculture, and nutrition.
Dirt-to-Dinner: Food Matters
The goal of Dirt-to-Dinner (D2D) is to educate the curious consumer on how food travels from the farm to our forks. Verified science is used to answer questions on our global food supply chain, sustainability in agriculture, the integrity of our food, and its nutrition. Information is focused on how and why countries are dependent on each other for a constant food supply, looks for the balance between feeding the world’s population today without compromising the environment or future generations of tomorrow, and examines the integrity of our food.
Food Security & Nutrition Around the World
This website contains the full report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United States about food security and nutrition around the world. View numerous graphs showing trends over time for hunger, malnutrition, child stunting, and other related impacts of food insecurity.
Hungry Planet Family Food Portraits
The Peter Menzel Photography website provides an archive of the photos included in the Hungry Planet book, which depict everything an average family consumes in a week along with the food cost. These portraits provide a glimpse into kitchens from Norway to China to Mexico, raising questions about how culture and environment influence the cost and calories of diets around the world.
MyPlate
MyPlate is the USDA's food guidance symbol that illustrates the five food groups using the familiar image of a place setting for a meal. A wide variety of resources are provided on the associated MyPlate website.
The Sugar Association
The scientific voice of the sugar industry, this website offers resources about real sugar from sugar beets and sugar cane with the goal of enhancing consumer understanding and confidence in the role that sugar plays in a nutritious, balanced, and enjoyable diet.
