Lessons & Resources for Educators
Download This Full Lesson: Investigating Potatoes
Lesson Description: Students will work in small groups and with Maine maps, find the areas of the state where potatoes are grown on a large scale. They will research the nutritional and health benefits of potatoes as well as the economic importance of potatoes to Maine. Students will interview a local farmer about his potato crop, challenges faced by potato farmers and write a news article about potatoes.… view full description & alignments
Download This Full Lesson: Lets Grow Potatoes
Lesson Description: Students will work in small groups to research the life cycle of potatoes and learn about the growing process from a local farmer. They will plant, care for, measure growth of plants and chart the growth of the classroom potatoes.… view full description & alignments
Download This Full Lesson: Lets Grow Carrots
Lesson Description: Students will work in small groups to research the life cycle of a carrot and learn about the growing process from a local farmer. Groups will make a poster with the steps for planting carrots in containers; then students will plant carrots and care for them until ready to harvest. After harvesting, students will make a carrot snack for the class to enjoy.… view full description & alignments
Download This Full Lesson: 
Investigating Carrots
Lesson Description: Students will work in small groups and, using a world map, will follow the journey of carrots from their point of origin to North America. They will research the nutritional and health benefits of carrots and combine this information with the history in an illustrated whole-class book about carrots. Students will prepare carrot questions to ask a farmer who participates in their local Framer’s Market.… view full description & alignments
Download This Lesson: Plant, Harvest, Eat
Brief Description: Students partner with a local farm to bring food full cycle, from seed to crops, from harvest to table. Students plant, grow and harvest food crops for the cafeteria and learn about the growing process in the classroom. After harvesting the school purchases the local produce from the farm and school nutrition experts whip up delicious recipes for all students to enjoy.
Download This Lesson: The Incredible Edible Soil
Lesson Description: Soil is the foundation of our whole food system, but is often cast aside as “just dirt.” This hands-on lesson allows students to explore the composition of soil and why it is so important, looking at different soil samples and then building their own edible “soil.”
Download This Full Lesson: Oysters for ME
Lesson Description: After reading Aquaculture for ME, students will work in small groups and determine what they need to know about the life of an oyster, what an oyster needs to survive and will research needed information. Students will measure and group oysters and solve word problems. Students will work in groups to design the packaging that must meet certain criteria and present their product to the class. Packaging will be designed for selling oysters in both grocery stores and on line.… view full description & alignments
Download This Full Lesson: Investigation Salmon & Trout
Lesson Description: After reading Aquaculture for ME, students will work in small groups and research either salmon or trout with regard to their natural habitat and their life cycle. Groups will analyze the differences and similarities between the two species and create a model of the life cycle of either salmon or trout. Students will discuss the differences between the natural and aquaculture environments and how “finfish farmers” cope with problems of a changing environment. Students will also present information in picture and bar graphs and solve word problems.… view full description & alignments
Download This Lesson: Grades 3-5 Wild Blueberries
Brief Description: Wild Blueberries for ME describes the history, growing and harvesting of this important Maine crop. After reading aloud to the class and discussing the content, students will be involved in English Language Arts and Visual Arts activities. Activities may be written or oral, determined by grade level and skills needed.
*The book is available online at www.TeachMEFoodandFarms.org/resources for your computer or smart board if you do not have it in your classroom.… view full description & alignments
Download This Lesson: The Soil’s Alive
Brief Description: Discover more about what lives in the soil and what it is composed of.