Be THANKFUL for AGRICULTURE
I feel gratitude as I sit down to write. I owe our Ag in the Classroom success and growth to each and everyone of you! Teaching agriculture is such a passion of mine and I am honored to share the wonders of our industry with all of your students. I am excited to introduce the following social studies Thanksgiving lessons and I encourage you to incorporate agriculture into your curriculum this week and throughout the rest of November.
What is agriculture? Other Ag in the Classroom Coordinators and myself pondered that same question during our annual fall training. I usually describe agriculture as our FOOD, FIBER and FUEL but it is so much more than that. One AITC Coordinator described agriculture as EVERYTHING and at first I thought... EVERYTHING is a little drastic but as I began to process...EVERYTHING begins as a plant, animal or natural resource. Products we use have to come from somewhere, don't they? Just a little food for thought!
This month we had fun learning about turkeys, corn harvest and machines in agriculture! Here is look at our most recent classroom visits.
Okay the moment you all have been waiting for... THANKSGIVING LESSONS
1. The Geography of Thanksgiving Dinner: (age range 6-8) In this lesson students will identify common Thanksgiving foods and their farm source, determine if those foods can be produced locally, and locate the common origins of their Thanksgiving day dinner.
2. Serious Cereal Science: (age range 6-8) 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.
3. Rafter of Turkey: (age range 3-5) Students will learn about the domestication and life cycle of the turkey, recognize how turkeys are raised on farms, and identify turkey products.
4. Farm Machines-Then and Now: (age range 3-5) To learn about history, culture, and innovation in agriculture by comparing old and new farm tools, machines and methods used to plant, harvest, and store corn.
5. Animal Life Cycles: (age range K-2) This lesson introduces students to six major livestock species, teaches that animals need air, space, food, water, and shelter to survive, and introduces students to the life cycle of a farm animal.
6. Farming through the Seasons: (age range K-2) Students will learn about differences in seasons through the lens of what farmers do in each season.
Remember to be thankful for all that is provided by the amazing people in agriculture so that we may have food on our fork!
Happy Thanksgiving from Linn County Farm Bureau Education Outreach
