Oak Ridge Middle School LEGO Blasters, a FIRST LEGO League team in Marion, Iowa will compete for the Global Innovation Award at the state championship on January 19th at Iowa State University for their innovative solution to eutrophication in Iowa lakes. Eutrophication is when a body of water becomes enriched with minerals and nutrients which results in an excess growth of algae. According to the website, “FIRST LEGO League is an international program designed to get children interested an excited about science, technology and engineering. Each year there is a new challenge that engages the teams in hands-on robotics design and scientific research.” Participants range from nine to fourteen
Good afternoon! I was so excited when Jamie and Teressa asked if I would come talk with their middle school students about organic and conventional farming. National Agriculture in the Classroom has a wonderful lesson called "What's the Difference? A Look at Organic vs Conventional Food." In the lesson, students compare and contrast organic vs conventional produced foods to discover the differences and similarities of each farm production style. I began the visit by asking the students to write down a question. The question could be about safety, nutrition, growing techniques, ethics, etc. I was very impressed with their questions! Here are a few of their questions: -Is organic food more exp
