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Exploring Agriculture

ag4meDownload This Lesson: Exploring Agriculture

Brief Description: Students will show an increased awareness and knowledge of agriculture and agricultural careers and the effects agriculture has on the economy. Pathways to potential careers that students have a personal interest in are identified and researched.

 

Objectives: 

  1. Students will learn to work as a team and host the Amazing Ag Expo.
  2. Students will interview and evaluate notes to determine personal interest areas.
  3. Students will identify three possible follow-up contacts for in-depth study.
  4. Students will contact, and conduct internships and/or research, individually or in small
    groups, covering one area that they have a particular interest in.
  5. Students will submit presentations, and in some cases written research papers, to their
    peers, teachers or community members.

MATERIALS:

  • Student Journal
  • laptop or other technological instruments for student presentations.

ESTIMATED TEACHING TIME:

The entire lesson is designed for one class bock for an entire semester. Amazing Ag Expo takes several weeks to plan and one full school day to execute. Research will cover several weeks of in-class and outside time. Presentations are 5 – 10 minutes per student or in a science fair  format.

Procedure:

  1. Activate Prior Knowledge
    1. Students visit local farms and/ or meet farmers in classroom presentations to
      see first-hand the breadth of agricultural endeavors in the area and to meet the
      farmers in an interactive setting.
    2. Students conduct research using the Living Science series from USDA and
      Purdue University and internet sources including Agro-World, Teen Scene and
      other Agriculture in the Classroom web resources.
    3. Students evaluate sources of information and source credibility.
  2. Action Assignment
    1. Plan the Amazing Ag Expo – Students work as a team(s) to identify agricultural
      careers and locate 25 – 30 representatives to present at the Expo. They can plan a
      local foods lunch, sourcing each item to the farm of origin including the processing
      pathways involved. The event can be held at the school or another site if bussing
      issues are overcome.
    2. Students identify invited guests by finding other classes studying careers, other
      interested schools, and/or inviting the entire school body.
    3. Students develop individually 4 questions that they will ask each exhibitor they
      interview after class discussion of the components of a productive interview. They
      may use role playing to practice interview skills.
    4. Students attend the Amazing Ag Expo and interview 10+ exhibitors, taking notes
      that they can later compare.
  3. Research Assignment
    1. Following the Expo students evaluate their notes and previous research
      considering the speaker’s point of view, reasoning and use of evidence and
      rhetoric to choose 3 areas they are personally interested in continued study.
    2. The instructor approves all groups and content choices for projects.
    3. Individually or in small groups, students contact representatives and arrange indepth
      study of one particular career, commodity, farm or historical event.
    4. Students complete research (* If applicable the student and instructor identify
      credit recovery requirements and plan accordingly)
    5. Students present to peers, groups of teachers and/or community members the results of their research using
      the technology of their choice.
    6. Students will hear at least two peer presentations and will evaluate effectiveness, source credibility,
      presentation format, details, reasoning and other components of the presentation.

     

VOCABULARY

  • Agronomy
  • Agri-tourism
  • Local Economy
  • Sustainability
  • Barriers
  • Other project-specific

Lesson Plan:  Sharon Hathaway Lesson Plan

Resources:

  1. Local Farmers – Listings include the Maine Ag in the Classroom Teacher Resource Guide at
    www.MaineAgintheClassroom.org or Maine Dept. of Agriculture at www.getrealmaine.org
  2. USDA Purdue Living Science Career Packet – http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/usda/careers/
  3. University of Maine Cooperative Extension – http://extension.umaine.edu/
  4. Maine Association of Conservation Districts – http://maineconservationdistricts.com/
  5. Individual State, Regional or National Commodity and/or educational groups

 

Correlations to State of Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction

ELA = English Language Arts,   HE/PE = Health Education and Physical Education,    MA = Mathematics,    SCI = Science,   SS = Social Studies,   VPA = Visual and Performing Arts

** Alignment possible only if lesson extension is done

Level: Grades 9-12

Alignment: Common Core Standards for ELA

Speaking & Listening:  SL.9-10.1, SL.11-12.1; SL.9-10.2,SL.11-12.2;
SL.9-10.3, SL.11-12.3; SL.9-10.4, SL.11-12.4; SL.9-10.5, SL.11-12.5;
SL.9-10.6, SL11-12.6

Writing:  W.9-10.6, W.11-12.6; W.9-10.7, W.11-12.7

Maine Learning Results
Career and Education Development : C3