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Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix

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Lesson Plans (471)

A "Sour" Subject

Students investigate the growth and production of citrus fruits and use observation and mathematical computation to compare and contrast grapefruits and lemons. Grades 3-5

Students will observe the difference in bacterial count between a hamburger that’s left out at room temperature and a hamburger that’s kept refrigerated. The lab reinforces the concept that food must be properly chilled in order for it to remain safe to eat. This lab will be conducted as a teacher demonstration. Grades 6-8

A Closer Look at Fats (Grades 6-8)

This lesson describes the role of fats in food and in the body, and how they serve as a source of energy. It provides information on different types of fats that are listed on the Nutrition Facts label – including total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat—and defines trans fat and cholesterol. The lesson also includes dietary guidance for fat consumption. Grades 6-8

A Closer Look at Fats (Grades 9-12)

A Common Thread: The Significance of Wool in Medieval England

Students will understand how agriculture influenced and shaped culture, class, and society during the Middle Ages. Grades 6-8

A Day Without Agriculture (Grades 3-5)

Students explore the wide scope of agriculture, identify the variety of agricultural products and by-products they use in their daily lives, and discuss the difference between needs and wants. Grades 3-5

A Day Without Agriculture (Grades K-2)

Students explore the wide scope of agriculture, identify the variety of agricultural products they use in their daily lives, and discuss the difference between needs and wants. Grades K-2

A Day Without Dairy

Students create, read, and interpret graphs relating to the economic importance of the dairy industry and are challenged to understand the economic consequences of a day without dairy. Grades 3-5

A Garden Plot: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Students identify foods grown in a garden, observe various types of seed, and grow their own "milk jug" garden. Students listen to the Tale of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter and investigate produce that is grown in gardens or on farms. Grades K-2

A Rafter of Turkeys

Students investigate the domestication and life cycle of the turkey, discover how turkeys are raised on farms, and identify turkey products. Grades 3-5

A Recipe for Genetics: Selective Breeding and Transgenics

Students identify technologies that have changed the way humans affect the inheritance of desired traits in organisms; compare and contrast selective breeding methods to genetic engineering techniques; and analyze data to determine the best solution for cultivating selected desired traits in organisms. Grades 6-8

A Search for the Source (Grades 3-5)

Students determine that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its "source." Grades 3-5

A Search for the Source (Grades 6-8)

In this lesson students will learn that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its "source." Grades 6-8

A Search for the Source (Grades 9-12)

A Search for the Source (Grades K-2)

Students determine that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its "source." Grades K-2

A Tail of Two Sheep

Students compare and contrast hair sheep and wool sheep, discover the reasons why farmers raise sheep, and explore ways farmers meet the needs of the sheep they raise. Grades K-2

A Tale of Two Burgers: Beef and Plant-based Protein

Students compare the components of beef and plant-based burgers by determining the production and processing methods of each product; evaluate the ingredients and nutritional differences between beef and plant-based products; and discuss different points of view in the agricultural industry concerning plant-based proteins and traditional beef. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

A Walnut Orchard Through the Seasons

Students discover the changes that take place in a walnut orchard through the seasons by reading and discussing a story about a walnut farm. Grades K-2

A is for Apples

Students use their five senses to investigate apples, identify and model the parts of an apple, make applesauce, and discover how apples are grown. Grades K-2

Abraham Lincoln Clears a Path: His Agricultural Legacy

Students diagram the life of President Abraham Lincoln, including his childhood, presidency, and role during the Civil War, and describe his agricultural legacy and impact on agriculture today. Grades 3-5

Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming (Grades 6-8)

Students will use the Engineering Design Process to develop and construct an aeroponic garden to grow a food crop. Students will develop and apply an understanding of plant anatomy and physiology related to plant growth and ultimately discuss the possibilities and limitations of using vertical farming to produce our food. Grades 6-8

Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming (Grades 9-12)

AgVenture: Sourcing Ag Careers

Students consider the scope of agriculture and how it is the source of most of our day-to-day necessities in preparation to explore the five agricultural career pathways. Grades 6-8

Agricultural Land Use

Students explore the impact of fertilizer on algae growth, soil erosion, and agricultural soil and water conservation practices. Grades 9-12

Agricultural Production Regions in the United States

Students investigate US crop and livestock production and analyze the relevance of land use models in contemporary agricultural production. Grades 9-12

Agriculture Counts

Students read a story about our nation's first survey of agriculture, discuss reasons for counting things, and gain practice by sorting and counting a variety of objects related to agriculture. Grades K-2

Agriculture Pays

Students discover that agricultural careers are interconnected and that agriculture influences many parts of their daily lives. Grades K-2

Agriculture and Me

Students categorize sources of basic agricultural products alphabetically. Grades K-2

Agritourism: Extreme Farm Makeover

Through project-based learning, students will work in groups to design an agritourism experience that will increase profits for a family-owned farm and provide agricultural literacy opportunities for community members. Grades 6-8

Algaculture and Biofuel

Students will use the scientific method to learn about the growth properties of algae and how algae production may be a possible solution to address the global energy crisis. Students will utilize the engineering design process to apply their knowledge about algae growth to create a bioreactor for algae production and discover if biofuel can be made from algae. Grades 9-12

American Farmers Count! Census 2020

Students compare and contrast the differences between the Census of Agriculture and the decennial census. Grades 3-5

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Students explore organic and conventional farming practices by analyzing multimedia texts to investigate the differences between conventionally and organically grown apples. Grades 3-5

Animal or Plant? (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate the sources of different foods and examine the importance of eating a variety of nutritious foods. Grades 3-5

Animal or Plant? (Grades K-2)

Students investigate the sources of different foods by differentiating between foods originating from plants and foods originating from animals. Grades K-2

Apple Genetics: A Tasty Phenomena

Using the context of apples, students will apply their knowledge of heredity and genetics to distinguish between sexual and asexual reproduction as they explain how new varieties of apples are developed and then propagated to meet consumer demand for a tasty, uniform, consistent product. Grades 6-8

Apple Science: Comparing Apples and Onions

Students explore heredity concepts by comparing observable traits of apples and onions, collecting data on the traits of different apple varieties, and investigating apple production. Additional activities include hands-on methods for testing apple ripeness. Grades 3-5

Apples and the Science of Genetic Selection

Students will distinguish between natural and artificial selection and use a student-centered learning activity to see how science and genetics have been used to artificially select apples for specific traits like color, texture, taste, and crispness. Grades 9-12

Applying Heredity Concepts

In this lesson, students will complete monohybrid and dihybrid Punnett squares in preparation for taking on a challenge to breed cotton plants that produce naturally blue colored cotton. Grades 6-8

At Home on the Range (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate rangelands by growing their own grass to represent a beef or sheep ranch. Grades 3-5

At Home on the Range (Grades 6-8)

Students investigate rangelands by growing their own grass to represent a beef or sheep ranch. Grades 6-8

Baa, Ram, Ewe... Sheep Tales

Students explore the process of making wool into cloth. Grades K-2

Backpack Garden

Through project-based learning, students use school resources to construct and grow a school garden to supplement the school Backpack Program with fresh fruits and vegetables. Grades 3-5

Bartering Through the Seasons

Students investigate the seasons, explore the process of wool production, and discover how trade and barter have historically allowed people to satisfy their needs and wants. Grades 3-5

Be a DetEGGtive!

Students identify and explain unique properties of eggs based on scientific investigations and write a book to explain what they have learned. Grades K-2

Bean Seed Cycle

Students explore how soybeans are grown by farmers, examine seed anatomy through a seed dissection activity, and observe the germination of a soybean plant. Grades K-2

Beef Basics

Students explain the value of the beef cattle industry, including the products cattle produce, the production process from farm to plate, and how cattle can utilize and obtain energy from grass and other forage. Grades 3-5

Beef: Making the Grade

Students will evaluate the USDA grading system for whole cuts of beef and discuss consumer preferences and nutritional differences between grain-finished and grass-finished beef. Students will also distinguish various labels on beef products and discuss reasons for the government’s involvement in agricultural production, processing and distribution of food. Grades 9-12

Before the Plate

Students view the 2018 documentary Before the Plate and follow Canadian chef John Horne as he journeys to the source of ten primary food ingredients used in his restaurant. Using critical thinking skills, students will explore the farm-to-table journey of food. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

Blue's the Clue: Souring Milk for Science (Grades 6-8)

This lab introduces students to the effect temperature has on reducing and controlling the growth of bacteria. Students will use conventionally pasteurized and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk to observe how different temperatures (hot, room temperature, cool, and freezing) affect the growth of spoilage bacteria. They will also learn about the importance of pasteurization in keeping food safe. Grades 6-8

Blue's the Clue: Souring Milk for Science (Grades 9-12)

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu! (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate how diseases are spread and discover how to prevent transmission between humans and animals. Grades 3-5

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu! (Grades 6-8)

Using the context of a county fair livestock show, students investigate how diseases are spread. With a focus on zoonotic disease, students will complete simulations demonstrating the spread of illness and implementation of biosecurity measures as well as complete an online module to deepen understanding of specific diseases and their prevention. Grades 6-8

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu! (Grades 9-12)

Build it Better

Students investigate animal handling preferences, design a cattle corral system that is durable, efficient, and effective, and discover the skills needed to be an agricultural engineer. Grades 3-5

Build-a-Calf Workshop

Students explore concepts of heredity in beef cattle and identify dominant and recessive traits. Grades 3-5

By Land, Air, or Sea

Students discover how agricultural commodities are transported from producers to consumers. Grades 3-5

Can We Have Too Much of a Good Thing?

In this lesson students will understand that plants require nutrients in the proper concentrations. Students will discover that plants can be damaged or killed by either too many or too few nutrients. Grades 6-8

Carbon Hoofprints: Cows and Climate Change

Students explore the carbon cycle and evaluate the carbon footprint of cattle. Using critical thinking skills, students will use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to determine the effect of cows’ methane production on the environment and investigate the extent cattle contribute to climate change. Grades 9-12

Career Gaming

Through project-based learning, students will design games that will assist others with identifying a variety of agricultural careers, possible emerging agricultural careers, the education required for agricultural career options, and the types of salaries that can be expected in each career. Grades 6-8

Career Trek

Students will explore careers in the fields of agriculture and natural resources through online research. They will check their understanding by playing Career Trek—a board game that requires students to identify careers in agriculture and natural resources. Grades 6-8

Caring for the Land

Students explain why people have different opinions regarding soil management and identify cause and effect relationships relating to agriculture and the environment. Grades 3-5

Chain of Food (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore the path food takes along the Farm-to-Table Continuum. They will begin on the farm and investigate food safety issues during processing, transportation, at restaurants and supermarkets, and finally, in their own homes. Teams will identify how food can become contaminated along the continuum and develop and present strategies for preventing contamination at each step. Grades 6-8

Chain of Food (Grades 9-12)

Charting Agricultural Careers

Students will use infographics and charts to explore the careers that produce food, clothing, shelter, and fuel along with a variety of agricultural STEM careers requiring critical thinkers and problem solvers. Grades 6-8

Cheesemaking: A Science, an Art, and a Craft

Students make fresh mozzarella cheese and explore a career as an artisan cheesemaker as they discover the science, art, and craft involved in the development of specialty cheeses. Grades 6-8

Cheesemaking: From Liquid to Solid

Students make fresh mozzarella cheese and discover the science (changing a liquid to a solid), art, and craft involved in the development of specialty cheese. Grades 3-5

Climate Change Phenomena: Bananas in Our Breadbasket?

Students will explore the carbon cycle and evaluate associated phenomena of climate as they discover the impact climate change could have on the farms that produce our food. Grades 6-8

Clothes on the Grow

Students will gain a broad understanding of the types and sources of different fibers, examining their origins and observing their differences. Activities in this lesson include examining clothing and clothing labels and observing how different types of fabrics burn. Grades 6-8

Coliform Counts

This is an advanced level or honors lab. During this investigation, students will perform a coliform analysis of raw hamburger meat. They will collect, organize, and interpret data while practicing safe lab techniques. In the end, they will apply the results of a coliform analysis to food safety. Grades 9-12

Color in the Garden

Students use the art of soil painting to explore science and the natural world while learning about the color wheel, the importance of soil to agriculture, and why soils have different colors. Grades 3-5

Concentrate on the Solution

In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of solutes, solvents, and parts per million to analyze fertilizer options that meet plant nutrient requirements while evaluating costs associated with managing plant nutrients. Grades 9-12

Cooking Right: The Science of Cooking a Hamburger (Grades 6-8)

The teacher will demonstrate cooking hamburgers to different temperatures. Students will analyze Petri dishes inoculated with hamburger and observe the amount of bacteria at each temperature. They will also learn that cooking hamburgers to the recommended temperature of 160° F (71° C) will kill pathogenic bacteria. Hamburger is used for this cooking lab because it’s a food that students are familiar with and may be cooking at home. Grades 6-8

Cooking Right: The Science of Cooking a Hamburger (Grades 9-12)

Through a series of 4 Labs, students will explore the 4 Cs of Food Safety: clean, cook, chill, and combat cross-contamination (separate.) Hamburger is used for the labs, as it is a food that students are familiar with and may be cooking at home. Lab 4 is a review and summary of what the students have learned about the 4 Cs and encourages them to apply these principles to their everyday life. Grades 9-12

Corn an A-maizing Plant: Food, Fuel, and Plastic

Students examine the growth, composition, history, and uses of corn through a close reading activity, discussion of renewable and non-renewable resources, and hands-on exploration of bioplastics made from corn. Grades 3-5

Cotton's American Journey (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate the impact of cotton on the history and culture of the United States. Grades 3-5

Cotton's American Journey (Grades 6-8)

Students investigate the impact of cotton on the history and culture of the United States. Students will discover the growth and processing requirements for cotton, recognize how the invention of the cotton gin affected slavery, explain how the plantation system was organized, and ultimately understand the role of cotton in the Civil War. Grades 6-8

Counting Sheep or People? Census 2020

Students explore the Census of 2020 by making a connection between shepherds counting their sheep and counting the population of the United States. Grades K-2

Cowabunga! All About Dairy Breeds

Students explore breed characteristics and countries of origin for five different breeds of dairy cattle and discover why dairy farmers choose individual breeds for specific purposes. Grades 3-5

Cracking Open the Story of Nuts

Students investigate a variety of nuts, discover how and where they are grown, and explore their nutritional benefits. Grades 3-5

Crop Case Files: Dichotomous Keys

Students will explore the connection between weeds and ecosystem stability, practice observing characteristics by using and creating a dichotomous key, and research and present information on noxious weeds. Grades 6-8

Crossed Up!

Students will discover that some items in their own kitchens may be contaminated by bacteria. They will be challenged to hypothesize about where bacteria might be found in kitchens and which items might have the most and the least bacteria. Students will develop awareness that bacteria can spread from surfaces to hands, and even to food, and will hypothesize how to control the spread of bacteria. Grades 6-8

Cruisin' for a Bruisin' Food Packaging Specialist

In this lesson students will learn that product packaging is a balance between function, food safety, and economics by designing a protective package for shipping perishable fruit. Each package will be presented to the class for evaluation, and the best design will be shipped to test the product's durability. Grades 6-8

Culinary Concepts

Through project-based learning, students will develop and manufacture a unique and nutritious food product that includes ingredients that have been sourced locally and can be served in retail outlets or the school cafeteria. Grades 6-8

Cultures, Food, and Communities Around the World (Grades 3-5)

Students explore different cultures around the world, compare worldwide communities with local communities, and explain the interrelationship between the environment and community development. Grades 3-5

Cultures, Food, and Communities Around the World (Grades K-2)

Students explore different cultures around the world and their unique traditions centered around food and its preparations. Students discover how food gets from the farm to the grocery store. Grades K-2

Customary & Metric Food Measurement

Students use food and farming as a basis for exploring the concepts of estimating and measuring using customary and metric units of measurements. Grades 3-5

DNA: Expressions in Agriculture

This lesson centers around the activity of extracting DNA from a strawberry while highlighting careers in biotechnology and agriculture. Grades 6-8

Dark Days

Students examine the modern and historical importance of soil erosion in Utah and on the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl. Grades 3-5

Design 'Y'er Genes

This lesson introduces students to the relationships between chromosomes, genes, and DNA molecules. Using the example of a strawberry, it also provides activities that clearly show how changes in the DNA of an organism, either naturally or artificially, can cause changes. Grades 9-12

Desktop Greenhouses

Students investigate the importance of light to plants by creating a desktop greenhouse investigation and exploring the process of photosynthesis. Grades 3-5

Dig 'Em Up

Students investigate the functions of roots, recognize the difference between a tap and fibrous root system, and identify the roots of some plants as edible. Grades K-2

Digging Into Nutrients

In this lesson, students will gain background knowledge of the nutrient requirements of plants, how those nutrients are obtained by the plant, what farmers must do if the nutrients are not available in soils, and current issues related to agricultural production. Grades 6-8

Discover Christmas Trees (Grades 3-5)

Students explore the history of the Christmas tree, explain the life cycle of a conifer, identify types of trees and how they adapt, discover what it's like to work on a Christmas tree farm, and examine the ecology of conifer trees. Grades 3-5

Discover Christmas Trees (Grades K-2)

Do You Know GMO?

Students explore the process of genetic engineering and discover the ten bioengineered crops approved in the United States. Grades 3-5

Don't Forget the Eggs!

Students will discover the five culinary functions of eggs by completing a cooking lab comparing recipes with and without eggs. Students will see how eggs leaven, bind, thicken, coat, and emulsify our foods. Grades 9-12

Double the Muscle: Probabilities and Pedigrees

This lesson allows students to apply the concept of Mendelian genetics and learn about the double muscling trait found in cattle. Students will apply their knowledge of genetics and Punnett squares to calculate the probability of genotypes and use a pedigree chart. Grades 9-12

Drones in High-Tech Farming (Grades 3-5)

Students discover the science behind how a drone works, explore how drones are used in agriculture, and program and operate a drone for the purpose of surveying a field. Grades 3-5

Drones in High-Tech Farming (Grades 6-8)

Students discover the science behind how a drone works, explore how drones are used in agriculture, and program and operate a drone for the purpose of monitoring grazing sheep. Grades 6-8

Earth's Land and Soil Resources

Students discover that topsoil is a nonrenewable resource and use an apple to represent how Earth’s land resources are used. Through critical thinking, students study agricultural land use and consider the sustainability of current land use practices including the use of land to feed and graze livestock animals. Grades 9-12

Eating Plants

Students identify the structure and function of six plant parts and classify fruits and vegetables according to which parts of the plants are edible. Grades K-2

Edible Numbers

Students develop a working vocabulary regarding food, categorize foods by their sources, examine grocery ads, learn about food production, and apply what they learned by analyzing foods they eat at a particular meal. Grades 3-5

Eggology (Grades 3-5)

Students identify how the basic needs of a growing chick are met during egg incubation, diagram the parts of an egg, and hatch eggs in class. Grades 3-5

Eggology (Grades K-2)

Students identify how the basic needs of a growing chick are met during egg incubation, diagram the parts of an egg, and hatch eggs in class. Grades K-2

Eggs in the World of Food Choices

Students investigate geographic, economic, human, and cultural influences on food choices around the world and conduct research about the influences behind an international egg recipe. Grades 3-5

Eggs on the Menu

Students will learn the versatility, function, and nutritional benefit of eggs in a healthy diet, identify the function and role of eggs in a recipe, identify forms of technology used on an egg farm, and understand how eggs are classified by size. Grades 6-8

Eggs: From Hen to Home (Grades 3-5)

Students trace the production path of eggs, beginning on the farm and ending in their home and identify the culinary uses and nutritional benefits of eggs. Grades 3-5

Eggs: From Hen to Home (Grades K-2)

Students trace the production path of eggs, beginning on the farm and ending in their home and identify the culinary uses and nutritional benefits of eggs. Grades K-2

Eggs: Protein MVP

Students explore the importance of protein to a healthy diet and discover that eggs are a nutritious food and a good source of protein. Grades 3-5

Energy Bar Exploration

Through project-based learning, students will develop, market, and brand a healthy energy bar and packaging to be sold to a target audience. Grades 6-8

Energy and Biofuels (Grades 6-8)

Students explore the process of fermentation in the creation of ethanol and observe the role enzymes play in the fermentation of starch. Grades 6-8

Energy and Biofuels (Grades 9-12)

Through a series of activities, students explore fermentation and ethanol production, observe the role of enzymes in fermentation, analyze nutrient values of dent corn, and discover how biofuels are made from plant oils. Grades 9-12

Energy and the Commodity Trace-back

In this lesson students will describe the domestic food supply chain and identify the use and types of energy involved in the growth, harvest, processing, transportation, and marketing of an agricultural commodity. Grades 9-12

Energy's Journey from Farm to You

Students discover how plants use energy from the sun to change air and water into matter needed for growth. Using dairy cows as an example, students investigate how animals obtain energy from the plants they eat to produce milk for human consumption. Further exploration is facilitated by a live virtual visit to a dairy farm or the option of viewing a pre-recorded virtual dairy farm tour. Grades 3-5

Enjoying the Harvest

Students identify the parts of a wheat plant and wheat kernel and investigate the process of milling wheat kernels into flour. Grades 3-5

Enlightened Concessions

Through project-based learning, students conduct surveys with their peers at school about healthy food products they think will be marketable for school concessions. Based on surveys and research, they choose an in-demand product to test in class and then present to a guest panel as a healthy choice. Grades 6-8

Enzymes and Bacteria are Whey Cool!

Students study the science of amino acids, proteins, enzymes, and beneficial bacteria to explore the phenomena, "Why does each variety of cheese taste different when the ingredients are the same?" Grades 9-12

Esperanza Rising

Students read the novel Esperanza Rising written by Pam Munoz Ryan to examine the lives of migrant workers, agricultural economics, the impact of agriculture to rural communities, agricultural history, and how fruits and vegetables have been harvested historically and are harvested currently. Grades 3-5

Evaluating Perspectives About GMOs

While many view bioengineered crops (GMOs) as a promising innovation, there is controversy about their use. This lesson provides students with a brief overview of the technology, equipping them with the ability to evaluate the social, environmental, and economic arguments for and against bioengineered crops (GMOs). This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

Exploring Aquaponics (Grades 3-5)

Students identify the basic needs of plants and fish and engineer, assemble, maintain, and observe a small-scale aquaponics system that meets plant and fish needs. Grades 3-5

Exploring Aquaponics (Grades K-2)

Students identify the basic needs of plants and fish and engineer, assemble, maintain, and observe a small-scale aquaponics system that meets plant and fish needs. Grades K-2

Exploring Texture in the Garden (Grades 3-5)

Students explore living and nonliving things, determine how nonliving resources help sustain plant life, and experiment with visual arts techniques through an examination of texture in the natural world. Activities in this lesson include collecting and categorizing items from the natural environment, creating seed and soil mosaics, making clay imprints, and coloring cloth with plant materials. Grades 3-5

Exploring Texture in the Garden (Grades K-2)

Fabulous Flowers

The students examine the functions of flowers and determine that some flowers are edible. Grades K-2

Farm Animal Life Cycles

Students investigate six major livestock species, discover that animals need air, space, food, water, and shelter to survive, explore the life cycle of a farm animal, and identify the products each farm animal produces. Grades K-2

Farmer George: The Seeds of a Presidency

Students pursue a process of inquiry to profile George Washington, evaluating the personal characteristics that made him a great leader while also exploring historical and modern food systems. Grades 3-5

Farmers Market Finds

Students explore the value of farmers markets to local communities and discover the benefits of locally-grown food. Grades 3-5

Farming for Energy

Students identify renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and investigate how farms can produce renewable energy. Grades 3-5

Farming in a Glove (Grades 3-5)

Students observe how a seed sprouts and investigate the conditions necessary for germination to occur. Grades 3-5

Farming in a Glove (Grades K-2)

Students observe how a seed sprouts and investigate the conditions necessary for germination to occur. Grades K-2

Farmland

Students will view the film Farmland, a documentary spotlighting six farmers and ranchers in the United States. The film portrays the business and lifestyle of a variety of farmers and ranchers. Perspectives on topics such as bioengineered (GMO) crops, animal welfare, organic and conventional farming practices, farm size, farming stereotypes, and more are presented. Grades 9-12

Fast-Food Footwork

Students will explore how retail foodservice establishments ensure that food is safely stored, prepared, and served. Through inquiry they will also learn about local health regulations and how the 4 Cs of Food Safety apply to all aspects of foodservice. Grades 9-12

Federal Lands: Ranching & Recreating on Common Grounds

Using various forms of maps, students will analyze public lands in the western United States, describe how ranchers raise food and fiber on federally owned land, and discuss different points of view concerning public lands use and public lands grazing. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

Fermentation of Honey

This lesson explains the processes of cellular respiration and fermentation and how it applies to the production and processing of honey. Grades 9-12

Fertilizers and the Environment (Grades 6-8)

In this lesson students will recognize that fertile soil is a limited resource to produce food for a growing population, describe the role fertilizer plays to increase food productivity, distinguish between organic and commercial fertilizers, and recognize how excess nutrients are harmful to the environment. Grades 6-8

Fertilizers and the Environment (Grades 9-12)

Students will recognize that fertile soil is a limited resource, describe the role fertilizer plays in increasing food productivity, distinguish between organic and commercial fertilizers, describe how excess nutrients are harmful to the environment, and identify different sources of nutrient pollution. Grades 9-12

Filling the Global Grocery Bag

Students learn what factors affect a country's ability to produce their own food and how food expenses differ throughout the world. Grades 9-12

Find Your Future Career (Grades 3-5)

Students discover the variety of agricultural careers available and consider their career paths in terms of economics, interests, and suitability to their personal talents and characteristics. Grades 3-5

Find Your Future Career (Grades 6-8)

Find Your Future Career (Grades 9-12)

Students discover the variety of agricultural careers available and consider their future career paths in terms of economics, interests, and suitability to their personal talents and characteristics. Grades 9-12

Flower Power (Grades 3-5)

Students observe physical characteristics of flowers and explore principles of pollination. Grades 3-5

Flower Power (Grades 6-8)

Students observe the anatomical structures of flowers and explain a flower's role in plant growth and reproduction as well as their connection to our food supply. Grades 6-8

Food Evolution

Students will view the documentary Food Evolution to evaluate the polarized debate surrounding bioengineering (GMOs). In this film director, Scott Hamilton Kennedy travels from Hawaiian papaya groves to Ugandan banana farms, to cornfields in Iowa to document how agricultural technology can be used in such varied crop settings. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

Food Miles

Students explore the economic and environmental benefits of buying locally grown food. Grades 3-5

Food Safety Sleuths- Food Safety Specialist

In this lesson students will learn about foodborne illness, its prevention, and the people and organizations that are involved in food safety. Students will conduct an experiment to learn how hand-washing affects the presence of bacteria on their hands. Grades 6-8

Food Science: Bread Dough Challenge

Students explore the phenomenon of what makes bread dough rise. Using baker's yeast, students will observe alcoholic fermentation and its connection to cellular respiration as they are challenged to act as food scientists and develop the best recipe for quick-rising bread dough. Grades 9-12

Food Scientist for a Day

Students focus on the science involved in the production of our food and explore the high-tech aspects of agricultural production as they learn about careers in food science. Grades 6-8

Food Systems Feed the World

Students will explore the steps and processes that create a food system and gain an understanding of hunger as it relates to the physical well-being, culture, and geographic location of all people. Students will learn what a food system encompasses, create a "food system chain," and discuss why hunger still exists despite modern advances that have made the US food system highly efficient. Grades 6-8

Food: Going the Distance

Students calculate the miles common food items travel from the farm to their plates and discuss the environmental, social, and economic pros and cons of eating local vs relying on a global marketplace for our food. Grades 9-12

FoodMASTER Middle: Cheese

Students will learn about the Law of Conservation of Mass by exploring environmental factors that can impact protein coagulation in milk (cheese-making process). By making qualitative and quantitative observations they will test three possible methods of making curds and whey. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Eggs

Students will learn the anatomy of eggs and the concept of forming colloidal dispersions called foams as they learn the anatomy of an egg, create a foam by whisking egg whites, investigate the effect of whisking time on foam, and compare and contrast the effect of different substances on the stability of foam. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Energy Balance

Students will identify the importance of a healthy diet, examine how to meet current Dietary Guidelines, and determine the potential energy (kilocalories) of a peanut through measurements obtained during teacher use of a bomb calorimeter. Students will make comparisons to the actual Nutrition Fact Label and identify possible sources of error. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Fats and Oils

Students will explore the fat content of commonly consumed foods, observe physical properties of lipids (margarine, butter, and vegetable oil) to distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fat, and observe the action of emulsifiers in heterogeneous and homogenous mixtures. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Food Safety

Students will understand water-based state changes that occur at varying temperatures, recognize the importance of the proper hand washing technique for general health and disease prevention, understand the factors that impact mold growth and their application to food safety, and explore ways to prevent foodborne illness. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Fruits

Students will learn the concept of enzymatic browning and methods for decreasing enzymatic oxidation by observing three types of fruit. Students will also understand the relationship between oxidation and antioxidants and the role fruits play in health and nutrition. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Grains

Students will learn the physical components and nutritional composition of a grain, understand the function of the protein gluten in the structure of bread products, and investigate how mechanical and chemical digestion begins with salivary amylase in the mouth. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Milk

Students will understand the nutritional components of milk (carbohydrates) as they test three types of milk for the sugar glucose before and after adding the digestive enzyme lactase to determine which milk(s) contain the sugar lactose. They will also explore the nutritional composition and health benefits of consuming milk, research food sources of calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus and devise ways to add bone-strengthening food to their diet. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Protein

Students will examine dietary sources of protein and generally understand the relationship between protein synthesis and amino acids while completing an activity to use beads as a representation of amino acids to construct proteins (polypeptide chains). Students will identify complete and/or incomplete proteins found in both animal and plant food sources. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Sugar

Students will learn the concept of simple carbohydrates (sugar) in the diet and their role in providing energy to the body, compare saturated sugar solutions, and evaluate the sugar content of common beverages and sugar consumption within their own diet. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Vegetables

Students will learn the concept of pH, and the impact of acids and bases on plant pigments, explore the impact of acids and bases on plant cell structure, and discover the health benefits of consuming vegetables. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Weights and Measures

Students will use common household measurement tools and scientific measurement tools and various methods of measurement to compare for accuracy. Students will also calculate percent error by comparing their measurements to actual values and apply these principles to analyze and decipher the components of a food as indicated on the Nutrition Facts label. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER Middle: Yogurt

Students will learn the role of bacterial fermentation and evaluate the effect of fat content, sugar content (lactose), and temperature in bacterial fermentation as they make yogurt. Grades 6-8

FoodMASTER: Eggs

Students examine the process of egg production from the hen to our homes, explore the parts of an egg, perform measurements of circumference and height, compare raw egg whites to egg white foams, and prepare meringue cookies. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Fats and Oils

Students identify the farm source of common dietary fats, compare Nutrition Facts labels, perform a taste test of various salad dressings, learn the chemistry of emulsification, and compare regular ice cream, reduced-fat ice cream and fat-free ice cream. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Food Safety

Students measure the temperature of cold, lukewarm, and hot water using a thermometer, investigate the growth of microorganisms by observing yeast growth at varying temperatures, and practice proper techniques for hand washing. The use of Glo Germ (TM) gel visually reinforces the importance of personal hygiene/hand washing. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Fruits

Students identify fruits that grow on a tree, bush, or vine, classify fruits as pome, drupe, berry, melon, or citrus, perform an experiment about the browning of fruit, and dry plums to make prunes. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Grains

Students describe the steps of making flour, compare the nutritional value of different cereals, compare cooked and uncooked rice, and identify the parts of a whole grain. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Meal Management

Students choose foods from each of the five food groups to create a meal and calculate the cost of serving the meal to five people and to one person. Students are challenged to plan, prepare, evaluate, and eat a lunch meal that costs less than $1.50 per person. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Measurement

Students discover where the ingredients in a cookie are made and make chocolate chip oatmeal cookies to practice their measurement skills and fractional mathematics. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Meat, Poultry, and Fish

Students discover how animals utilize nutrients and energy from food humans cannot digest and convert it to meat, a food rich in zinc, iron, and protein. Students examine how hamburger is formulated for leanness, compare two kinds of hotdogs, and investigate about fish. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Milk and Cheese

Students taste test four different milks while comparing color, texture, taste, and cost. In addition, students examine four milk food labels and complete a table comparing calories, fat, and calcium found in the milks. Students make cottage cheese by heating milk to the proper temperature and adding an acid (vinegar) to speed up the separation of curds and whey. Grades 3-5

FoodMASTER: Vegetables

Students measure the weight and length or circumference of various vegetables, classify the vegetables based on plant parts, explore chemical reactions from cooking colored vegetables in acidic and basic water, and use a variety of vegetables to prepare soup. Grades 3-5

Fortified for Health

Students explore the process of fortification where vitamins and minerals are added to food to make it more healthful and to help people meet their recommended daily intake of different nutrients. Grades 3-5

Four Seasons on a Farm

Students identify the characteristics of the four seasons of the year, investigate what causes seasons, and observe the effects changing seasons have on farms. Grades K-2

Freshest Fruits

Students determine where fruits grow and their nutritional value by completing an activity to observe the size, shape, texture, and seeds of various fruits. Grades K-2

From Boom to Dust

Students will learn how the events of World War I helped spark the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the resulting New Deal by watching a video and participating in a round robin, responding in writing to images and sound bites from the Dust Bowl, and observing a wind erosion demonstration. Grades 9-12

From Chicken Little to Chicken Big (Grades 3-5)

Students identify different breeds of chickens, examine physical characteristics, and determine the stages of a chicken's life cycle. Grades 3-5

From Chicken Little to Chicken Big (Grades K-2)

Students identify different breeds of chickens, examine physical characteristics, and determine the stages of a chicken's life cycle. Grades K-2

From Cow to Carton: Milk's Journey to the Consumer

Students will explore milk production in the United States and explain the benefits of homogenization, pasteurization, and fortification of milk. Grades 6-8

From Foraging to Farming

Students will participate in a foraging activity, gaining perspective on how scarcity of resources can affect well-being and how agriculture provides the benefit of a steady, reliable food supply. Then they will read about hunter-gatherers and early agriculture and use maps to explore how geography affected the development of early civilizations. Grades 6-8

From Sap to Syrup

Students recognize how geography and climate allow for the growth of maple trees and the process of making syrup, identify the characteristics of maple trees that produce the best sap for making maple syrup, and name the steps in the process of creating syrup from sap. Grades K-2

From Soybeans to Car Parts

Students investigate the collaborative work of an agricultural scientist and engineer who found new uses for soybeans and discuss careers in science and engineering, biobased products, and the use of renewable resources. Grades 3-5

From Techniques to Traits

This lesson explores common biotechnology methods and their applications in agricultural sciences. Students will examine DNA analysis techniques, become familiar with the process of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and evaluate methods of DNA analysis as they learn how the biological techniques can be used in the process of developing specific traits within a crop. Grades 9-12

From Wool to Wheel

Students investigate how the need for wool impacted the American colonists by examining the Wool Act of 1699, determining the importance of wool in colonial America, and comparing and contrasting the differences between processing wool then and now. Students spin, weave, and dye wool to explore how wool was processed in Colonial times. Grades 3-5

Fruit and Vegetable Bingo

Students recognize the names of different fruits and vegetables and describe why they are important. Grades K-2

Fruits and Vegetables: The Right Pick for Vitamins and Minerals

Students will describe the farm-to-table process of common fruits and vegetables, recognize the nutrients fruits and vegetables provide, and evaluate methods of food storage and preparation for preserving nutrients. Grades 9-12

Fruits of Our Labor

Students discover how fresh fruits can be dried and preserved by participating in an activity where they make raisins by drying grapes. Grades K-2

Fueling Up for a Career in Biofuel

Students will recognize the importance of fuel energy and the fact that agriculture can produce biofuel; students will identify career opportunities in the biofuel industry. Grades 6-8

Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car

Students identify the variety of soybeans uses for human consumption, livestock feed, and industrial products, explain how key historical events affected soybean production in the United States, and create a bioplastic made from soybeans. Grades 3-5

Fungi Multiplication

Learn about edible mushroom cultivation and how one mushroom multiplies into many more! Create a spore print, and explore ecology concepts by experimenting with mold and yeast growth and researching species of fungi. Grades 6-8

GPS and GIS Technology in Agriculture

Students will explore technical careers in agriculture and learn how GPS and GIS technologies are used to improve agricultural production. Grades 6-8

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Organic Foods

Students will determine the presence of DNA in their food by extracting it from a strawberry. Then, students will compare and contrast GMOs and organic foods in order to evaluate the nutrition, safety, economic, geographic, and environmental impacts of these agricultural production practices. Grades 9-12

Geography and Climate for Agricultural Landscapes (Grades 6-8)

Students will discover how geography and climate influence the crops that are grown and the livestock that is raised in each state. Grades 6-8

Geography and Climate for Agricultural Landscapes (Grades 9-12)

Students will discover how geography and climate influences the crops that are grown and the livestock that is raised in each state. Grades 9-12

Get Growing

Students design a green bean planter and explore planting specifications for green bean seeds. Grades 3-5

Get Popping!

Students discover how popcorn is grown and explore the phenomenon of how popcorn pops. Grades 3-5

Give Me Five!

Students examine the five food groups and what state-grown foods fit into each group by making a local connection to good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Grades 3-5

Global Food Security

Students will explore the causes of hunger, both domestically and globally; evaluate potential solutions for solving world hunger; and forecast the impact of a growing world population on current food supplies. Grades 9-12

Global Trade and Interdependence

Students will examine the impacts of the Columbian Exchange and identify the economic and cultural impacts of contemporary global agricultural trade. They will also explore how food choices influence patterns of food production and consumption. Grades 9-12

Good Guys or Bad Guys?

Students will explore and observe microorganisms at work in decomposition as well as in the production and preservation of food. Activities include creating a "decay buffet" and identifying grocery store foods that contain or are made with the help of microorganisms. Grades 6-8

Got Guts?

Students investigate the different digestive systems of livestock, examine the unique nutritional needs based on these structures, and discover the responsibilities of an animal nutritionist. Grades 3-5

Grocery Store Problem Solving (Grades 3-5)

Students use basic mathematical skills to solve problems related to the cost of food while integrating geography and nutrition to enhance learning. Students analyze grocery ads, assess the nutrition and cost of meals, and explore diets around the world. Grades 3-5

Grocery Store Problem Solving (Grades 6-8)

Students will use basic mathematical skills to solve problems related to the cost of food while integrating geography and nutrition to enhance learning. Activities include analyzing grocery ads, assessing the nutrition and cost of meals, and exploring diets around the world. Grades 6-8

Grow it Now, Drive it Later?

Students will discover potential careers in agriculture with a focus on the growing field of biofuel development. Grades 6-8

Growing Almonds: Fact or Opinion

Students investigate the process of getting almonds from farm to table and distinguish the difference between facts and opinions as they explore about each stage and season of almond growth. Grades 3-5

Growing America

Students determine corn anatomy and function of plant parts, identify stages of plant development in corn, and research how temperature plays a role in corn growth as they calculate growing degree units (GDUs) for a region. Grades 6-8

Growing Our State History (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate what makes a community livable and explore the influence of agriculture on the history of their state. Grades 3-5

Growing Our State History (Grades 6-8)

Students will discover the connections between agriculture, natural resources, and the history of their state. Grades 6-8

Growing Plants in Science and Literature, More Than an Empty Pot (Grades 3-5)

Students use the story of The Empty Pot to explore literature and science, practicing story mapping and examining the needs of plants and the importance of soil and water. Like the characters in the story, students plant and observe the growth of seeds. Grades 3-5

Growing Plants in Science and Literature, More Than an Empty Pot (Grades K-2)

Growing Pulses

This lesson introduces agriculture as a managed system that has environmental impacts, and how farmers employ practices such as growing pulses to minimize these impacts. Grades 6-8

Growing a Nation Era 1a: Seeds of Change

Students will engage with the Growing a Nation timeline to explore the significant historical and agricultural events and inventions from American history during the years 1600-1929. Students will recognize the importance of labor in agriculture, discover how the implementation of technology increased agricultural production, and explore the role wool played during this era. Grades 9-12

Growing a Nation Era 1b: Cotton's American Journey

Students investigate the impact of cotton on the history and culture of the United States. Students discover the growth and processing requirements for cotton, recognize how the invention of the cotton gin affected slavery, explain how the plantation system was organized, and ultimately understand the role of cotton in the Civil War. Grades 9-12

Growing a Nation Era 2: From Defeat to Victory

Students will engage with the Growing a Nation timeline to explore the significant historical and agricultural events and inventions from American history during the years 1930-1949. Students will examine the cause and impact of the Dust Bowl, recognize how the Dust Bowl contributed to the Great Depression, and describe the government's response to assist farmers in the 1930s. Grades 9-12

Growing a Nation Era 3: Prosperity and Challenges

Students engage with the Growing a Nation timeline to explore the significant historical and agricultural events and inventions from American history during the years 1950-1969. Students examine the cause and effect relationships of many post-war advances that took place in our country and discover how increases in science and technology changed agriculture, leading to fewer farmers being necessary to provide food and fiber. Grades 9-12

Growing a Nation Era 4: Into a New Millennium

Students engage with the Growing a Nation timeline to explore the significant historical and agricultural events and inventions from American history during the years 1970-2000. Students recognize the importance of labor in agriculture and determine how the implementation of technology in agriculture increased agricultural production. Grades 9-12

Growing a Nation Era 5a: Growing Technology

Students will be introduced to technologies currently used on farms by engaging in an AppQuest to discover how farmers use mobile apps to manage farm production systems, marketing options, and make timely decisions. Grades 9-12

Growing a Nation Era 5b: Playing by the Rules

Students will explore the major events and changes in agriculture related to science, technology, and policy in the era of 2001 to the present, taking an in-depth look at how these elements have impacted American families and communities through the passage and enactment of government programs and policies. Grades 9-12

Hands Off, Bacteria!

This lab challenges students to identify the variables involved in handwashing. They will design labs to discover the best method for washing their hands to reduce the spread of bacteria. Students will also analyze and present the data. Grades 6-8

Hatching Science with Classroom Chicks (Grades 3-5)

Students explore how an embryo develops inside of a chicken egg over time, discuss life cycles and other natural cycles, and observe similarities and differences between parents and offspring. Grades 3-5

Hatching Science with Classroom Chicks (Grades K-2)

Healthy Eating Away From Home (Grades 6-8)

This lesson highlights awareness of consuming nutrients and calories away from home, and where to find the calorie and nutrition information for foods available in fast food restaurants. It also highlights how to determine individual calorie needs, as well as the number of calories in a typical fast food meal, and it focuses on dietary goals for saturated fat and sodium. Grades 6-8

Healthy Eating Away From Home (Grades 9-12)

Hen House Engineering (Grades 6-8)

Students will use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to evaluate styles of housing used for hens that lay eggs. Using critical thinking skills, students will compare housing styles, determine which system meets their animal welfare standards, and engineer their own hen house model to meet the needs of laying hens. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 6-8

Hen House Engineering (Grades 9-12)

Students use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to evaluate styles of housing used for hens that lay eggs. Using critical thinking and scientific investigation skills, students will compare housing styles, determine which system meets their animal welfare standards, and engineer their own hen house model to meet the needs of laying hens. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

Herbs and Spices of the World

In this lesson students will recognize the difference between a spice and herb, learn how herbs and spices are grown on farms around the world, and participate in a culinary challenge to season popcorn for various cultural cuisines. Grades 9-12

High-Tech Farming (Grades 3-5)

Students discover technologies that are used on farms to increase efficiency and yields and decrease costs and environmental impact. Grades 3-5

High-Tech Farming (Grades 6-8)

Students discover technologies that are used on farms to increase efficiency and yields and decrease costs and environmental impact. Grades 6-8

Homegrown in Your State: Fruits and Vegetables

Students explore their state's specialty crops, discover how food gets from the farm to the table, and discuss the importance of eating fruits and vegetables every day. Grades K-2

Homes on the Range

Students design a board game that reinforces how rangelands provide habitat for livestock and wildlife while benefiting humans, animals, and plants and explore the responsibilities of a range manager. Grades 3-5

Honey Bees: A Pollination Simulation

Students identify the parts of a honey bee, the stages of its life cycle, and its role in pollination. Grades 3-5

Honey as a Biomolecule

Students will learn about different types of carbohydrates, the role of enzymes in breaking down complex sugars into simple sugars, and how different sugars impact our perception of sweetness and may impact human health. Grades 9-12

Horse and Rider: The Pony Express (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate the importance of the Pony Express to the settlement and expansion of the American West by mapping Pony Express stations. Grades 3-5

Horse and Rider: The Pony Express (Grades 6-8)

Students investigate the importance of the Pony Express to the settlement and expansion of the American West by mapping Pony Express stations. Grades 6-8

How Does Your Garden Grow? (Grades 3-5)

Students synthesize what they know about soils, plants, and the environment to plan a garden, present their plans, and explain why they made the decisions that they did. Grades 3-5

How Does Your Garden Grow? (Grades K-2)

Students discover the needs of a seed to germinate and the needs of a plant to grow while exploring the life stages of a flowering plant. Grades K-2

How Weather Impacts Farms

Students explore different types of weather and discover how weather conditions can impact farms. Grades 3-5

Hunger and Malnutrition (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate the importance of eating a variety of foods in order to get all the nutrients needed to be healthy, explore diets around the world using Peter Menzel's Hungry Planet Family Food Portraits, and discuss the scope of the problems of hunger and malnutrition using the World Food Programme HungerMap Live. Grades 3-5

Hunger and Malnutrition (Grades 6-8)

Students will learn about the importance of eating a variety of foods in order to get all the nutrients needed to be healthy, explore diets around the world using Peter Menzel's Hungry Planet Family Food Portraits, and discuss the scope of the problems of hunger and malnutrition using the World Food Programme HungerMap Live. Grades 6-8

Hungry Pests

This lesson teaches about invasive species: what they are, the threats they pose, and damages they can cause. Students will identify individual pests and invasive species and discover what they threaten, where they live, and the pathways hungry pests use to enter new locations. Finally students move into action and explore what they can do to prevent the spread of invasive species. Grades 6-8

In Search of Essential Nutrients (Grades 6-8)

In this lesson students will learn the definition of an essential element, compare and contrast the essential nutrient requirements of plants and humans, explain why plants cannot use elemental nitrogen found in the atmosphere, and identify the sources for each essential nutrient needed by plants. Grades 6-8

In Search of Essential Nutrients (Grades 9-12)

Students explore the meaning of essential elements and use periodic tables to compare the elements that are essential to people and plants. Students discover where in the environment plants obtain each of their essential elements. Grades 9-12

In a Nutshell

Students explore pecan production from farm to fork, simulate the process of grafting, and create a nutritious snack. Grades 3-5

Increasing Food Production with Precision Agriculture

This hands-on lesson teaches students how precision agriculture uses geographic information systems (GIS) to help farmers and manufacturers make smart, efficient, and responsible decisions about how and when they plant, grow, irrigate, harvest, and transport crops. Grades 6-8

Inherited Traits in the Living Corn Necklace (Grades 3-5)

Students observe the growth of Indian corn and popcorn seeds, observe similarities and differences between the two varieties, and discuss heredity. Grades 3-5

Inherited Traits in the Living Corn Necklace (Grades 6-8)

Students will observe the growth of Indian corn and popcorn seeds, observe similarities and differences between the two varieties, and discuss heredity. Grades 6-8

Inside the Egg, Hatching Chicks (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate embryo development in chicken eggs. Grades 3-5

Inside the Egg, Hatching Chicks (Grades K-2)

Students investigate embryo development in chicken eggs. Grades K-2

Introducing the Nutrition Facts Label

Explore the features of the Nutrition Facts label with a focus on protein, analyze serving size, and make a Nutrition Facts label for a smoothie. Grades 6-8

It's a Dirty Job

In this lesson, students will create mini habitats to observe earthworm behavior and learn about the important role that earthworms play in decomposition and plant growth. Grades 6-8

It's a MOO-stery! (Grades 3-5)

Students make observations about historic tools used on a dairy farm to store and process milk into cheese and butter. Grades 3-5

It's a MOO-stery! (Grades K-2)

Students make observations about historic tools used on a dairy farm to store and process milk into cheese and butter. Grades K-2

John Deere, That's Who!

Students explore how producers and consumers work together to meet human needs by using the book John Deere, That’s Who! Grades K-2

Journey 2050 Lesson 1: Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore the core question, “How will we sustainably feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050?” as they discover what sustainable agriculture is and how it is critical to securing a stable food supply and future for a growing population. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 1: Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture (Grades 9-12)

Students will explore the question, “How will we sustainably feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050?” as they discover what sustainable agriculture is and how it is critical to securing a stable food supply and future for a growing population. Grades 9-12

Journey 2050 Lesson 2: Plant Health (Grades 6-8)

Students will identify nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus as primary soil nutrients necessary in the production of abundant and healthy foods, describe various methods of replenishing soil nutrients that have been depleted by plant growth, discover how overall plant health impacts a plant’s ability to resist disease and pests and describe what best management practices are in agriculture to improve overall sustainability. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 2: Plant Health (Grades 9-12)

Journey 2050 Lesson 3: Water (Grades 6-8)

Students will discuss the limited amount of fresh water on earth, identify how best management practices can reduce water consumption, discuss the need for water conservation and protection, and compare and contrast methods of irrigation for water conservation. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 3: Water (Grades 9-12)

Journey 2050 Lesson 4: Economy (Grades 6-8)

Students will explain why economics are important to sustainability, describe the relationship between a sustainable economy and the environment, develop a model demonstrating how agricultural production creates a ripple effect that impacts local and global economies and social stability, and discuss how investments build an economy. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 4: Economy (Grades 9-12)

Journey 2050 Lesson 5: Land Use (Grades 6-8)

Students will recognize that arable land (ideal land for growing crops) is a limited resource, identify best management practices that can be applied to every stakeholder’s land-use decisions; and analyze and discuss the impacts of food waste on our environment. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 5: Land Use (Grades 9-12)

Journey 2050 Lesson 6: Careers for 2050 and Beyond! (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore careers related to agriculture, identify personal interests within agriculture or a related field and discuss how agricultural professionals can impact world food. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 6: Careers for 2050 and Beyond! (Grades 9-12)

Students will explore careers related to agriculture, identify personal interests within agriculture or a related field and discuss how agricultural professionals can impact world food. Grades 9-12

Journey 2050 Lesson 7: Technology and Innovations (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore new technologies that will impact the future of farming, understand the role of developing countries in food security, and explain how consumers influence the production of food. Grades 6-8

Journey 2050 Lesson 7: Technology and Innovations (Grades 9-12)

Keeping Soil in Its Place

Students demonstrate rain drop splash (splash erosion) and determine its impact on bare soil by visually identifying types of erosion. Grades 3-5

Know Your Nitrogen

In this lesson, students will test for plant-available soil nitrogen and learn how farmers use this test to precisely match fertilizer application to meet crop needs and reduce the amount of nitrogen left in the soil. Grades 9-12

Lactose Lab: Some Don't Like it Sweet

In this lesson students will learn the chemistry and composition of milk, identify the difference between a monosaccharide and disaccharide, and carry out a laboratory activity testing the effect of the enzyme lactase on various milks. Grades 9-12

Land and Soil in the Ecosystem

Students use an apple to represent the Earth and discover how our land resources are used. Through critical thinking, students discover why topsoil is a nonrenewable resource, the importance of soil to our food supply, and factors that impact topsoil distribution in different regions. Grades 6-8

Learn, Protect, and Promote Water!

In this lesson students learn about water sources, water pollution, and water protection. Students participate in an activity where they demonstrate the water cycle and see the potential for our water supply to become contaminated. Grades 6-8

Let's Go Shopping! (Grades 3-5)

Students identify the differences between needs and wants, goods and services, and producers and consumers by participating in a grocery store simulation, exploring the source of grocery store items, and designing their own products to sell. Grades 3-5

Let's Go Shopping! (Grades K-2)

Let's Raise a Barn

Students explore the benefits and functions of different types of barns and use problem-solving skills to build a model of a hay barn that meets specific requirements. Grades 3-5

Let's Vote On It

In this lesson, students will hold a mock election to learn the importance of becoming well informed on the pros and cons of voting measures that affect our local economies, our environment, and our quality of life. Grades 6-8

Little Red Hen

Students use the story The Little Red Hen to investigate wheat production and bread making. Students thresh their own wheat and grind it into flour to make bread. Grades K-2

Looking Under the Label

Students evaluate food package labels, determine their meaning, and use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to determine the value of the label in relation to food production practices, nutrition, health, and food safety. Students will engage in critical thinking to recognize the impact of food package labels in relation to marketing, consumer perceptions of food, and farming practices. Grades 9-12

Luscious Leaves

Students examine the functions of plant leaves and identify leaves as edible parts of some plants. Grades 3-5

Machines and People

Students define the word "machine," explain how machines are used in agriculture to produce food and fiber, and compare and contrast a variety of machines. Grades 3-5

Machines in Agriculture

Students make connections between the six types of simple machines and the complex machinery used to produce food and fiber. Grades 3-5

Made to Move (Grades 3-5)

Students use simple machines to examine the relationships between force and motion, complete a science journal, and participate in group activities to demonstrate the use of simple machines. Grades 3-5

Made to Move (Grades K-2)

Students explore simple and complex machines and discover how they are used in agriculture. Grades K-2

Magic Beans and Giant Plants

Students plant seeds, make considerations about which conditions affect plant growth, design and conduct experiments using a problem-solving process, and compare and contrast to understand the parameters which influence the health and growth of living things. Grades 3-5

Making Half MyPlate Fruits and Vegetables

Students examine MyPlate and discover the importance of making half their plate fruits and vegetables. Grades 3-5

Making a Brand for Ourselves the "Cowboy" Way

Students explore cowboy culture and history and research 19th-century Texas cattle trails by writing cowboy poetry, mapping historic cattle trails, and creating cattle brands. Grades 3-5

Many Types of Farms

Students explore the sources of a variety of agricultural products and discover that farms can be diverse in size and in products that are grown and raised. Grades 3-5

Mastering Mindful Eating (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore hunger, satiety, and mindful eating to discover how our eating habits are impacted by our awareness to physiological signals of hunger or fullness. Students will also practice mindful eating practices and explore portion sizes as they sort foods, create meals using portion-size food models, and track their food using mindful eating practices. Grades 6-8

Mastering Mindful Eating (Grades 9-12)

Matter of Fact

In this lesson, students will take on the role of a nitrogen molecule and experience how various forms of nitrogen cycle through the environment. Students will be able to identify and differentiate between atoms, molecules, and compounds. Grades 9-12

Melons, Mitosis, and Meiosis

Students apply the steps of mitosis and meiosis to learn about the production of both seeded and seedless watermelon. Students will learn about the discovery of colchicine, which made seedless watermelon possible and use modeling clay and beans to model meiosis and mitosis. Grades 9-12

Methods of Crop Modification

Explore six scientific processes that can be used in plant breeding to modify the genotype of a plant in the pursuit of desired characteristics.

Microbes - They're Everywhere!

Students will explore the varied roles that microorganisms play in the world as well as different methods for controlling their growth. Activities include using a dichotomous key to identify waterborne diseases, comparing effectiveness of handwashing techniques, reading fictional and factual excerpts about microbes, and experimenting with the growth of microorganisms on potato slices. Grades 6-8

Milk Makin' Math

Students explore the numerous career opportunities involved in the dairy industry and solve real world math problems related to specific careers within the industry. Grades 3-5

Milk or Meat? Beef or Dairy?

Students identify the differences between beef and dairy cattle and determine the commodities produced by each type of cattle. Grades K-2

Milk, Sugar, Science: Engineering Ice Cream

Students explore the journey of milk from cow to ice cream, make ice cream in a bag, and discover how food engineers have developed many different processes for making ice cream. Grades K-2

Milk: The Scoop on Chemical and Physical Changes

In this lesson students apply their knowledge of physical science to dairy products to determine if the changes that take place when turning milk into cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whip cream and other dairy products, is a physical or chemical change. Grades 9-12

Mind Your Own Beeswax

Through project-based learning, students solve the problem of excess beeswax, a byproduct of honey bees, by developing a useful beeswax product and marketing their product to be sold in a local boutique or farmers market. Grades 6-8

Mix It Up! Food Scientist

In this lesson, students will model the responsibilities of a food scientist by working in product development teams to create a new food product. Tasks will involve market analysis, economics, food chemistry and safety, graphic design, and communication. Grades 6-8

More Than One Grain of Rice (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate the cultivation and identify the parts of rice by reading One Grain of Rice by Demi and removing the hull, bran, and germ from grains of rice. Grades 3-5

More Than One Grain of Rice (Grades 6-8)

Students will learn about the cultivation and parts of rice while also covering subjects including mathematics, economics, and geography. Activities include reading One Grain of Rice by Demi and removing the hull, bran, and germ from grains of rice. Grades 6-8

My Farm Web (Grades 3-5)

Students use the visual representation of a web to explore the role of agriculture in their daily lives and understand how most of the necessities of life can be traced back to the farm. Grades 3-5

My Farm Web (Grades K-2)

Students use the visual representation of a web to explore the role of agriculture in their daily lives and understand how most of the necessities of life can be traced back to the farm. Grades K-2

My Healthy Plate

Students categorize the foods they eat, explore healthy eating habits, and investigate the MyPlate food campaign. Grades K-2

My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable

Students explore the production and distribution of fresh produce. Grades 3-5

My Little Seed House and Seed Book

Students observe the growth and development of seeds and explore what conditions are necessary for seeds to germinate. Grades K-2

MyPlate, MyWin

Students will explore the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, compare and contrast historical food guides, and discover how to apply principles of MyPlate into their diet to create a "MyWin." Grades 9-12

Mystery Juice (Grades 6-8)

Using an inquiry approach, students will develop an investigation to determine the difference between two juices. Food safety will be discussed in relation to the results of the investigations. Students will have the opportunity to discover how pasteurization reduces the number of microorganisms in a food such as juice. Grades 6-8

Mystery Juice (Grades 9-12)

Natural and Managed Ecosystems

Students compare the differences between natural and managed ecosystems and describe ways in which farmers can protect agricultural ecosystems. Grades 3-5

Nutrients to Get Less Of (Grades 6-8)

This lesson introduces sodium and sugar as dietary nutrients we should consume less of. Students will identify the foods and beverages they should limit and recognize how to use the Nutrition Facts label to measure sodium and sugar intake. Grades 6-8

Nutrients to Get Less Of (Grades 9-12)

Nutrients to Get More Of (Grades 6-8)

Students will plan a healthy meal – breakfast – using the Percent Daily Value (%DV), and will use the Nutrition Facts label to evaluate and compare foods as they plan their meals. Grades 6-8

Nutrients to Get More Of (Grades 9-12)

Students will plan a healthy meal – breakfast – using the Percent Daily Value (%DV), and will use the Nutrition Facts label to evaluate and compare foods as they plan their meals. Grades 9-12

Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Students will trace the energy and nutrition requirements of the human lifecycle from beginning to end and identify the physical and cognitive growth happening in each phase of life. Grades 9-12

Nutritional Value of Fresh Produce

Students determine that fresh produce is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber, and that all fruits and vegetables do not contain the same quantities of each nutrient. Grades 3-5

Nuts About Peanuts!

Students label the parts of a peanut plant on a diagram, follow step-by-step instructions to plant a peanut, and use a chart to record the growth of peanut plants. Grades 3-5

One in a Million

In this lesson, students will learn about solutes and solvents and will use serial dilution while investigating parts per million—a term used to describe the nutrient concentration of a fertilizer solution. Grades 9-12

Outbreak Alert - Shigella

Students will analyze a real-life foodborne illness outbreak. They will assume the role of FBI (FoodBorne Illness) investigators to plot out the steps and identify the questions to ask in order to get to the source of the outbreak. Students will discuss and compare their investigative approaches to the actual public health investigation. Grades 6-8

Overfishing and Aquaculture (Grades 3-5)

Students discover the sources of various fish and seafood, compare wild-caught and farm-raised aquaculture systems, and use a simulation to determine how overfishing can damage the ocean ecosystem. Grades 3-5

Overfishing and Aquaculture (Grades 6-8)

Students discover the sources of various fish and seafood, compare wild-caught and farm-raised aquaculture systems, and use a simulation to learn how overfishing can damage the ocean ecosystem. Grades 6-8

Paint's Family Tree

Students explore the complexity of heredity by studying horses and creating a horse’s family tree. Grades 3-5

Pancakes! (Grades 3-5)

Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they examine the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees. Grades 3-5

Pancakes! (Grades K-2)

Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they explore the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees. Grades K-2

Peaches: What's All the Fuzz About?

Students explore peach production in various regions of the United States, describe how peaches are produced and processed from farm to table, and explain how internal and external structures of peaches support survival and growth. Grades 3-5

Peas in a Pod

Students explore the concept of inherited traits and understand the significance of Gregor Mendel's discoveries related to heredity. Grades 3-5

People and Plants Need Nutrients

Students determine that although plants and people obtain nutrients differently, they both need proper amounts of nutrients to grow and be healthy. Grades K-2

Pests and Pesticides in Agriculture

Students identify categories of pests including vertebrates, invertebrates, weeds, or disease and discover how pests affect the growth of crops and how integrated pest management (IPM) is used to control pests. Grades 3-5

Photoperiod Phenomena (Grades 6-8)

Students will understand how photoperiodism impacts plants and animals in the environment and learn how egg farms use this science to manage the laying of eggs by their hens. Grades 6-8

Photoperiod Phenomena (Grades 9-12)

Students will understand how photoperiodism impacts plants and animals in the environment and learn how egg farms use this science to manage the laying of eggs by their hens. Grades 9-12

Photosynthesis and You

Students identify the process used by plants make their own food and discover how photosynthesis provides the food they eat. Grades K-2

Pig Power: Creating Biogas and Renewable Energy

After exploring the science of energy and energy conversion, students will evaluate some environmental impacts of hog farming and explore technologies that minimize negative human impact by creating biogas energy from animal waste. Grades 9-12

Pigs on the Farm (Grades 3-5)

Students explore the basic needs of animals and create a model of a modern pig barn that will help farmers meet the needs of animals. Grades 3-5

Pigs on the Farm (Grades K-2)

Students explore the basic needs of animals and create a model of a modern pig barn that will help farmers meet the needs of the animals. Grades K-2

Pizza Time!

Students use pizza as a basis for exploring agriculture, geography, and mathematics. Grades 3-5

Planet Zorcon (Grades 6-8)

Students explore the connection between individual behavior and resource use, learn the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and identify careers related to natural resource management by playing an active, futuristic game in which teams have to collect limited resources from "Planet Zorcon." Grades 6-8

Plant Growth Affects the Soil

Students define nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as soil nutrients, explain that plants use soil nutrients as they grow, discover that fertilizer replaces depleted nutrients, and analyze information on seed packets to determine the needs different plants have for growth. Grades 3-5

Plant Nutrient Deficiencies (Grades 6-8)

Students discuss the definition of “fertilizer” and relate it to plant nutrition and the need to restore nutrient balance in agricultural soils. They discuss how people and crops can suffer from nutrient deficiencies. Students assume the roles of plant doctors and diagnose nutrient deficiencies in corn plants. Grades 6-8

Plant Nutrient Deficiencies (Grades 9-12)

Students will recognize that plants, like people, require essential nutrients to be present in the right amounts in order to be healthy, use reference materials to diagnose plant nutrient deficiencies, define fertilizer as a type of “food” for plants, and appreciate that fertilizers are used to replenish nutrients in agricultural soils. Grades 9-12

Plant Parts and Functions

In this lesson students will learn about plant parts and how they function in plant growth and reproduction. Grades 6-8

Plant Propagation

Students will learn about two types of plant propagation – seed planting (sexual) and stem cuttings (asexual) and recognize the genetic differences in these processes, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Grades 6-8

Plant Tops and Bottoms

Students identify where fruits and vegetables belong on the MyPlate diagram and describe the major parts of plants—roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits—according to if they are produced on the top or bottom of a plant. Grades K-2

Plant-Soil Interactions (Grades 3-5)

Students discover how plants and soils interact by observing root growth, considering the function of a plant’s roots, modeling the movement of water into the roots, and investigating the movement of water and nutrients throughout the plant. Grades 3-5

Plant-Soil Interactions (Grades 6-8)

Students will recognize that plants remove nutrients from the soil, explain the roles of diffusion and active transport in moving nutrients from the soil to the plant, and relate the root and vascular systems of the plant to the human circulatory system. Grades 6-8

Plant-Soil Interactions (Grades 9-12)

Students will explain the roles of diffusion and active transport in moving nutrients from the soil to the plant, describe the formation of soil and soil horizons; and describe the events in the Great Dust Bowl, how they relate to soil horizons, and how those events affected agricultural practices. Grades 9-12

Plants Around You

Students categorize plants into groups, describe what plants need for healthy growth, and start their own garden by planting seeds inside a cup. Grades 3-5

Plasmid Problem Solving

This lesson compares and contrasts prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and examines the form and function of the plasmid found in prokaryotic cells. Students will then use these principles to simulate how a desirable gene can be isolated and inserted into a plasmid as one step in the process of creating a bioengineered (GMO) plant variety. Grades 9-12

Populations

Students evaluate the growth of human populations across time, analyze graphic data to make predictions about future population growth, research country statistics to evaluate demographic transition, and participate in a simulation of a village reliant on subsistence farming. Students begin to develop a sense for the Earth's carrying capacity and how humans have impacted it. Grades 9-12

Potatoes: More Than Fries

Students investigate potato varieties, explore potato plants, determine how potatoes grow, and make a potato recipe. Grades K-2

Powerful Potato

Students observe a potato grow with and without soil, chart potato geography on a world map, and hold a potato dress up contest. Grades 3-5

Preservation Power of Honey

Students will expand their knowledge of microbial growth and scientific food preservation methods to learn how honey can serve as an antibacterial agent. Students will learn how honey may be used as a preservative of milk in areas without access to electricity or refrigeration and how this preservation method relies on elements found specifically in honey that cannot be replicated with other sources of sugar. Grades 9-12

Preserving the Powerful Pepper

Students preserve peppers to create their own probiotic food, observe properties of preserved foods and states of matter changes that occur, and discover the health benefits of probiotics. Grades 3-5

Properties of Soils (Grades 3-5)

Students discover that different soils have different characteristics, examine different types of soil, investigate soil components, and observe how air space allows soils to hold and transmit water. Grades 3-5

Properties of Soils (Grades 6-8)

Students examine the components of different soils and recognize how sand, silt, and clay particles affect air space and water absorption. Grades 6-8

Properties of Soils (Grades 9-12)

Students examine different types of soil that have been mixed with water and allowed to settle. Next, they work with a soil model to investigate its components (sand, silt, and clay) and learn how the properties of these components affect the passage or retention of water through the soil and the amount of air in the soil. Grades 9-12

Pumpkins... Not Just For Halloween (Grades 3-5)

Students estimate the size and weight of pumpkins, sprout pumpkin seeds, and make pumpkin pie in a bag. Grades 3-5

Pumpkins... Not Just For Halloween (Grades K-2)

Students estimate the size and weight of pumpkins, sprout pumpkin seeds, and make pumpkin pie in a bag. Grades K-2

Right This Very Minute

Students read Right This Very Minute—a table-to-farm book about food production and farming—and diagram the path of production for a processed product, study a map to discover where different commodities are grown, and write a thank-you letter to farmers in their local community. Grades 3-5

Robots Wanted!

Through project-based learning, students examine fruit and vegetable farms to discover the amount of manual labor required to plant, grow, and harvest some of our food. They research the business economics of farm management, the plant life cycle, and the requirements and challenges faced in reducing manual labor through mechanization or robotics. Students present their findings to an agricultural engineer to begin developing a solution to farm labor shortages. Grades 6-8

Robots in High-Tech Farming (Grades 3-5)

Students discover the four main components of robots, explore how robots are used in agriculture, and program and operate a robot to address a farming challenge. Grades 3-5

Robots in High-Tech Farming (Grades 6-8)

Students discover the four main components of robots, explore how robots are used in agriculture, and program and operate a robot to address a farming challenge. Grades 6-8

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Dominant and Recessive Traits

Students explore how dominant and recessive traits are expressed and discover how knowledge of heredity is important to agriculture. Grades 3-5

Roll of the Genes

Students explore how genes affect important traits such as growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and behavior and discover the responsibilities of an animal geneticist. Grades 3-5

Say Cheese for Protein

Explore protein, discover the role of amino acids, identify dietary sources of complete and incomplete proteins, and make fresh mozzarella cheese—a food science experience where students will observe the protein in milk (whey and casein) separate from water in the creation of cheese. Grades 9-12

Science You Can Eat

Students explore the scientific processes used to make the crops we grow and the livestock we raise (commodities) into some of the foods we eat every day. Students will discover how science and technology work together to create foods like pickles, bread, yogurt and more! To engage further in the topic, students will make their own cheese using enzymes produced through the fermentation of genetically engineered yeast. Grades 6-8

Science and Poetry with Almonds

Students explore the almond tree life cycle including tree dormancy, pollination, bloom, and kernel development of an almond. Grades 3-5

Secrets to Healthy Soils

Students determine that the diversity of life in soil contributes to soil fertility. Grades 3-5

Seeds, Miraculous Seeds

Students dissect seeds, identify the anatomy and function of seed parts, and classify seeds as monocots or dicots. Grades 3-5

Serious Cereal Science

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. Grades 6-8

Sheep See, Sheep Do (Grades 3-5)

Students explore the difference between inherited and acquired traits and discover why knowledge of inherited and acquired traits is important to agriculture. Grades 3-5

Sheep See, Sheep Do (Grades 6-8)

Students explore the difference between inherited and acquired traits and understand why knowledge of inherited and acquired traits is important to agriculture. Activities in this lesson include trait sorting, two short movies, a PTC taste test, and student presentations. Grades 6-8

Significant Surroundings

Students identify basic animal behaviors, hypothesize what causes them, and discover the responsibilities of an animal physiologist. Grades 3-5

Silky Genes

Students will simulate the process of gene splicing, understand the application of transgenic organisms in agriculture, and see how goats can be used for the production of goods other than meat and milk through the use of biotechnology. Grades 9-12

Six Kinds Do It All

Students investigate six kinds of simple machines—inclined plane, pulley, screw, wedge, lever, and wheel and axle, and determine that simple machines can be combined to form complex machines. Grades 3-5

Snappy Stems

Students evaluate the function of plant stems and identify edible stems belonging to certain plants. Grades K-2

Soil Formation & Edible Horizons

Students discover what a soil profile looks like, investigate the composition of soil, and explore the five soil-forming factors and soil horizons. Grades 3-5

Soil Texture and Water Percolation

Students determine the water holding and draining capacities of different soils and investigate how organic matter affects the amount of water soil will hold. Grades 3-5

Soil and Sustainability (Grades 6-8)

Students are introduced to the Dust Bowl and determine how to avoid another event like it in the future as they study soil texture, particle sizes, soil nutrients, and pH. Grades 6-8

Soil and Sustainability (Grades 9-12)

Students observe soil ecosystems to investigate how human impact affects the biodiversity of soils using the Simpson's Index of Diversity. Then, students conduct an investigation using field corn to determine how the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers impact soil microorganisms and biodiversity. Grades 9-12

Source Sleuth: Investigating Credible Sources About Beef

Students will discover why it is important to use credible sources, learn strategies for identifying credible sources, identify primary sources of information, and practice citing sources. Grades 6-8

Spice-up Space Food

Through project-based learning, students work in groups to create a flavorful and nutritious meal for astronauts to eat in space. They experience careers in food and nutrition, food science, and marketing, research different ways to preserve foods, and discover how food is taken to and eaten in space. Grades 6-8

Stacking Up Milk and Milk Substitutes

Students will compare and contrast milk and plant-based milk substitutes by learning their source from farm-to-table and discovering how they "stack-up" in nutritional value. Students will also explore food package labeling laws and consumer trends in milk consumption to think critically about the impact of labels in marketing and consumer perceptions of food. Grades 9-12

Storing Winter Squash

Students explore a variety of vegetables that can be stored through the colder months, including roots, alliums, cole crops, and winter squash and compare and contrast how families store food now with how they stored food long ago. Grades K-2

Strawberry Breeding and Genetics

Students learn about DNA by extracting it from strawberries. Students also analyze the similarities and differences of their extraction process to those on Genetic Engineering: The Journey of a Gene. Students learn how genetic testing (including DNA extraction) is useful in breeding new varieties of strawberries. Grades 9-12

Sun, to Moo, to You!

Students investigate the transfer of energy in the process of making milk, discover that there are different forms of energy, determine that living things need energy to survive, and identify the sun as the primary source of energy. Grades 3-5

Sunflower Life Cycles

Students observe the growth and development of sunflowers, identify how sunflower seeds are used, and make a paper plate sunflower to illustrate the life cycle of the sunflower. Grades K-2

Supermarket Smarts

In this activity, students will develop an awareness of the importance of food safety in retail food establishments. They will be challenged to design and manage their own food-safe supermarket department using the 4 Cs of Food Safety. At the end of this activity, each team will present its findings in an innovative presentation. Grades 6-8

Supply and Demand: What If?

Students will demonstrate understanding of the importance of the relationship between producers and consumers by explaining how agricultural supply and demand affects commodity prices. Grades 6-8

Supreme Seeds

Students observe various types of seed, discover the many uses of seeds, taste edible seeds, and make a seed mosaic. Grades K-2

Surrounded by Plants

Students identify the importance of plants to human life by surveying their home and neighborhood for plant products used for medicine, aesthetics, fuel products, fiber, and food. Grades 9-12

Survival of the Fittest: Comparing the Needs of Humans and Cows

Students identify what cows and humans need to survive by exploring the physical characteristics of cows and the food, water, shelter, and other environmental needs of cows compared to their own needs. Students also examine how farmers work to meet the needs of their cows. Grades K-2

Taming the Wild Aurochs

Students will read about and research the domestication of animals to better understand why and how they are raised on a farm. They will create a timeline of animal domestication. Grades 6-8

Tasty Testing

Students discover the geographic regions where basil, oregano, and cilantro have cultural significance, understand the role of evaporation in herb drying, and recognize the different properties of dried and fresh herbs. Grades 3-5

Terrariums: A Look at the Living and Nonliving World

Students observe the interactions between living plants and other living and nonliving things in a small terrarium environment and discuss similarities between the terrarium environment and the farm environment. Grades 3-5

Test Tube Hydroponics

Students investigate the importance of nutrients for plant growth and discover how plants grow without soil by growing and observing plants in a test tube hydroponic system. Grades 3-5

Texturing: The Big Picture

Students explore soil textures and investigate the connections between soil texture, water, and plant growth. Grades K-2

That Was Then, This Is Now

Students explore food prices and how they have changed over time as they perform mathematical computations, analyze data charts, and compare and contrast statistical information. Grades 3-5

The Amazing Honey Bee

Students investigate the three types of honey bees in a colony, identify their roles, and recognize honey bees as part of a community that works together. Grades K-2

The Carbon Cycle and Climate Smart Agriculture

Students explore the carbon cycle, evaluate natural and human-induced activities that drive the carbon cycle, and discover climate smart agricultural practices that can be used to produce our food. Grades 9-12

The Case of the Missing Pumpkin

Students investigate the phenomenon of decomposing pumpkins as a part of the plant's life cycle. Grades K-2

The Cattle Drive and Westward Expansion

Students will gain a greater understanding of the historical context and purpose of the cattle drives that took place in the mid 1880s. Students will be able to explain the cause and effect relationships of life on the frontier including, population growth, and later the invention and use of barbed wire, refrigeration, and railroads. Grades 9-12

The Chemistry of Fruits and Vegetables

Students examine fruit and vegetable preparation and storage. Grades 3-5

The Columbian Exchange of Old and New World Foods (Grades 3-5)

Students explore New World and Old World food origins to discover how the Columbian Exchange altered people’s lives worldwide. Grades 3-5

The Columbian Exchange of Old and New World Foods (Grades 6-8)

Students explore New World and Old World food origins to discover how the Columbian Exchange altered people’s lives worldwide. Grades 6-8

The Columbian Exchange of Old and New World Foods (Grades 9-12)

Students explore New World and Old World food origins to discover how the Columbian Exchange altered people’s lives worldwide. Grades 9-12

The Geography of Thanksgiving Dinner (Grades 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. Grades 6-8

The Geography of Thanksgiving Dinner (Grades 9-12)

The Green Revolution

Evaluate the agricultural advances of the Green Revolution, discover the contributions of Norman Borlaug, and discuss the impacts of this era from an economic, social, political, and environmental perspective. Grades 9-12

The QUEST for the Whole Enchilada

This lesson utilizes a process learning model to recognize how the Columbian Exchange and early Spanish explorers impacted the culture and cuisine of the Southwest United States. Students will participate in a food lab to make enchiladas and learn about the production of each ingredient. Grades 6-8

The Quicker the Better? Food Processing (Grades 3-5)

Students explore different levels of food processing and the ways in which processed foods affect the health of our diets by looking at examples of foods from the grocery store and by closely examining food labels. Grades 3-5

The Quicker the Better? Food Processing (Grades 6-8)

The Remarkable Ruminant

In this lesson, students will follow the farm to fork process of producing beef, learn how cattle and other ruminants convert grass into nutrient-rich foods such as milk and meat, discover ways cattle recycle food waste, and identify careers in the beef cattle industry. Grades 6-8

The Right Diet for Your Plants

In this lesson, students will learn how to read a fertilizer label, understand the components of fertilizers, and explore factors for choosing the appropriate fertilizer for a given situation. Students will use their knowledge and conduct research on one type of soil supplement to design a persuasive product advertisement. Grades 6-8

The Right Solution

In this lesson, students will understand concepts about solutes, solvents, and parts per million as they learn how fertilizer solution is properly calculated and applied. Grades 6-8

The Role of Women in Agriculture

Students will investigate the number of women farmers globally and identify these farmers’ impacts on contemporary agriculture. Grades 9-12

The Rotten Truth

Students observe and explain the decomposition process and identify the methods and ingredients for making compost. Grades 3-5

The Science of GMOs

Students will map the scientific process of creating a bioengineered (GMO) plant, compare bioengineered soybean seeds to conventional soybean seeds, describe the impact weeds have on plant growth, and understand how a bioengineered seed can help farmers manage weeds. Grades 9-12

The Seed Match

Students investigate where food comes from, the parts of plants that we eat, and the difference between fruits and vegetables. Grades K-2

The Soil Chain

Students recognize their relationship to soil and model the connections between common objects and the soil. Grades 3-5

The Soil We Grow In

Students determine the importance and complexity of the Earth’s soil. Grades K-2

The TART Cherry on Top

Students explore tart cherry production in the United States and explain why producers and consumers are needed in the cherry industry. Grades 3-5

The Ultimate Efficient Recycler

Students examine how cows help conserve natural resources by identifying the important role dairy cattle have in reducing, reusing, and recycling food processing by-products. Students identify each stage of the ecological cycle and the important role of decomposers. Grades 3-5

The Water Footprint of Food

Explore concepts of sustainability by evaluating the water footprint (WF) of food. Students are introduced to irrigation practices throughout the world, consumptive and non-consumptive water use, and investigate the water requirements for various food crops. Grades 9-12

Think in Pictures: Like Dr. Grandin (Grades 3-5)

Students compare agricultural inventors and inventions by creating a timeline of important dates, explore cattle flight zones, and work as agricultural engineers to design a corral system that uses the research of Dr. Temple Grandin. Grades 3-5

Think in Pictures: Like Dr. Grandin (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore cattle flight zones and work as agricultural engineers to design a corral system that uses the research of Dr. Temple Grandin. Grades 6-8

This Little Pig

Students explore basic information about pigs and the products they provide. Grades K-2

Three Sisters Garden

Students investigate the "three sisters" crops (corn, beans, and squash) and explore the benefits of planting these crops together. Grades 3-5

Tomato Trivia

Using tomatoes as a theme, students practice the math and science skills of estimating, measuring, counting, graphing and sequencing. Grades K-2

Topsy-Turvy Soybeans

Students observe how plants respond to gravity by germinating soybeans in a CD case and rotating the case as they grow. Grades 3-5

Tropism Twist

Students investigate how light affects plant growth by observing changes in a plant’s growth and movement as light availability is altered through an experiment. Grades 3-5

Truth or Hogwash?

Students work in teams to play a game in which they answer true/false questions about swine and then research and develop questions of their own. Grades 3-5

Types by Texture

Students investigate soil texture and determine the texture of several soil samples. Grades 3-5

Ultra High Pressure Treatment (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore various ways that have been used to preserve food over the ages. They will also learn about techniques used to process food today and hypothesize about other methods scientists might use to process food safely in the future. Finally, students will conduct a simulation of high pressure treatment and discover how it destroys bacteria without crushing the food. Grades 6-8

Ultra High Pressure Treatment (Grades 9-12)

Understanding Bacteria (Grades 6-8)

This lesson introduces students to food safety, the 4 Cs of Food Safety, the Farm-to-Table Continuum, who’s responsible for keeping our food safe, and the link between food safety and other content areas. Students will also be challenged to hypothesize about where most bacteria are found and develop awareness that bacteria are everywhere and that various surfaces might have different levels of organisms. Grades 6-8

Understanding Bacteria (Grades 9-12)

Understanding MyPlate (Grades 3-5)

Students explore appropriate serving sizes and learn how to make healthy dietary decisions by understanding the components of nutrition as illustrated by MyPlate. Grades 3-5

Understanding MyPlate (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore appropriate serving size and learn how to make good dietary decisions by understanding the components of nutrition as illustrated by MyPlate. Grades 6-8

Understanding MyPlate (Grades K-2)

Students explore appropriate serving sizes and determine how to make healthy dietary decisions by identifying the components of nutrition as illustrated by MyPlate. Grades K-2

Use of Biotechnology in Selecting the Right Plants

Students will simulate how a type of biotechnology called Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) is used to identify crop plants that have desirable traits such as sweet tasting fruit or natural resistance to a pest or disease. Grades 6-8

Vermicomposting (Grades 3-5)

Students create a worm bin which will serve as a basis for investigations about ecosystems, life and nutrient cycles, and decomposition. Grades 3-5

Vermicomposting (Grades K-2)

Students create a worm bin which will serve as a basis for investigations about ecosystems, life and nutrient cycles, and decomposition. Grades K-2

Wad-a-Watershed

Students examine the basic geography of a watershed, how water flows through the system, and how people can impact the quality of our water. Grades 3-5

Walnuts: Naturally Nutritious

Students will interpret and compare nutrition labels to make healthy food choices and learn about the nutritional value of walnuts. Students will also have a walnut taste test and use walnuts in a recipe. Grades 6-8

Walnuts: The Importance of Grafting

Students explore the science and economic importance of grafting walnut trees. Grades 3-5

Water Ops for Growing

Through project-based learning, students design and create a smart watering system for a small herb garden. Grades 6-8

Water Quality

Students investigate the effects of added soil nutrients on water quality, perform chemical and physical tests on water samples, collect and identify macroinvertebrates from a freshwater system and compare physical, chemical and biological factors of an aquatic ecosystem to determine water health. Grades 6-8

Water Supply

Students observe the change of water states as it moves through the water cycle. Grades 3-5

Watersheds, Soil Profiles, and Erosion

Students develop an understanding of what factors impact water quality within watersheds, what soil types/profiles are most susceptible to erosion, and what factors impact water quality within watersheds and how to mitigate erosion on susceptible soils. Grades 6-8

Weighing in on Egg Labels, Supply, and Demand

Students will apply a basic understanding of the laws of supply and demand, learn about different types of egg laying farms, and recognize the impact labeling has on consumer choices. Grades 9-12

What Makes Up Your Profile?

Students observe soil changes in relationship to depth and identify factors associated with soil formation. Grades 3-5

What's Bugging You?

Students examine how pests affect other living organisms and the environment and identify how pests are managed in agricultural settings. Grades 3-5

What's On The Nutrition Facts Label?

Students will be introduced to the Nutrition Facts label, navigate and decipher the Nutrition Facts label, use food labels to determine nutritive value of foods, and define terminology found on the label such as calories, nutrients, and servings. Grades 9-12

What's Our Soil Worth?

Students determine that topsoil is a limited resource with economic value and use an apple to represent how Earth’s land resources are used. Grades 3-5

What's Your pH?

In this lesson students will measure the pH of a soil sample and learn how pH affects the availability of nutrient uptake by plants. Students will determine if and how their soil pH should be modified through the application of soil amendments. Grades 9-12

What's in Soil?

Students identify the components of soil and demonstrate that soil contains air and water. Grades 3-5

What's on MyPlate? (Grades 3-5)

Students explore what it means to eat a healthy diet by comparing the foods they typically eat in a day with the recommendations of MyPlate. Grades 3-5

What's on MyPlate? (Grades 6-8)

Students will explore what it means to eat a healthy diet by comparing the foods they typically eat in a day with the recommendations of MyPlate. Grades 6-8

What's the Difference? A Look at Organic and Conventional Foods

Using the claim, evidence and reasoning model, students will compare and contrast organic vs conventionally produced foods to discover the differences and similarities of each farm production style. Grades 6-8

What? No Soil?

After learning the five basic requirements of plant growth, students discuss terms related to hydroponics. Students then build and maintain hydroponic units from soda bottles. Grades 6-8

Wheat Germ DNA

Using wheat as an example, students explore how DNA determines the genetic traits of a plant and how plant breeders change the DNA of a plant to produce desired characteristics. Grades 3-5

Wheat and Dolls

Students investigate how wheat is grown and processed into flour and other wheat products and create wheat puppets to perform a play. Grades 3-5

Wheat: Ancient and Ageless

Students will explore the importance of wheat in the development of culture by learning about the advent of agriculture, discussing wheat cultivation in ancient Egypt, threshing a head of wheat with their hands, and making a corn dolly out of wheat stems. Grades 6-8

Where Does It Come From?

Students explore the connection between geography, climate, and the type of agriculture in an area by reading background information and census data about the agricultural commodities beef, potatoes, apples, wheat, corn, and milk. Grades 3-5

Where Does it Grow? The Science of Climate and Food

Students will discover the connection between climate and our food supply as they answer the question, "Where does it grow?" They will also explore the consequences of climate change on our food supply and discover how advances in science can help farmers adapt to climate change. Grades 9-12

Whipping Butter into Shape

Students investigate the physical change that occurs as milk is turned into butter. Grades 3-5

Who Grew My Soup? (Grades 3-5)

Students identify the source of the food they eat and investigate the processes and people involved in getting food from the farm to their spoon. Grades 3-5

Who Grew My Soup? (Grades K-2)

Students identify the source of the food they eat and investigate the processes and people involved in getting food from the farm to their spoon. Grades K-2

Why People Need Plants

Students determine that plants provide people with food, clothing, shelter, and many other things that we use in our daily lives. Grades K-2

Wild Rice

Students explore the life cycle of wild rice, compare the steps of the traditional Native wild rice harvest with a cultivated wild rice harvest, and create their own wild rice bowls. Grades 3-5

Working Worms

Students observe how earthworms speed the decomposition of organic matter and identify how this adds nutrients to the soil that are important for plant growth by constructing worm habitats from milk jugs. Grades 3-5

Companion Resources (1013)

Activity

A Seedy Fruit Challenge

This activity teaches students to identify different types of fruits and categorize them into two main groups based on whether they are dry or fleshy. Students will follow a worksheet and complete a lab assignment where they dissect various fruits.

Ag-Bites

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).

AgQuest Cards

Modeled after the popular Brain Quest® cards, AgQuest cards contain more than 250 thought-provoking questions related to agriculture and its importance in our daily lives. Topics include: agricultural careers, farm, food, fabric, flowers, and forestry. This 2" x 8.25" set of cards is portable and easy to use, making it perfect for a starter activity when discussing plants and animals or as an educational tool on field trips and farm field days. Order these cards online from agclassroomstore.com.

Agricultural Fact and Activity Sheets

These fact sheets provide information on the history, production, top producing regions and economic values of various agricultural products and natural resources. The activity sheets provide specific lesson ideas and fun facts for each topic. Commodities include agricultural water, alfalfa, almonds, artichokes, asparagus, avocados, beef, cantaloupes, carrots, citrus fruits, cling peaches, corn, cotton, cut flowers, dairy, dried plums, dry beans, forest resources, mushroom, pears, pistachios, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, processing tomato, rice, strawberries, table grapes, walnuts.

Agricultural Pests

The crops we eat are constantly at risk of harm from pests. But what are these pests? In this activity, students will develop a definition of an agricultural pest that is meaningful to them and identify categories of pests such as insects, rodents, mollusks, weeds, and diseases.

An Agricultural Interview

This activity prepares students to interview someone in an agricultural career. Students will gain a greater awareness of the role agriculture plays in the American economy, practice oral and written communication skills, and learn about numerous agricultural careers.

Are there ingredients from GE Plants in my Food?

In this activity, students will examine a variety of foods and their ingredients to determine which foods contain ingredients that may have come from genetically engineered plants.

Bean Seed Fun

Students observe and dissect bean seeds and label the parts of a seed.

Beebuzz

This is a game in which students take turns rolling a die and drawing parts of a bee. Any number can play, and the only materials needed are a piece of paper, a pencil, a six-sided die, and the included printable activity sheet.

Beef Blasters

This activity introduces students to a unique and interesting sequence of events related to the nature of scientific discovery. They will explore how scientific discoveries evolve and often lead to unexpected outcomes. While researchers were trying to develop a method of tenderizing beef, they discovered that the process they were researching also decreased the harmful bacteria in meat by 40-60%. This activity teaches students about this process and how it was developed.

Better Butter

This activity details instruction for making butter in a small baby-food sized jar.

Bread In A Bag

This activity details the instructions for making bread in a Ziploc bag. An excellent way to demonstrate bread-making and the properties of yeast within a classroom setting.

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu Online Modules

Using the context of a county fair livestock show, students explore how zoonotic diseases are spread. This program is designed to educate youth about the spread of disease and best practices for human and animal interaction. The online module can be accessed directly for virtual or remote learning. For in-person learning, see the full lesson plans linked below for upper elementary and secondary classrooms.

Bringing Biotechnology to Life

“Bringing Biotechnology to Life” is an activity resource for science educators and others interested in learning more about biotechnology and its role in food production. There are seven lessons and activities covering topics such as DNA, selective breeding, agricultural biotechnology, and more.

Building with Apples

This STEM-based activity incorporates math (exploring dimensional spaces and problem solving) and art, as the students are encouraged to apply their creativity to come up with a unique design in form using apples and toothpicks.

Burn a Peanut- Count Calories

A peanut will burn producing an impressive amount of flame for a long time. The flame can be used to boil away water and count the calories contained in the peanut. A great way to show students how calories are calculated for energy in our bodies.

Chocolate Taste-Testing

In this activity students will taste different types of chocolate to determine if price is an indicator of better taste. Chocolate is a New World food that is now beloved by cultures around the globe. Use this activity to engage students with lessons related to the Columbian Exchange, global trade, food ingredients, and food origins and processing.

Construct a Compost Bottle

Composting is the process of creating nutrient-rich soil from decomposing organic matter like grass, leaves, and food scraps. Construct a compost bottle using a clear container, bottle, or jar and observe the organic matter break down into soil rich in nutrients that can be used in a garden. Instructions available in English and Spanish.

Eat & Move O-Matic

Free app teaching students how foods fuel their body to create energy for their favorite activities.

Edible Plant Game

This game incorporates the knowledge students have gained about plant parts with the fact that plants provide people with the nutrients and energy needed for a healthy lifestyle. This activity will be most beneficial if conducted with students after they have been taught the individual plant parts.

Endless Options

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.

Enhancing Our World Research Activity

The Enhancing Our World research activity provides instructions and a rubric for students to create and promote a potential new agriculture product using genetic technology and science. The activity would be best placed after students understand basic terms and concepts of genetics, heredity, and biotechnology.

FUNdamentals of Farming Game

Farming is a risky business. Droughts and severe storms, equipment problems and outbreaks of animal disease can all occur unexpectedly and impact a farm negatively. This printable classroom board game teaches secondary students about animal disease management. Students take roles as a farmer, accountant, purchaser, or veterinarian to manage a pig farm. They will learn and use methods to prevent disease such as vaccinations and quarantine as they buy and sell animals at the auction.

Farm Pop-Ups

Students use this template to create a pop-up game to reinforce agricultural concepts concerning various plants and animals. Templates are available for apples, cows, dairy, pigs, sheep, and turkeys. Teachers can use the blank template to create their own pop-ups to reinforce concepts and understanding for any area of study.

Fill MyPlate Game

Test your students’ understanding of nutrition with this exciting, fast-paced board game. Students take turns rolling a die, moving to different sections of the MyPlate board, and answering basic trivia about healthy eating and food science. The first to “fill their plate” with one trivia card from each section (Fruits, Grains, Vegetables, Protein, and Dairy) wins! In-game bonuses encourage students to exercise, reinforcing personal choice as an important component to a healthy lifestyle. Each gameboard comes with materials for up to five students. Available for purchase or free download. Order this game online from agclassroomstore.com.

Food Group Puzzle

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.

Food Safety from Farm to Fork: How Fast Will They Grow?

Students, acting as scientists, will explore bacteria and fungi. They will design an experiment that will promote or minimize the bacterial and fungal growth on a piece of white bread. This activity can supplement any lesson on food safety or the scientific method.

Food Safety from Farm to Fork: Mighty Microbes

In this activity, students, acting as epidemiologists, look at the facts of an outbreak and determine the source and cause of an illness that makes many picnickers sick. Interpreting data tables, classifying, and reading are incorporated into this investigative epidemiological mystery. This activity can supplement any lesson on food safety.

Food Safety from Farm to Fork: Operation Kitchen Impossible

In this activity, students become the head chef in a virtual kitchen. They will use mathematical knowledge, problem-solving skills and food safety guidelines to prepare a safe and nutritious meal. This activity can be used to supplement lessons on food safety.

Food Safety from Farm to Fork: Playing it Safe

Students will learn the basic science of food safety and the importance of safe food practices while playing a board game, performing “fact or opinion” and “cause and effect” activities, and then writing an essay on what they learned. This activity can be used to supplement lessons on food safety.

From Farm to You Coloring Sheet

This coloring sheet will accompany any lesson that explores the path food takes from farm to consumer. Students can color the image and then fold it to hide the consumers within the farm.

Fun with Almond Math

In this activity, students will multiply, divide, combine and reduce fractions using real world applications working with almond grower word problems and recipes.

Genetic Engineering (Grades 9-12)

In addition to selective breeding, genetic engineering tools are used by plant breeders to solve some agricultural challenges such as producing enough food to feed a growing global population or minimizing production impacts on our environment. Some plants have been engineered to be more nutritious, more resistant to pests, or more drought tolerant. In this activity, students will review the process of bacterial transformation and then look at the processes involved in creating genetically engineered plants.

Genetic Engineering in Crops (Grades 6-8)

In addition to selective breeding, genetic engineering tools such as transgenics and CRISPR gene editing can be used by plant breeders to solve agricultural challenges. Plants can be engineered to be more nutritious, more resistent to pests, drought tolerant, etc. This activity challenges students to match several crops and the challenges faced in growing them to potential solutions that could be reached with genetic engineering.

Glo Germ Set

Demonstrate proper handwashing technique, proper surface cleaning and how to prevent the spread of germs. This kit includes a gel, lotion, or a powder which glows when exposed to a long wave UV light. This kit can be purchased from a variety of online retailers, search keyword "Glo Germ."

Growing Letters!

Young children place seeds on a sheet of paper and watch the seeds germinate.

Growing Up Evergreen

In this activity, students will explore how evergreen trees grow from cone to maturity by reading Where Would I Be in an Evergreen Tree? by Jennifer Blomgren and by making a bird feeder from a pine cone.

Gyotaku: The Japanese Art of Printing Fish

In this activity the students will identify the parts and functions of a fish, explore the Japanese art of fish printing known as gyotaku, and label their gyotaku print with the parts of a fish.

Hands-On With Wool

Spinning, dyeing, weaving, and felting wool can easily be done in the classroom. This activity provides instructions and a materials list, making it easy to prepare a hands-on wool project for your class. Wool processing is a topic that connects easily to lessons in history and science.

Have a Ball - Your Sphere of Influence

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.

Higher or Lower: Ingredient Investigation

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.

How Many Hats Does a Farmer Wear?

This elementary activity illustrates the wide array of career paths available in agriculture. Students will create a paper "pinwheel" illustration of the many hats that farmers wear.

How to Extract DNA from Anything Living

Use these detailed instructions to add a DNA extraction activity to a science lesson on genetics and DNA.

How to Use a Ragdoll Test to Estimate Field Germination

Germinate seeds like a pro! The ragdoll germination test involves placing a known number of seeds in a moist paper towel, rolling up the towel and seeds to place inside a plastic bag, and assessing the number of seeds that germinate over the next few days. This is an easy way to demonstrate germination in the classroom and to test and discuss factors that affect germination.

Imported Food Safety

Through this web quest, students will examine where their food comes from, federal agencies involved in protecting our food supply, how imported foods such as honey present a safety challenge, and what measures are being taken to meet these challenges. This activity can be paired with secondary lessons on food safety.

Introduction to Circuits

Paper circuits are an exciting way for students to learn how electrical circuits work. This activity gives students a foundation for what a circuit is and how to create a closed, series, parallel, and open circuit using a few simple supplies. The concepts learned in this introductory activity are a springboard for more complicated electrical projects such as sewing circuits and building prototypes controlled by Arduino boards.

Invasive Species "Space Invaders" Game

The Space Invaders game helps students better understand the adaptive traits of plants in a new environment. The game simulates introducing new plants to 3 different ecosystems. After several rounds of play, students will see which plants survive and reproduced as well as which plants were potentially displaced.

Invasive Species Profile

In this activity students will create a profile for an invasive species in their area to gain an understanding of the diversity of organisms that can become invasive, where to go for trusted information, how humans may be involved in their introduction and spread, and what native species or resources are threatened. This activity can complement secondary level lessons on invasive species.

Irradiation Web Quest

This activity introduces students to food irradiation. Students will work in teams to conduct research on irradiation, analyze public opinion, and discover some of the advantages of this process.

Is There Ever Too Much of a Good Thing?

This activity directs students in performing an experiment measuring the growth of beans using too much fertilizer, too little fertilizer, and the right balance of fertilizer. Students will learn how and why farmers use the correct amount and type of fertilizer to grow crops used for our food and fiber.

Journey 2050 Program Summary: Project-Based Learning

Journey 2050 is a program helping students engage in world food sustainability at a local and global scale. The program contains seven lessons which are aligned to education standards for both 6-8th grade and 9-12th grade. Use this project-based learning approach as a capstone to develop a plan to support sustainable agriculture.

Lab Investigation: Biodiesel

In this laboratory students will determine the amount of energy released from biodiesel compared to other energy sources.

Let's Get Growing!

Let's Get Growing! tells the story of Iowa native Dr. Norman Borlaug, whose research developed wheat that could grow in harsh conditions and feed hungry people worldwide. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for saving billions of people from starvation. Learn about him, sing some fun songs, and tell the story of his remarkable life in this easy musical. Included are additional resource suggestions and famous Borlaug quotes. Available online from JWPepper.com, materials for purchase and download include score, recordings for rehearsal use, and piano accompaniment tracks for performance.

Lose a Million Bacteria The Game

Based on the popular TV game show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”, this activity allows students to put their food safety knowledge to the test. It reinforces safe food handling practices, promotes cooperative learning, encourages class participation, and reviews food safety in a fun, interactive way. On Day 1, students create their own evaluation questions based on what they’ve learned from the Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety video, activities, and labs. Then, on Day 2, they play the game, using the questions as an evaluation exercise.

Make Your Own Worm Bin

Vermicomposting in your classroom is an effective way to engage students with a wide variety of science concepts. This activity will show you how to make your own worm bin out of a recycled styrofoam cooler. Prepare the cooler ahead of time, and then have students add the bedding, worms, and vegetable scraps.

Making a New Apple Cultivar

Pair this activity with lessons on selective breeding. Students will identify desirable genetic traits in apples and use a coin flip to simulate the steps and time involved to breed a new cultivar of apple.

Mapping Meals Activity

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.

Modeling Selective Breeding with Starburst®

In this activity students will model the process of selective breeding using Starburst® candies to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this breeding technique.

Move 'N Around—The Nitrogen Cycle Game

This classroom game is made up of eight stations that represent different forms of nitrogen. As players move from station to station, they collect cards that represent the different forms of nitrogen they became and whether they contributed to productive or unproductive outcomes. The interactive format breaks down a complex topic into an easy-to-digest format, allowing players to see how important nitrogen is as a building block of life and how to best optimize it as a critical component of biology.

New Plant Variety Safety Evaluation Project

Students will explore data collection for a hypothetical new potato variety to be evaluated for safety. They will also use a flow chart to evaluate whether the new variety is as safe and nutritious as comparable food or if additional information is needed to make a decision.

Nutrient Supply Activity

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.

Nutrients for Life eLessons

Browse a library of elessons related to soil science. These videos are ideal for distance learning.

Pests, IPM, Poison Prevention, and You

This downloadable activity book is designed for kindergarten through fourth grade students. The activity book features four sections titled Living Organisms All Around Us, What Is a Pest, Integrated Pest Management, and Poison Prevention. Each section includes an introduction to the content, an activity for students, and helpful tips for kids and adults. The activity book can be used by educators and parents to introduce kids to these topics or to supplement existing lessons.

Planet Food Online Game

Have your students discover their own global food network by playing Planet Food—a two-part interactive game that introduces the concepts of interdependence and globalization through the geography of food. In part one, students see the ways food on their plate creates a map that criss-crosses the world. Part two will call on their critical thinking and geographic decision-making skills in an investigative journey as they consider different values and points of view while making a bar of chocolate.

Portion Size Comparison

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.

Processed Food Breakdown

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.

Prolific Pollinators

How does your food get pollinated? Pollinators are essential to agriculture and the environment. Students will learn about the various categories of pollinators and their contribution to producing agriculture commodities. Includes three activities, a math exercise, and ideas for service learning and citizen science.

Seed Ball Garden Activity

Use these instructions from KidsGardening.org to make seed balls as a fun and inexpensive way to sow native plants and flowers! Seed balls are a small collection of seeds, compost/soil, and clay. They are commonly used to revegetate areas burned by wildfires but can also be used on a smaller scale in home gardens and classrooms.

Selectively Breeding Sheep: Punnet Square Practice

This activity can be a companion to a secondary genetics lesson allowing students to practice completing Punnett Squares. Students will learn about sheep production and how sheep breeders can use the Punnett Square to predict the likelihood of lambs in their flock inheriting a disease called Spider Lamb Syndrome or SLS.

Shape, Form, and Function in the Garden

In this activity students will gather, observe, and dissect flowers before collecting flowers and other plant parts to create pressed plant art. Use this activity to integrate art and science concepts while encouraging students to explore and observe plants found in their everyday surroundings.

Show Them The Germs!

This activity helps students to understand how germs are spread and how they can prevent disease by washing their hands properly.

Skillet Toasted Squash Seeds

Seeds from winter squash are collected, cleaned, and skillet toasted for a unique and tasty snack.

Sprouting Success

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.

Supply and Demand

A simple activity that demonstrates the principles of supply and demand.

Sweet Slow Cooker Squash

Students have the opportunity to taste winter squash in the classroom with this simple slow cooker recipe.

Targeted Genome Editing

In this activity, high school students develop an understanding of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system and create an infographic (or poster or model) to demonstrate their understanding of the system.

The 12 Most Unwanted Bacteria

Students will divide into teams and select a bacterium from The 12 Most Unwanted Bacteria handout to research. Each team will create a food safety portfolio and conduct an innovative presentation. Each team will be able to recognize the foodborne illness that the bacterium causes and understand how to control that bacterium.

The Bean Game

In this game, students determine how much money to invest in their bean crop and then roll dice to determine what happens to their crop during the planting, growing, harvesting, and marketing phases. Will their farms make money this year?

The Garden Show (Musical Play)

The Garden Show is a 25-minute musical play for grades 1-5 that ties well with science curriculum. Students learn about soil, plants, photosynthesis, pollination, and garden creatures from a wild bunch of characters, including dive-bombing bees, aliens from planet Chlorophyll, and a singing compost pile.

The Great Pumpkin

This is a fun and simple activity in which students will make a paper-plate model of the life cycle of a pumpkin.

The Healthy Hop 'n Shop

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.

The Life Cycle of a Chicken

Create a colorful, egg-shaped chicken life cycle using the templates and egg tempera paint recipe provided in this activity.

The Making of a New Apple Cultivar

This high school activity introduces students to apple growing and shows them how selective breeding is used to benefit both the apple grower and consumer by producing a new and better-quality apple.

The Steaks Are High Online Game

This engaging game introduces students to the world of beef production, from the cow-calf operation to the livestock auction, stocker ranch, and feedyard. Answering math problems is the key to progressing through the game, reinforcing key mathematics standards for third- through fifth-grade students.

The Very Hungry Western Caterpillar

Based off of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, this caterpillar takes a journey through the Western United States as he eats some of the most popular agriculture commodities in each state. This book can be made individually by students or used as a classroom copy.

Tootsie Roll Conversation About Conservation Terms

In our efforts to protect the environment we sometimes confuse the terms preserve and conserve. This activity is designed to help students understand the difference between conservation, preservation, and indiscriminate use.

Trading Around the World

Play this game to experience the challenges and excitement of international trade. See if you can get the best price for the goods you sell and the biggest bargains for the goods you buy. Watch how the global economy is doing: the prices you'll be able to get and the deals you can make depend on how healthy the global economy is.

Troubled Waters

In this activity students perform an experiment on plant growth using saline water, acidic water, and alkaline water to determine the effects of water quality on plant growth.

Two Truths and a Lie

You're scrolling through social media and come across a food meme. Is this fact or fiction? Use this activity to help students debunk food and farming misconceptions. Then, put these resources to work by incorporating the agricultural themes into student research projects.

Value-adding on a Christmas Tree Farm

In this activity, students will learn how to add value to Christmas trees by making scented pillows from balsam fir needles which can be used for gifts or potentially as a fundraiser for your classroom. Older students can also calculate the potential income from selling their value-added projects.

Virtual Insect Collection Lab

Insect collections are so cool! This virtual insect collection lab allows students to participate in a virtual science experience as they learn more about insects and what they can tell us about our world.

Water Pollution Demonstration

Students will learn about the ways in which water can become polluted and why it is important to conserve water by developing a model and watching a demonstration of the pollution of a lake. This activity is a great companion to any lesson on water, conserving natural resources, pollution, etc. Students will learn about the ways in which water can become polluted and why it is important to conserve water by developing a model and watching a demonstration of the pollution of a lake.

Water Savers

Water Savers is a board game developed for grades 6-12 and designed to support a group of 2-5 students. The game introduces environmental issues and sustainable farming practices to encourage understanding of issues within students' community and/or region.

Weather Harvest Game

Farmers work with nature. Soil nutrients, planting, weed and insect control, machinery work, crop records and harvest are things farmers can control and manage. Farmers cannot control the weather. Crops may need to be planted more than once in the spring. Most crops are ready for harvest in late summer and fall but may be wiped out by a single weather event. Play the weather harvest game to see if you will be able to bring in your crop. Order this game online from agclassroomstore.com.

Weather Wisdoms

An elementary writing activity to supplement lessons on the weather. Students will learn how the folklore related to weather observation played a role in the growing of crops and raising animals many years ago.

What Do Plants Need to Grow?

This activity reviews the fundamentals required for plants to survive. This activity is best used after students have learned about a plants' basic necessities (air, water, light, and nutrients). The activity also demonstrates the many ways that humans rely on plants in everyday life.

Wheat Weaving: How to Make a Corn Dolly

Students will learn about the history of weaving with straw and make their own woven wheat ornaments, traditionally known as "corn dollies." The art of weaving with wheat stems (straw) is practically as old as wheat itself. Traditionally, corn dollies were made using the last stems of harvested grain. Wheat was most common, but oats, rye, barley, and corn were also used. The woven ornaments with the heads of grain still on the stem were hung on inside walls where they made it safely through the winter. These sacred grains were then planted the next season to ensure the fertility of the entire crop.

Wisconsin Fast Plants®

Growing Wisconsin Fast Plants in your classroom is a great activity to give life to lessons on plant growth and development, pollination, life cycles, and heredity. Fast Plants are members of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) that have been selectively bred for rapid development. In five to six weeks, these plants will complete an entire life cycle, from seed to seed. They are small, productive, and easy to grow, making them practical and manageable for classroom research and demonstration. Fast Plants of all types will show some differences between individual plants, but those with several variations (non-purple stem, yellow-green leaf) will show greater variability between individuals, an important consideration for lessons on heredity.

Book

'Til the Cows Come Home

Using a traditional Jewish folktale ('The Button Story') and setting it in the American West, the author uses cowboy language to create an engaging tale. A young cowboy, talented in making saddles and bridles, receives a sturdy piece of leather from a grateful cowpuncher. Although many of the items made from this leather eventually wear out, he is able to resurrect pieces to create various needed items throughout life.

A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar

In 1801, the proud citizens of Cheshire, Massachusetts boasted that their cheese was the very best. But then they heard the shocking news: President Jefferson was serving Norton cheese at the White House! What to do? Elder John Leland had an idea. A very large idea. If everyone worked together, they could make a cheese so large that President Jefferson would be serving Cheshire cheese at the White House for years to come. How the villagers of Cheshire create a true cheese-making miracle and transport it to the nation's capitol makes a spirited, rollicking tale. Based on a true moment in American history, this funny picture book celebrates the ingenuity and community spirit of one small New England town as it attempts to make the country's biggest cheese for the nation's greatest man.

A Chicken Followed Me Home!

What's that? A chicken followed you home? Now what do you do? Author-illustrator Robin Page leads a step-by-step, question-and-answer-style journey through the world of chickens. Along the way you'll explore different breeds, discover different types of coops, and learn everything there is to know about chicken reproduction and hatching.

A Day in the Life of a Farmer

This question and answer based children's book shows students what it's like to be a farmer. The book is illustrated with photographs of the daily tasks of a farmer and includes fun farm facts. There is also a clock on each page to represent the time of day the chore is usually done. This book is an excellent addition to a lessons about careers, reading a clock, or learning about farms and farmers.

A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds

Many seeds travel inside fruits. The fruit is like a suitcase for the seeds. It protects them on their trip. Readers will learn how fruits are designed to protect a plant's seeds and also to help the plant spread its seeds to new places.

A Gardener's Alphabet

From A-Z, the garden is depicted with spare words and striking graphics. This elementary book reinforce the letters of the alphabet and gardening simultaneously.

A Green, Green Garden

Little Critter learns that planting his own garden is a lot of fun and a lot of work. But the result—a green, green garden—is something he can cherish and enjoy.

A Handful of Dirt

This award-winning children's book teaches that the food you eat, the clothes you wear, and even the home you live in, have their origin in the soil.

A Home Run for Peanuts

Meet Jake and his loyal farm dog, Max. They live on a Georgia peanut farm and are excited to show you around. Grab a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and explore the farm through the changing seasons. Along the way, you will discover how farmers take care of their farm machinery, plant seeds, tend the crops, harvest the peanuts, and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Plus, you'll see how Jake applies lessons learned on the farm into other areas of his life—studying for tests at school, overcoming obstacles, and practicing baseball. Associated activities are available from the Georgia Peanut Commission.

A Moose Boosh: A Few Choice Words About Food

In more than 40 exuberant poems and "vandalized" photographs, you'll meet a city kid who fantasizes about farming on a stoop, a girl with crumpets and crepes in her head, and a boy with a pet cabbage. "Doctor Food" prescribes good food as medicine and "Dancing Kitchen" will have you shimmying with your skillet. From the amuse-bouche to the very last pea on the plate, A Moose Boosh celebrates food—growing it, making it, slurping it, and especially sharing it with loved ones at the dinner table. Bon appetit! Poetry is food for the soul, food is poetry for the tongue.

A New Coat for Anna

In A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert, Anna needs a new coat, but her mother has no money, and the stores are empty. The story takes place in the hard times following World War II. Anna's mother barters, directly exchanging goods or services with a sheep farmer, a spinner, a weaver, and a tailor to produce the new coat.

A Picture Book of George Washington Carver

This is the inspiring story of the pioneering African-American teacher, scientist, and artist. Carver is perhaps best known for his scientific work with peanuts and sweet potatoes (and for inventing peanut butter!). Adler tells of Carver's work at the Tuskegee Institute with Booker T. Washington, his hard childhood, and his determination to learn despite many obstacles. A man of deep faith, Carver worked throughout his life to create scientific discoveries that would improve the lives of Southerners—especially African-Americans.

A Pocketful of Goobers

There wasn't anything that George Washington Carver couldn't grow. He took the common goober—today's peanut—and created hundreds of useful products from it, turning goobers into a very profitable staple for the South. At the same time, this very special man passed on to everyone who knew him the importance of following one's own dreams.

A Seed in Need: A First Look at the Plant Cycle

A first look at the plant cycle has never been so fun. In this book a colorful parade of inquisitive insects follow the progress of a sunflower seed in their first look at the life cycle of a sunflower. This book accompanies lessons on life cycles and seeds.

A Seed is Sleepy

A Seed is Sleepy offers a beautiful and informative look at the intricate, complex, and often surprising world of seeds by introducing a fascinating array of seed and plant facts.

A Seed is the Start

Learn all about the plant cycle, from how seeds grow, the fascinating ways they travel, and what it takes for a seed to become a plant. Meet seeds that pop, hop, creep, and explode in this vividly illustrated introduction to the simplest concepts of botany. The story, which is perfect for elementary school Common Core learning, carefully highlights the many ways that seeds get from here to there, engaging children's curiosity with strong action verbs. Stunning photographs with fact-packed captions provide supporting details, explaining the role of seed features and functions in creating new generations of plants. Complete with an illustrated glossary and back matter featuring more resources, this book inspires wonder as it encourages budding botanists of all ages to look with new eyes at plants and their seeds.

A Taste of the World: What People Eat and How They Celebrate Around the Globe

Festive feasts from around the world bring people together to celebrate and share stories. A Taste of the World travels across the globe uncovering different dishes, traditions, cultures, and festivals from Egypt to Germany, Hanami in Japan, Chinese New Year, and a good old roast dinner in the UK. A Taste of the World will give you an appetite to explore.

A True Book: Corn

This book takes a thorough look at corn, providing high quality information in both text and image. It provides a comprehensive overview of types of corn and their uses, how and where corn grows, the history of corn, and the uses of corn for food and more. The text and photos describe how corn is used in both food and non-food items. A section on corn breeding and the use of corn in creating renewable fuels and biodegradable plastics is also included. The book ends with a useful glossary.

A True Book: Tomatoes

From the early cultivation of tomatoes by the Aztecs to the introduction of the tomato to Europe by the Spanish Conquistadors and modern culture today, this book provides an accurate and comprehensive look at tomatoes. The author has even depicted and described backyard, greenhouse, and large-scale tomato production. The story of processing the tomato into a variety of products is enhanced by including the rise of the Campbell Soup Company. The book ends with a useful glossary.

A True Book: Wheat

This book provides an accurate and comprehensive look at wheat. From its early cultivation thousands of years ago through today, the text and photos tell wheat's story. The book covers the planting, harvesting, and milling of wheat and ends with a useful glossary.

A Weed Is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver often said, "A weed is a flower growing in the wrong place." From humble beginnings, Carver became one of the greatest scientists in the United States. His dedication to helping his people led him to find over three hundred uses for the peanut and over one hundred uses for the sweet potato. A simple biography of the man born a slave, who became a scientist and devoted his entire life to helping the South improve its agriculture.

A Year on the Farm: with Casey & Friends

A Year on the Farm introduces children to the world of modern farming, showing the tractors, combines and other equipment used from season to season. As a companion to lessons about machines or seasons children will learn how tasks vary from season to season and how machines make farm work easier and more efficient.

A Young Shepherd

A young boy raises orphaned lambs. The text showcases that raising sheep is hard work. He makes sure the sheep get the attention they need to grow healthy and strong. It is a solid depiction of raising orphaned lambs and integrating them into a sheep herd. It also showcases how Cass keeps good records of his animals and shows them at the county fair.

Achoo! Why Pollen Counts

A picture book teaching children about pollen, the pollination process, and bees. The story follows a baby bear who is allergic to pollen. He learns how pollen is used by other insects and animals such as spiders, butterflies, honey bees, hummingbirds, and more. This book can be added as an extension for lessons about flowers and pollination to help students see additional benefits and uses of pollen.

Agricultural Drones

Farm fields can span hundreds of acres. With so much area to cover, checking crops and livestock can be difficult. But with an agricultural drone, this job becomes much simpler. Young readers will discover how drones help farmers maximize efficiencies and bring abundant harvests.

Agricultural Inventions: At the Top of the Field

Historically, farming was an exhausting, physical task. Bright-minded individuals revolutionized agriculture with inventions that eased tasks and sped up production. The invention of milestone machines, such as Eli Whitney's cotton gin, are explored chronologically.

Agricultural Research Magazine

A scientific magazine with articles generally written in an 'easy-to-understand' fashion. Recommended for secondary science and agricultural educators who are looking to enhance their curriculum with the most recent agricultural research. View the current issue or the archives be visiting the website.

Agronomy - Grow with It!

Agronomy Grow with It! explores the science of agriculture. Agronomy is the science we use to grow the crops that feed us, feed our livestock, and even fuel our cars. It's a science that tackles the big challenge of our future: How can we grow enough food to end world hunger and, at the same time, adapt to a changing climate and protect our environment? This book introduces you to 20 real agronomists who face that challenge every day.

Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious

Chef Alice Waters has always been friends with food. The search for good food led Alice Waters to France, and then back to Berkeley, California, where she started Chez Panisse restaurant and the Edible Schoolyard. For Alice, a delicious meal does not start in the kitchen, but in the fields with good soil and caring farmers.

All in Just One Cookie

This book takes students on a world-wide exploration to find the source of each of the ingredients used to make chocolate chip cookies. "Visit" a dairy farm for the milk to make butter, Madagascar to find vanilla beans, and even a mine for baking soda and salt.

Amara's Farm

Amara is hosting a potluck for friends on her farm, and her snacks won't be complete without pumpkins. She's searched and searched, but she's grown so many plants that she needs help finding them. What do we know about pumpkins? They're large, round, and orange—and, wait a minute, is that a pumpkin? No, that's an apple. Where, oh where could those pumpkins be?

Amazing Grazing

Visit 3 Montana ranches and learn how ranchers manage grasslands and balance livestock grazing to maintain a healthy and balanced rangeland. This elementary-level book contains many photographs and explains why cattle grazing is beneficial for land and water, and improves habitat for birds, plants and other animals.

Amazing Plant Powers: How Plants Fly, Fight, Hide, Hunt, & Change the World

How do plants survive when they can't run away from danger? Plants can live in diverse places such as under water, in deserts, cold climates, high elevations or even on other plants. They must contend with storms, fire, poor soils, and hungry animals and insects. Fortunately plants can grow from spores, seeds, or vegetatively and often get a helping hand from people. Plants are cultivated to provide fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and fibers such as cotton as well as for wood, paper, and many other products. The book concludes by noting a few of the habitats plants help create such as forests, prairies, and marshes as the comical plant characters conclude that they do indeed have amazing powers. Several related activities are listed such as a plant power scavenger hunt, a writing prompt: My Plant Power, and a kitchen scrap garden.

Amelia's Road

Amelia Luisa Martinez hates roads. Los caminos, the roads, take her migrant worker family to fields where they labor all day, to schools where no one knows Amelia's name, and to bleak cabins that are not home. Amelia longs for a beautiful white house with a fine shade tree in the yard, where she can live without worrying about los caminos again. Then one day, Amelia discovers an "accidental road." At its end she finds an amazing old tree reminiscent of the one in her dreams. Its stately sense of permanence inspires her to put her own roots down in a very special way. The richly colored illustrations bring to life the landscape of California's Central Valley farmland. Amelia's Road is an inspirational tale about the importance of home.

An Apple Tree Through the Year

While tracing the development of an apple tree from bud to fruit, Schnieper highlights the progress of an apple tree through the four seasons. The book provides an overview of life in an orchard. Beautiful full-color photos and black-and-white line drawings highlight and elucidate the text. An excellent explanation of grafting is also included.

An Orange in January

From blossom to the hands of a child, an orange is seemingly bursting with sunshine even on the coldest of January days. An Orange in January is a story about a child who shares his juicy orange segments on a cold day and feels the sunshine it brings to all.

Ancient Agriculture

This book shows the progression of technology through history as human civilizations progressed from foraging to farming. Agriculture enabled humans to stop wandering from place to place to find food. This chapter book includes text as well as photographs and reproductions to illustrate the implementation of agriculture in our daily lives.

And the Good Brown Earth

Gram and Joe love to spend time together taking care of the vegetable patch, but it takes a lot of patience. There's digging time, planting time, weeding time, watering time, even thinking time. Meanwhile, the seasons change, and while Gram does things her way, Joe does things his way. But come harvest, each will find wondrous surprises, thanks to the benevolence of the good brown earth.

Anno's Magic Seeds

A boy experiences a cycle of mathematical progression in his plant harvest after a wizard offers him 2 seeds.

Anywhere Farm

You might think a farm means fields, tractors, and a barnyard full of animals. But you can plant a farm anywhere you like! A box or a bucket, a boot or a pan—almost anything can be turned into a home for green, growing things. Windows, balconies, and front steps all make wonderful spots to start. Who knows what plants you may choose to grow and who will come to see your new garden? After all, anywhere can be a farm—all it takes is one small seed and someone to plant it.

Apples

This book teaches all about apples. Students will learn how and when apples were brought to America, about Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), where apples grow, names of basic varieties of apples, the parts of an apple, about pollination of apple blossoms, the lifecycle of the apple tree, and the many culinary uses for apples.

Apples

Today, the average American consumes about sixty-five fresh apples each year. Where do so many apples come from? How do they grow? This book takes young readers on a field trip to the apple orchard to find out how apple growers produce the many different varieties of America's favorite fruit. Recipes, trivia, and fun facts included.

Apples for Everyone

This picture book comes from National Geographic's Picture the Seasons series. Beautiful photographs illustrate apple trees in bloom, bees visiting apple flowers, a variety of apples, and apple trees heavy with fruit in the fall.

Apples to Oregon

A pioneer father transports his beloved fruit trees and his family to Oregon in the mid-nineteenth century. Based loosely on the life of Henderson Luelling. The slightly true narrative of how a brave pioneer father brought apples, pears, plums, grapes, and cherries (and children) across the plains.

Applesauce Day

Maria and her family visit an apple orchard and pick apples in preparation to turn the apples into applesauce! Every year they use the special pot that has been in the family for generations to make applesauce. First they wash the apples. Then Grandma cuts them into quarters. Follow each step in the process as everyone helps to make delicious applesauce!

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush

Alongside his grandpa, a young boy shares the tasks involved in making maple syrup the old-fashioned way. From tapping the trees to boiling the sap, the two spend many hours working side by side in the woods. Their reward is a delicious breakfast of pancakes and the best syrup in the whole world.

Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic

Auntie Yang starts an enduring picnic tradition when she discovers soybeans, a dearly-missed food from China, growing in Illinois. The picnic tradition quickly grows into an annual community celebration. Based on actual events, this story can be used to teach about soybeans, immigration, diversity, culture, and community. The book includes some simple Chinese words defined in a glossary at the back as well as additional information about the people who inspired the story and additional information about soybeans.

Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close

Welcome to the fascinating world of your own backyard, where more than 125 bugs, worms, and small critters play out the drama of life in miniature. Seven life-size, backyard environments from the soil to the vegetable garden to the air above are vividly depicted in enticingly lush photographic scenes. Scenes are followed by informational spreads which identify all the animals pictured and relate intriguing facts about survival in each environment. The book includes natural science projects, essential safety information, and an inviting 'visual index' for easy reference.

Bananas!

Sure, you know bananas are good for you, but how good exactly? Ounce for ounce, a banana is even more nutritious than an apple. If you want to keep the doctor away, try a banana. And there is so much more to learn about bananas. From their early roots in Southeast Asia to their introduction to Americans at the 1876 United States Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia alongside Alexander Graham Bell's new invention, the telephone, bananas have a very auspicious history. Bananas are now shipped (very carefully) all over the world. After reading this book, you won't think of bananas as just a quick, easy snack anymore.

Barn

Read the story of a New England barn that was raised in the 18th century. The Barn is a tale of change over time. It tells the story of life in many generations and different cultures. The story is told from the Barn's voice. The text shows how communities, cities, and people adapt to changes in the land and technology.

Barn at Night

When you grow up on a farm, adventures happen all day long—even at night! On a cold winter evening, a father and daughter go out to the barn and are welcomed with a warm scene. Who is awake, who is asleep, and who is just making their first appearance in the barn?

Bea's Bees

Beatrix discovers a wild bumblebee nest on her way home from school and finds herself drawn to their busy world. When her bees mysteriously disappear, Bea hatches a plan to bring them back. Can Bea inspire her school and community to save the bees? Bees provide us with valuable resources, and some types of bees are in danger of disappearing forever. But ordinary people (and kids!) can help save them. Filled with fascinating facts about bumblebees and ideas to help preserve their environment, Bea's Bees encourages kids to help protect bees and other pollinators.

Beatrice's Goat

Page McBrier and Lori Lohstoeter beautifully recount the true story of Beatrice, a young girl from Uganda, Africa who longs to go to school more than anything else. Unfortunately, only children who can afford uniforms and books can go to school, and with five other brothers and sisters, Beatrice knows that her family is much too poor. But then Beatrice receives a wonderful gift: a goat that will give milk that she can sell. Thanks to Heifer Project International - a charitable organization that donates livestock to poor communities around the world - Beatrice and other families like hers will have a chance to change their lives. Book based on a true story.

Beekeepers

This is a story of a young girl who helps her grandpa tend to his beehives so he can pass the legacy of being a beekeeper on to her. The book has soft oil paintings and simple illustrations which leave readers with a warm feeling of a shared experience between grandfather and granddaughter. However, it does not provide a great deal of information about bees.

Bees and Wasps

Bees and Wasps is a 32-page book filled with color photographs and illustrations. Learn about their lifecycle and the varieties of bees and wasps that pollinate flowers and make honey. You will also learn about the organization of beehives, the roles of each bee, and how they all work together to make honey and pollinate flowers.

Big Book of Big Tractors

Big Book of Big Tractors is a large, full color book that gets even bigger with it's fold out pages. Students will learn the names of many machines and implements used on the farms that grow and harvest their food. How do machines dig in the soil and plant seeds? What kind of tools make physical labor on a farm easier by lifting heavy objects or performing the work of many people? How do machines harvest grains, hay, cotton, and other agricultural products? How are tractors and large machines used off the farm? These questions and more are answered and can serve as a companion to lessons about machines, harvesting, and engineering (STEM).

Big Tractors: with Casey & Friends

Big Tractors introduces children to the world of modern farming, showing how the biggest, most powerful tractors handle the demanding jobs of pulling and powering on the farm. This book is filled with colorful action photography, fun illustrations and a cast of cartoon equipment characters. As a companion to lessons on tools and machines, students can follow the timeline of the tractor from the time of using horses to pull equipment to the present-day use of tractors to perform work.

Big Yellow Sunflower

This title unfolds each stage in the life cycle of a sunflower, from seed to seedling to fully grown plant. It features a shaped cover and petal-like pages that open one by one to create a big sunflower and includes information on how to grow sunflowers at home.

Black Storm Comin'

Wanted: Young skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. When Colton Westcott sees this sign for the Pony Express, he thinks he has the solution to his problems. He's stuck with his ma and two younger sisters on the wrong side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with no way to get across. They were on the wagon train heading to California when Pa accidentally shot Colton and then galloped away. Ma is sick, and Colton needs money to pay the doctor. He'd make good money as a Pony rider. He also needs to get to California to deliver freedom papers to Ma's sister, a runaway slave. The Pony Express could get him there too...

Blueberries for Sal

Sal and her mother are picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter. Meanwhile, Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one? With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948.

Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs

Sheep need protection from predators. Guardian dogs are used to protect the flocks from danger. This book provides a good introduction for how these animals are used in agriculture. Students will enjoy seeing the bond that these animals share. A good text for introducing how ranchers deal with predators and protection of their animals.

Bread Comes to Life

This book tells the story and includes photographs depicting the process of planting and growing wheat, processing it into flour, and then baking it into bread.

Bread Lab!

It's a sleepy Saturday morning for most people, but not for Iris, who has to feed her many pets before Aunt Mary arrives. Iris likes to call Aunt Mary "Plant Mary" because she is a plant scientist. Today Aunt Mary wants to experiment with making whole wheat sourdough bread from scratch! As the family kitchen transforms into a bread lab, Iris is surprised that bread needs only four ingredients—flour, water, salt, and starter. She also learns about the invisible microbes that make the dough rise, and how flour comes from wheat grown by farmers. It all seems magical, but it's really science.

Bread is for Eating

A bilingual, rhythmic celebration of bread, from farmer to baker. This playful, English-Spanish children's book traces the process and production of traditional South American bread making from harvest, to crafting, to packaging, and its sale on the market.

Bread, Bread, Bread

Bread is a food enjoyed by people in all parts of the world. Its many shapes, sizes, textures, and colors are as varied as the people who eat it. This photographic round-the-world tour provides a glimpse into the rich variety of world cultures, as well as an informative look at an important food.

Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie

From the whippoorwill's call on the first day of spring through the first snowfall, Edna and members of her family gather fruits, berries, and vegetables from the fields, garden and orchard on their Virginia farm and turn them into wonderful meals. Includes facts about the life of Edna Lewis, a descendant of slaves who grew up to be a famous chef.

Buzzing With Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner

Can spiders learn? How do ants find their way home? Can bugs see color? All of these questions buzzed endlessly in Charles Henry Turner's mind. He was fascinated by plants and animals and bugs. And even when he faced racial prejudice, Turner did not stop wondering. He constantly read, researched, and experimented.

Calling the Doves

Poet Juan Felipe Herrera's bilingual memoir paints a vivid picture of his migrant farmworker childhood. In delightful and lyrical language, he recreates the joy of eating breakfast under the open sky, listening to Mexican songs in the little trailer house his father built, and celebrating with other families at a fiesta in the mountains. He remembers his mother singing songs and reciting poetry, and his father telling stories and calling the doves.

Careers in Agriculture

A secondary level e-book designed as a guide for students and young people considering their career opportunities by presenting them with a current, in-depth, thorough, and real view of the agricultural industry. Each page is equipped with interactive links to videos, further reading, and more.

Carlos and the Cornfield

This dual-language (Spanish and English) book tells the story of Carlos whose father offers him a little money if he will help plant the family's corn field. Carlos takes a shortcut but feels guilty and learns the meaning of the phrase 'cosechas lo que siembras'--you reap what you sow. This engaging story illustrates the simple life of a farming family and underscores the importance of hard work and honesty.

Carrots Grow Underground

Part of the How Fruits and Vegetables Grow set, this title highlights the life cycle of a carrot and gives examples of other plant-based foods that grow underground. Designed for early readers, the book includes a list of additional resources and a glossary.

Casper Jaggi: Master Swiss Cheese Maker

Have you ever wondered why Swiss cheese has holes? You'll find out in this story about a Swiss cheese maker named Casper Jaggi. Casper Jaggi was only six years old when his father taught him how to make cheese in the Swiss Alps. In 1913, Jaggi left Switzerland in search of new opportunities in the United States. Like many other Swiss, he settled in Green County, Wisconsin, where the rolling hills dotted with grazing cows reminded him of home. And soon, he'd be turning cow's milk into cheese, just as he did in Switzerland. The book opens the doors to Jaggi's Brodhead Swiss Cheese Factory—largest factory of its kind in Wisconsin in the 1950s. Archival photos help illustrate, step-by-step, the process Jaggi and his workers followed to transform 2,000 pounds of milk in a copper kettle into a 200-pound wheel of Swiss cheese. Jaggi was one of the many European immigrants who helped establish Wisconsin's reputation for delicious cheese. The Artisan cheese makers crafting award-winning cheeses today are continuing this rich tradition in America's Dairyland.

Cattle Kids: A Year On the Western Trail

This book is a fun photo essay teaching young readers about the life of kids on a cattle ranch. They will meet girls and boys who help on their family's cattle ranches and take part in many aspects of the ranch. Students will enjoy looking at the important jobs performed by other children their age and making comparisons to their own chores. The book provides an accurate look at western cattle ranching.

Century Farm

This 32 page book includes pictures and text to describe and illustrate life on a 100 year old farm. "Century Farm" is the story of the Peterson farm as it was and how it has changed through the years.

Charlie Needs a Cloak

A shepherd shears his sheep, cards and spins the wool, weaves and dyes the cloth, and sews a beautiful new red cloak for himself.

Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix

Chef Roy Choi calls himself a "street cook." He wants outsiders, low-riders, kids, teens, shufflers and skateboarders to have food cooked with care, with love, with sohn maash. "Sohn maash" is the flavors in our fingertips. It is the love and cooking talent that Korean mothers and grandmothers mix into their handmade foods. For Chef Roy Choi, food means love. It also means culture, not only of Korea where he was born, but the many cultures that make up the streets of Los Angeles, where he was raised. So remixing food from the streets, just like good music—and serving it up from a truck—is true to L.A. food culture. People smiled and talked as they waited in line. Won't you join him as he makes good food smiles?

Chick Life Cycle

Learn all about a chick's life cycle in this book for young students. Simple text and clear pictures make it fun to learn about different chicken breeds, the parts of a chicken, how the chick embryo develops, and how a baby chick grows into a mature hen that can lay its own eggs.

Chickenology

Chickenology takes young readers on a fascinating and informative tour of chickens. With a playful tone and irresistibly charming illustrations, this lively visual encyclopedia presents chickens in all of their feathered glory. Discover the incredible variety of chickens with different origins, breeds, and feather patterns. Learn incredible facts: did you know that chickens can learn to count up to four and have excellent hearing? Many even like to listen to music!

Chickens on the Farm

This book for grades K-3 explores the importance of chickens in agriculture. Colorful photographs illustrate how farmers care for chickens, and fun facts are included throughout. Students will learn that there are more than 16 billion chickens on Earth, that poultry is another name for farm birds that people raise for meat and eggs, and much more.

Chicks & Chickens

Chicks & Chickens illustrates and teaches about the production of eggs. You will learn how eggs are produced for human consumption and how fertilized eggs develop into embryos and grow to be fuzzy baby chicks. Readers will also learn about various chicken breeds, behaviors and terms.

Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp

This highly readable portrait is about the Okies driven to California by the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s and the formidable hardships they faced. The desperation of their lives in the Midwest is described and then we follow the Okes on their trek across the western United States to the promise of work in California, where their hopes are dashed. Weedpatch Camp is the farm-labor camp built by the federal government, that educator Leo Hart creates a federal emergency school. The book includes period black and white photographs depicting the hardships and the school.

Christmas Farm

When Wilma decides her garden needs a new beginning, she gathers all her supplies and sixty-two dozen balsam seedlings to start a Christmas tree farm. Follow Wilma and Parker, her five-year-old neighbor, year after year as they nurture their trees, keeping careful count of how many they plant, how many perish, and how many grow to become fine, full Christmas trees. A great holiday read-aloud for the month of December.

Christmas Tree Book

While picking out their Christmas tree, a couple of curious kids start to wonder where Christmas trees came from. Who invented the first one? How did they become so popular? And how have they changed over the years? This book tells you everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas trees—and everything you never even thought to wonder about.

Chuck's Ice Cream Wish (Tales of the Dairy Godmother)

With the help of his Dairy Godmother, Chuck is taken—poof!—on a memorable and delicious adventure to a dairy farm. He finds out exactly where ice cream comes from and gains an even deeper love and appreciation for his favorite food.

City Green

Right in the middle of Marcy's city block is a vacant lot, littered and forlorn. Sometimes just looking at it makes Marcy feel sad. Then one spring, Marcy has a wonderful idea: instead of a useless lot, why not a green and growing space for everyone to enjoy? With her warm, hopeful text and inviting illustrations, DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan shows how a whole neighborhood blossoms when people join together and get involved.

Clarabelle

By featuring a single cow (Clarabelle) and her calf on a large, modern-day Wisconsin dairy farm, Peterson describes all the latest technology that enables farmers to create energy and other by-products from their herds. And yet none of the modern-day machinery matches the miracle of production that is the cow herself. Vibrant, close-up photographs capture Clarabelle with her herdmates and her newborn calf as well as the family members of Norswiss Farm who live and work together.

Clothing and Jewelry

A celebration of cultural differences, this beautifully illustrated book gives young readers a fascinating look at the clothes and jewelry of other people around the world. Use this book to discuss where clothes come from and how agriculture supplies a variety of fibers.

Combines: with Casey & Friends

Combines introduces children to the world of modern farm equipment- showing how the most complex machines on the farm work to harvest crops. This book is filled with colorful action photographs, fun illustrations and a cast of cartoon equipment characters. Students can follow the timeline of harvesting equipment from the sickle to the mechanical reaper, international harvester, and eventually the modern-day combine. As a companion to lessons on grain crops such as corn and wheat, students will learn the process of harvesting these crops.

Compost Stew

From apple cores to zinnia heads, readers will discover the best ingredients for a successful compost pile. How do you start a compost pile? What's safe to include? This book provides the answers.

Compost by Gosh!

An entertaining children's book designed to inform young readers/listeners about worms, composting, and soil nutrients. It uses Dr. Seuss like poetry and child-like illustrations to explain the process.

Composting: Nature's Recyclers

Dead leaves, food scraps, and grass clippings for lunch? Small animals, fungi, and bacteria called decomposers turn trash into a tasty compost treat. Learn more about compost and how you can use it in your garden or yard.

Corn

Perennial nonfiction favorite Gail Gibbons turns her spotlight on corn. Popcorn, corn on the cob, corn dogs, cornflakes - corn is used in many children's favorite foods. This book offers a cornucopia of information about the history of corn as well as details concerning planting, cultivation, harvesting, and its many uses.

Cotton Now & Then: Fabric-Making from Boll to Bolt

The text and illustrations follow the process of fabric-making from boll to bolt. This book is a great introduction to cotton processing.

Cucumber Soup

All the insects in the garden, from ten little black ants down to one tiny flea, get involved in moving a fallen cucumber. Includes a recipe for cucumber soup and factual information about the insects in the story.

Daisy Comes Home

This is the story of six hens in China. Cared for by the young Mei Mei, the hens lay eggs for selling at the market. But one hen, Daisy, is not so happy. Picked at and plucked by the others, she is ousted from the clan and ends up taking a serendipitous adventure. When Mei Mei finally brings her back home, Daisy uses her newly learned skills to stave off the mean hens and gain a rightful spot on the perch. This engaging tale can be used to introduce any lesson involving chickens.

Diary of a Worm

Written in diary form, students will learn about life from the perspective of a worm. The book teaches about the role worms play in our soil and uses fun and comical observations of a worm.

Dirt: The Scoop on Soil

This 24-page book discusses the nature of soil as well as it's uses. It is a great resource to teach students about soil, it's many forms, and the life that it supports.

Down on the Farm: Pigs

From the "Down on the Farm" series, Pigs, will teach why pigs are raised on farms and various other facts about their life cycle, how pigs communicate, size, and by-products that come from pigs. You will also learn about breeds of swine around the world.

Dust Bowl Diary

This is the diary of a young girl and includes her true account of the dust bowl. The book provides details and some humor. It would be great literature to accompany "Grapes of Wrath' or a class studying the dust bowl years in American History.

EIEIO: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm

Once upon a time, Old MacDonald didn't have a farm. He just had a yard—a yard he didn't want to mow. But under the direction of the wise Little Red Hen, Mac learns to look at the environment in a very different way, and whole new worlds start to bloom with the help of some mud, garbage, horse poop, and worms!

Eating Fractions

Food is cut into halves, thirds, and fourths to illustrate how parts make a whole. Enjoy a photographic feast of fractions as two playful youngsters eat their way through.

Eating the Alphabet

An alphabetical tour of the world of fruit and vegetables from apricot and artichoke to yam and zucchini.

Eating the Plates

A fascinating slice of American history, Eating the Plates describes the customs, manners, and eating habits of the Pilgrims. From the hardships of the settlers' first years in the wilderness, to their eventual success in farming and hunting, the reader is immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of life in Plymouth. The evolution of diet in early America is a subject that should appeal to students; the glimpses of Pilgrim manners and home life are sure to amuse. Ten tasty, simple recipes provide directions for a full meal.

El Chef Roy Choi y su Remix de la Comida Callejera (Spanish Edition)

Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin

This graphic novel tells the story of how Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, and the effects it had on the Southern United States.

Energy Island

Hold onto your hats! It's windy on the Danish island of Samsø. Meet the environmentally friendly people who now proudly call their home Energy Island. At a time when most countries are producing ever-increasing amounts of CO₂, the rather ordinary citizens of Samsø have accomplished something extraordinary—in just ten years, they have reduced their carbon emissions by 140% and become almost completely energy independent. A narrative tale and a science book in one, this inspiring true story proves that with a little hard work and a big idea, anyone can make a huge step toward energy conservation.

Erosion: How Hugh Bennett Saved America's Soil and Ended the Dust Bowl

When the dust storms of the 1930s threatened to destroy U.S. farming and agriculture, Hugh Bennett knew what to do. For decades, he had studied the soils in every state, creating maps showing soil composition nationwide. He knew what should be grown in each area, and how to manage the land to conserve the soil. He knew what to do for weathering and erosion. To do that, he needed the government's help. But how do you convince politicians that the soil needs help? Hugh Bennett knew what to do. He waited for the wind. This is the exciting story of a soil scientist confronting politicians to encourage them to pass a law to protect the land, the soil. When the U.S. Congress passed a law establishing the Soil Conservation Service, it was the first government agency in the world dedicated to protecting the land, to protecting the Earth.

Esperanza Rising

Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances—because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.

Everybody Bakes Bread

On a rainy Saturday, what is better to do than to bake bread? Carrie and her brother bicker so much that their mother sends Carrie on a fool's errand to borrow a rolling pin. Each house she stops at a new kind of bread is offered to her and by the time she returns home the bread is ready at her house. This tummy warming story is both informational and fun for families to enjoy together as each new kind of bread represents a household of a different culture.

Everybody Cooks Rice

Carrie goes from one neighbor's house to the next looking for her brother, who is late for dinner. Each family invites her to taste what they are cooking. She discovers that although each family is from a different country, 'everybody cooks rice.'

Extra Cheese, Please!

When Annabelle gives birth to her calf, she also begins to produce milk. The milk is then processed into cheese, and from the cheese, pizza is made. An excellent nonfiction look at milk production.

Farm

This beautifully illustrated and descriptive book gives students insight to farm life through the seasons. Farmers plant, harvest, and store crops using a variety of farm machinery. The children living on the farm help plant a vegetable garden and feed the cows and chickens. Some of the harsh realities of farm life are honestly depicted--weather challenges, hard work, and a rooster that disappears (fox?). The story's farm animals and children will capture the attention of students as they explore life on a farm.

Farm Animals

Farm Animals is a 32-page book filled with facts to learn about many types of farms and the animals that live there. The book includes real-life pictures and color illustrations. In addition to the text, each page includes a fun fact. Readers will learn why traditional farm animals such as beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs are kept on farms. They will also learn why specialty farms raise ducks, geese, fish, and ostriches.

Farm Animals: Chickens

Learn all about chickens, from how they sleep to what they eat. This easy to read, factual book will answer all your questions about chickens. A complete table of contents, glossary, and index make this book easy to use.

Farm Animals: Sheep

How do farmers keep sheep healthy? Find the answers to this and many other questions about sheep in this informative 32-page book. Fabulous photos illustrate various aspects of sheep farming, and make the book easy and fun for children to read. Includes table of contents, glossary, and index.

Farm Boots

Grab your boots, it's time to explore life on a farm! In joyful verse, follow a diverse cast of families as they work together to care for crops and animals on their farms through spring, summer, fall, and winter. Follow farming families as they work and play in boots, all year long. Whether its springtime puddle-splashing, riding at the summer fair, or herding sheep into the barn in winter, there's a type of boot for every kind of weather and activity. Each season brings adorable farm animals, farming equipment, and of course boots in this exploration of farm and country life.

Farm Crops

This book provides a detailed overview of how farmers grow crops, exploring topics like why soil is important, what a grain crop is, how farmers grow fruits and nuts on trees, and how farmers pick crops. Important vocabulary words are highlighted and defined in a glossary at the end.

Farmer George Plants a Nation

A very accurate account of the contributions of George Washington. In addition to being a general and one of the first presidents of the United states, he also made contributions to agriculture. He had a self-sufficient farm in Mount Vernon, Virginia. The book includes actual excerpts from Washington's writings, a timeline, resource section, and essays on his thoughts on slavery.

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table

Will Allen is no ordinary farmer. A former basketball star, he's as tall as a truck, and he can hold a cabbage—or a basketball—in one hand. But what is most special about Farmer Will is that he can see what others can't see. When he looked at an abandoned city lot in Milwaukee, he saw a huge table, big enough to feed the whole world. No space? No problem. Poor soil? There's a solution. Need help? Found it. Farmer Will is a genius in solving problems. Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells the inspiring story of an innovator, educator, and community leader.

Farmers Market

Rise and shine it is market day! This book was developed with fresh vegetables and fruits in mind! The story recounts a family trip to the farmers market through the eyes of a small girl. The setting is southwestern as is the scenery.

Farming

Each season in this book brings to life a new chore or activity on the farm. Farming shows real-life activities and chores on a farm that produces crops and food.

Farms Feed the World

A simple introduction to the beauty and variety of farms from a wheat field in Montana to a rice paddy in Indonesia to the harvesting of seaweed from the ocean, to corn, pigs, and wool on farms around the world. Through simple text and stunning photographs, this book shows how farmers provide the world with food and fiber.

Feast for 10

Count from one to ten and then count again. What does it take to make a feast for ten hungry people? First, there's shopping, then there's cooking, and setting the table. Everyone in the family helps, and as fast as you can count to ten, the feasting begins.

Feasts and Festivals Around the World

Explore the celebrations and feasts of twelve countries and cultures from around the world! From South Korea to Nigeria to the USA, come celebrate festivals throughout the year! People around the world are celebrating. In Australia, it's Christmas in summer with barbecues on the beach. In Thailand, they're celebrating Songkran, the famous Buddhist water festival. Rhyming text and graphic illustrations pair perfectly and invite young readers to explore the world through mesmerizing festivals.

First Apple

In this autobiographical novel set in the 1940s, the author tells of her childhood in China and her dream to buy a special gift for her grandmother's birthday--an apple, a fruit that is precious and rare in her part of mainland China. The child's voice and the intensity of her desire to do something for her grandmother, who has raised her from early childhood, are very real. This first novel by a Chinese immigrant is poignant, memorable, and presented in a format that is accessible to readers at the chapter book level and beyond.

First Day in Grapes

All year long Chico and his family move up and down the state of California picking fruits and vegetables. Every September they pick grapes and Chico starts at a new school again. Often other children pick on him—maybe because he is always new or maybe because he speaks Spanish sometimes. Chico's first day in third grade turns out to be different. His teacher likes him right away, and she and his classmates are quick to recognize his excellent math skills. He may even get to go to the math fair! When the fourth-grade bullies confront Chico in the lunchroom, he responds wisely with strengths of his own.

First Garden

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.

First Peas to the Table

A fun work of fiction in which a girl competes in a classroom garden competition to see who can get the 'first peas to the table.' Based on the contest that Thomas Jefferson held with his friends and neighbors every year, this book seamlessly integrates school gardens, history, botany, and seasonal weather themes into one fun-to-read book. Teachers may even consider modeling a classroom science project after the one featured in this book.

Flight of the Honey Bee

This colorfully illustrated book follows a honey bee as she leaves the hive to search for pollen and nectar. The bee uses her senses of sight and smell to find flowers and to remember the way back. She pollinates flowers while collecting pollen and nectar to bring back to the hive. Interesting facts about bees are given alongside the story of the honey bee called Scout.

Flower Garden

Filled with excitement, a city girl and her father pick out a wonderful assortment of flowers, carry them home, and, sitting on newspaper, lovingly transplant them to a window box as a birthday surprise for Mom.

Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town

When Dede sees a notice offering land to black people in Kansas, her family decides to give up their life of sharecropping to become homesteading pioneers in the Midwest. Inspired by the true story of Nicodemus, Kansas, a town founded in the late 1870s by Exodusters—former slaves leaving the Jim Crow South in search of a new beginning—this fictional story follows Dede and her parents as they set out to stake and secure a claim, finally allowing them to have a home to call their own.

Food

This book traces the production of food from the farm to our fork. Readers learn where fruits and vegetables grow, visit a dairy where milk is produced, learn about eggs and meat which come from animals, and see how wheat is processed into flour to bake cakes or make pasta.

Food: How We Hunt and Gather It...

Author Milton Meltzer deals with these and other questions as he shows how food and the search for it has been a powerful force in shaping the world's history. He shows us how food has had a great influence on population and its growth or decline, on the rise of cities, on the expansion of trade, on economic and political thought, as well as on wars and revolutions. This book contains a series of entertaining essays, each of which is designed to elucidate another aspect of his topic. A great reference book for teachers and students.

Four Seasons of Corn: A Winnebago Tradition

Many Native Americans regard corn as a gift, a food with sacred value. The Winnebago, or Hochunk people, tell a story about a clan leader who saw a spirit called Corn Person in a dream. Corn Person showed the man how to plant, grow, and preserve corn so his people would have food to eat all year. In this photographic essay, twelve-year-old Russell learns the traditions of corn from his grandfather, who is from the Winnebago reservation in Nebraska.

Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers' Market

This collection of poems takes young readers to a day at an urban farmers' market. Who to see, what to eat, and how produce is grown—it's all so exciting, fresh, and delicious. Readers are invited to peruse the stands and inspect vendors' wares with poems like "Farmer Greg's Free-Range Eggs," "Summer Checklist," and "Necessary Mess."

From Apple Trees to Cider, Please!

Grab the wagon, it's a bright autumn day and the trees are full of ripe, red apples! There's an apple festival underway at the farm and lots of work to do making cider. The visit finishes with a cider doughnut and a cup of freshly pressed cider. DELICIOUS! Told in crisp, action-driven rhymes from a young child's point of view, From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! is a realistic account of how apple cider is pressed, flavored with the charm and vigor of a harvest celebration.

From Apples to Applesauce

This book describes apple production, following the process from farm to the table. Fun facts about apples and their production, processing, packaging, and distribution are provided throughout.

From Cane to Sugar

This book illustrates the production of sugar, following the process from the farms where sugarcane is grown to the factories where the sugar is extracted to the stores where the sugar is sold.

From Egg to Chicken

This title explains how an egg grows into a chicken in a clear and organized manner, beginning with a hen laying eggs, then following the hatching of the eggs and care of the chicks, and ending with a graphic summary of the life cycle of a chicken.

From Peanut to Peanut Butter

Follow the production path of peanut butter from the planting of the seed to the manufacturing of peanut butter!

From Seed to Pumpkin

This Stage 1, Let's-Read-and-Find-Out book shows young students how a pumpkin plant grows. The text clearly presents how the plant develops from seed to mature pumpkin as well as how it obtains and distributes water and nutrients. Three children join a farmer as he plants pumpkin seeds, waters them, and observes the plants as they grow. The last two pages give instructions for two activities, "Roasted Pumpkin Seeds" and "How Plants Drink Water." This is an excellent introduction to plant development in general and pumpkins in particular.

From Sheep to Sweater

This book comes from the "Start to Finish" series. It outlines the steps and process of how wool is taken from a sheep to make a sweater.

From Start to Finish Series

Books from this series teach how objects are made, how nature's cycles work, and how food is produced—from start to finish. Suitable for both struggling and on-level readers, these titles teach science concepts as well as sequential thinking. These books are an excellent supplement to lessons teaching elementary students about the importance of agriculture and how food and fiber gets from the farm to their home.

From Wheat to Bread

Provides an introduction to the basic concepts of food production, distribution, and consumption by tracing the production of bread from wheat.

Fruit Bowl

All the fruits are in the bowl. There's Apple and Orange. Strawberry and Peach. Plum and Pear. And, of course, Tomato. Now wait just a minute! Tomatoes aren't fruit! Or are they? Using sly science (and some wisdom from a wise old raisin), Tomato proves all the fruit wrong and shows that he belongs in the bowl just as much as the next blueberry! And he's bringing some unexpected friends too!

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

Told in lively and powerful verse, this book is an ode to fry bread and Native American culture that captures the deep meaning and cultural importance of traditional foods. The book includes a family recipe for fry bread.

Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car

With a mind for ingenuity, Henry Ford looked to improve life for others. After the Great Depression struck, Ford especially wanted to support ailing farmers. For two years, Ford and his team researched ways to use farmers' crops in his Ford Motor Company. They discovered that the soybean was the perfect answer. Soon, Ford's cars contained many soybean plastic parts, and Ford incorporated soybeans into every part of his life. He ate soybeans, he wore clothes made of soybean fabric, and he wanted to drive soybeans, too.

Gathering the Sun

In simple words and sun-drenched paintings, Alma Flor Ada and Simón Silva take us into the fields and orchards, and into the lives of the people who work them. Simple poems in Spanish and English, one for each letter of the Spanish alphabet, describe the wonder of the vegetable and fruit farms. Together, the poems and rich illustrations celebrate the glory of nature and the hearts of all who dedicate their lives to working the land.

George Crum and the Saratoga Chip

Growing up in the 1830s in Saratoga Springs, New York isn't easy for George Crum. Picked on at school because of the color of his skin, George escapes into his favorite pastimes—hunting and fishing. Soon George learns to cook too, and as a young man he lands a job as a chef at the fancy Moon's Lake House. George loves his work, except for the fussy customers, who are always complaining! One hot day, George's patience boils over and he cooks up a potato dish so unique it changes his life forever. Readers will delight in this spirited story of the invention of the potato chip—one of America's favorite snack foods. George Crum and the Saratoga Chip is a testament to human ingenuity, and a tasty slice of culinary history.

George Washington Carver for Kids: His Life and Discoveries, with 21 Activities

George Washington Carver was a scientist, educator, artist, inventor, and humanitarian. Born into slavery during the Civil War, he later pursued an education and would become the first black graduate from Iowa Agricultural College. Carver then took a teaching position at the Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington. There Carver taught poor Southern farmers how to nourish the soil, conserve resources, and feed their families. He also developed hundreds of new products from the sweet potato, peanut, and other crops, and his discoveries gained him a place in the national spotlight. George Washington Carver for Kids tells the inspiring story of this remarkable American. It includes a time line, resources for further research, and 21 hands-on activities to help better appreciate Carver's genius.

George Washington Carver: Agriculture Pioneer

Born into slavery, George Washington Carver worked hard, earned a university graduate degree, and eventually became a world-famous expert on plants. By experimenting with peanuts and other plants, he learned how to make many useful products from them. Carver taught students and farmers how to grow plants without damaging the soil.

George Washington Carver: Ingenious Inventor

In graphic novel format, this book details the life and accomplishments of George Washington Carver, teacher, inventor, and agriculturist. Carver was born as a slave. After his mother's kidnapping, he was adopted by the Carver family. He left their home at age 12 in search of an education, eventually becoming an educator, plant scientist, and inventor. A timeline of George Washington Carver's advances is included.

Germ Stories

"I told my three sons stories about germs more than fifty years ago as fanciful bedtime tales." So begins this charming collection of poems written by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Arthur Kornberg to help us learn about the germs that help and harm us. These rollicking, entertaining, and informative poems have been illustrated with witty and amusing watercolors and the book also contains electron micrographs and a glossary for the student who wants to go deeper into the world of microbiology.

Glorious Grasses: The Grains

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.

Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition

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!

Grandma Lena's Big Ol' Turnip

Grandma Lena takes good care of the turnips she plants in her garden. One turnip grows so big that Grandma can't pull it out of the ground! Even when Grandpa, Uncle Izzy, and the dog help Grandma yank and tug, the big ol' turnip doesn't budge.

Grandpa Cacao: A Tale of Chocolate, From Farm to Family

As a little girl and her father bake her birthday cake together, Daddy tells the story of her Grandpa Cacao, a farmer from the Ivory Coast in West Africa. In a land where elephants roam and the air is hot and damp, Grandpa Cacao worked in his village to harvest cacao, the most important ingredient in chocolate. "Chocolate is a gift to you from Grandpa Cacao," Daddy says. "We can only enjoy chocolate treats thanks to farmers like him." Once the cake is baked, it's ready to eat, but this isn't her only birthday present. There's a special surprise waiting at the front door...

Grandpa's Garden

This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs. When harvest time arrives, they can pick all the vegetables and fruit they have grown. Children will be drawn in by the poetry of the language and the warm illustrations, while also catching the excitement of watching things grow!

Green Bean! Green Bean!

A girl plants the seed of a green bean and watches it grow and mature through the seasons, even providing a nook in which to read a book. Includes supplementary information about the life cycle of plants, pertinent vocabulary, and activities.

Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas

Learn about how Gregor Mendel's fascination for genetic traits led him to to become the world's first geneticist. Mendel overcame poverty and discovered one of the fundamental aspects of genetic science. He studied inheritance of animals, plants, and people learning how they pass traits from one generation to another. This book outlines Mendel's life and his discoveries in an easy to understand format.

Grow! Raise! Catch!

Who grows our juicy fruit and yummy vegetables? Who raises animals for our tasty eggs, milk, and meat? Who catches fresh fish for our table? Farmers and fishermen show off their bounty in this lively and informative look at the people who produce the food on which we all rely.

Growing Seasons

Growing Seasons is a non-fiction picture book about farm life at the turn of the last century, as told through the eyes of Elsie Lee Splear [1906-1996] and the paintings of artist Ken Stark. Nearly everything was done by hand-washing clothes with homemade lard soap, canning fruits and vegetables, butchering meat, and much more- before the advent of rural electricity, indoor plumbing and central heating.

Growing Vegetable Soup

"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!

Gwendolyn's Pet Garden

Gwendolyn longs for a pet. What kind? Any kind! How many legs? Two, four, ten—she's not picky! But her parents have other ideas, and instead they give her...a box of dirt. "It smells of swamp," Gwendolyn says—but her parents say it smells of possibilities. And once Gwendolyn gets savvy about seeds and soil, sun, and shade, she finds they are right. The dirt starts performing some amazing tricks, and soon she has a whole pet garden of her very own—it might not have "any legs at all, but it was alive, and Gwendolyn could tallk to it, care for it, and watch it grow." Gwendolyn's enthusiasm and pride are sure to inspire gardeners and inspiring gardeners alike.

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood

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.

Harvest Year

This book is 32 pages long and includes color pictures and text descriptions of the harvest of many food crops including watermelons, carrots, strawberries, and many more.

Harvesting Friends, Cosechando Amigos

Harvesting Friends, Cosechando Amigos is a story about a garden that grows more than its garden vegetables; it grows friendships! Come meet young Lupe and her new friend Antonio as they meet in an unexpected way and grow their friendship to include their neighbors and friends of all ages.

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez is known as one of America's greatest civil rights leaders. When he led a 340-mile peaceful protest march through California, he ignited a cause and improved the lives of thousands of migrant farmworkers. But Cesar wasn't always a leader. As a boy, he was shy and teased at school. His family slaved in the fields for barely enough money to survive. Cesar knew things had to change, and he thought that—maybe—he could help change them. So he took charge. He spoke up. And an entire country listened.

Has a Cow Saved Your Life?

Millions of people are now safe from Smallpox, a deadly disease. With excellent historical color pictures this book tells the story of how the smallpox vaccine was discovered.

Hatching Chicks in Room 6

Discover chicks and watch them hatch in room 6! This book highlights the life cycle of chickens, parts of an egg, incubation, and caring for freshly hatched chicks.

Heartland

Here, in their second stunning collaboration, Diane Siebert and Wendell Minor create a joyful, singing celebration of this country's Heartland, the Midwest. It is a land where wheat fields grow and cornfields stretch across the plains to create a patchwork quilt in hues of yellow, green, and brown; a land where herds of cattle graze in pastures draped in lush, green grass, and a newborn calf stands in the sun. And upon this land toils the farmer, strong and proud, whose weathered face tells a tale of a life of work that's never done. The Heartland's a land where, despite man's power, nature reigns.

Henry Meets a Honey Bee

Come join Henry as he takes a walk, enjoying nature, and stumbles upon the adventure of a lifetime. Henry meets Honey, the queen bee of a local hive, and learns all about honey bees from a unique point of view. Watch how knowldege transforms fear to admiration for one of nature's favorite pollinators.

Hero for the Hungry: The Life and Work of Norman Borlaug

Can a quiet Iowa farm boy grow up to change the world? Norman Ernest Borlaug did. Hero for the Hungry is a moving and informative biography of the 20th-century American agriculture scientist whose innovations in crop varieties founded the Green Revolution and fed hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Hey, Hey, Hay!

A joyful rhyming story about a girl and her mother and the machines they use on their family farm to make hay. A girl tells the tale of making hay as Mom uses a mower for mowing grass, then a tedder for aerating the grass, and eventually a baler. Told in rhyme and illustrated with fabulous art by Joe Cepeda, each part of the process is a celebration of summer, farming, and the mother-daughter relationship.

Homes

This Around-the-World book explores in simple language why people need homes and how people build homes in different parts of the world. The photographs show homes built from a wide variety of materials (agricultural products) in a wide variety of climates, and the text explores the connections between geography, climate, and culture.

Homespun Sarah

Sarah's life in Colonial Pennsylvania is anything but easy. She and her family have to grow, raise, and make everything they need—including their clothes. The time and effort that takes means that nothing is replaced until it's absolutely necessary. As Sarah helps plant flax and raise sheep throughout the year, her one dress gets tighter and tighter. But in the nick of time, wool is spun, fabric is woven, and a brand-new dress is made just for her.

Honeybee

Beginning at birth, the honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell and is driven to protect and take care of her hive. She cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet! She builds wax combs to store honey, and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage. She defends the hive from invaders. Apis accomplishes all of this before beginning her life outdoors as an adventurer, seeking nectar to bring back to her hive.

How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?

One of the best parts of a young child's day is opening a lunchbox and diving in. But how did that delicious food get there? From planting wheat to mixing dough, climbing trees to machine-squeezing fruit, picking cocoa pods to stirring a vat of melted bliss, here is a clear, engaging look at the steps involve in producing some common foods. Health tips and a peek at basic food groups complete the menu.

How Do Apples Grow?

This book is a part of the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series, and it clearly illustrates how fruit comes from flowers. Colorful illustrations show the male and female parts of the apple flowers up close, and the role that bees play in pollinating apple flowers is explained in simple language. The book follows apple trees through all four seasons, from the closed buds of winter to the ripe apples of fall.

How Do Flowers Grow?

How Do Flowers Grow is a question and answer based flap-book. Colorful illustrations lead students through an inquiry based learning adventure answering questions such as, "How do flowers grow?" "Why do plants have flowers" "Where do seeds come from?" and many more. This book provides a very interactive opportunity for teachers and students to learn about seeds, flowers, and plants.

How Do You Raise a Raisin?

People have been gobbling up yummy, nutritious raisins for centuries. Ancient Greeks and Romans awarded them at sporting events and astronauts have taken raisins into space. Find out how grapes become raisins, who introduced the seedless grape, and the many uses for raisins.

How Flowers Grow

How Flowers Grow is a 32-page informational text showing the development of flowers through color illustrations and photographs. You will see how a seed germinates, sprouts, and grows into a mature plant. You will also learn plant anatomy, how plants make their food through photosynthesis, and see flowers that thrive in different ecosystems such as the rainforest, desert, or even in the water.

How Food gets from Farms to Store Shelves

Grocery stores are full of delicious food, but how did that food get there? This book uses easy to understand text to explain how food gets from farms to stores and introduces the workers who make it all possible.

How Groundhog's Garden Grew

Little Groundhog, in trouble for stealing from his friends' gardens, is taught by Squirrel to grow his very own. From seed-gathering to planting, harvesting, and eating home-grown fruits and vegetables, children join Little Groundhog in learning about the gardening process. At the end, Little Groundhog invites his animal friends to a Thanksgiving harvest feast.

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Learn all about pumpkins, science, and math as "Mr Tiffin's" class figures out how many seeds are in a pumpkin.

How Things Grow

How Things Grow is an elementary level book teaching all about plants and how they grow. You will learn about seeds, flowers, seasons, trees, fruits and nuts.

How a Seed Grows

This book is perfect for classrooms exploring seeds and experimenting with germination for the first time. The book shows a simple method of germinating bean seeds that is easy to follow along with in the classroom. The pictures are beautiful while at the same time presenting important and accurate scientific information.

How to Grow a Monster

Last year, Gabe's mom grew way too many zucchinis. This year, Gabe and his sister have a secret plan to take control of the garden. They have to stop the zucchini madness! Tying into the popular Makers Movement, Makers Make It Work is a series of fun easy-to-read stories that focus on problem-solving and hands-on action. This charming story explores the Makers theme of Gardening and includes explanatory sidebars and a gardening-related activity for young makers to try themselves.

How to Grow an Apple Pie

It's easy to make an apple pie, but what does it take to make the apples? Sophie is about to find out! First, the apple trees need to be about six years old—just like Sophie. Next, they need to be pruned, and the bees have to pollinate their blossoms! After that, the tiny apples grow through the summer until they're ready to pick in the fall. Finally, it's time for Sophie to make the perfect pie!

How to Make a Cherry Pie and See the U.S.A.

Join our young baker (and her little dog!) as they travel the United States—from New Hampshire to Hawaii, from Alaska to Texas—in search of the coal, cotton, clay, and granite they need to create all their baking tools. Take a round-the-U.S.A. journey by riverboat, taxi, train, and plane in a culinary adventure—and a playful celebration of America’s natural resources.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

This colorfully illustrated story follows a young girl as she travels around the world gathering the ingredients to make an apple pie. She goes to Italy for semolina wheat, to Sri Lanka for cinnamon, to England for a milk cow, and to Vermont for apples. The book ends with a recipe for apple pie. The story makes a nice introduction to concepts of trade, culture, and cooking.

How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside

The beautiful simplicity of a garden is depicted through digital woodcut illustrations and engaging nonfiction text presented as a series of sweet questions and gentle replies. Less of a traditional how-to and more of a how-to-appreciate, this soothingly sparse text paints an inviting and accessible picture of what a garden offers. And with an all-child cast, the absence of an adult presence empowers readers to view the garden and its creatures through their own eyes, driven by curiosity and wonder.

Hungry Planet

In 2000, the author began research for this book on the world's eating habits. Each family was asked to purchase a typical week's groceries, which were artfully arrayed—whether sacks of grain and potatoes and overripe bananas, or rows of packaged cereals, sodas and take-out pizzas—for a full-page family portrait. A detailed listing of the goods, broken down by food groups and expenditures are shown, then a more general discussion of how the food is raised and used, illustrated with a variety of photos and a family recipe. While the photos are extraordinary—fine enough for a stand-alone volume—it's the questions these photos ask that make this volume so gripping. This is a beautiful, quietly provocative volume.

I Am Farmer: Growing an Environmental Movement in Cameroon

When Tantoh Nforba was a child, his fellow students mocked him for his interest in gardening. Today he's an environmental hero, bringing clean water and bountiful gardens to the central African nation of Cameroon. Authors Miranda Paul and Baptiste Paul share Farmer Tantoh's inspiring story.

I Can Read About Seasons

Colorful illustrations and clear text make this an excellent book for introducing young students to key concepts like what each of the four seasons are like and how they are created by the orbiting of Earth around the sun.

I Love Strawberries!

Through Jolie's comical scrapbook-style journal entries, readers will learn how she convinces "old people" (her parents) to let her grow her own strawberries. Growing strawberries is a lot of work and responsibility, but Jolie is ready with the help of her faithful rabbit Munchy! Together they find out just how delicious, rewarding, and sometimes complicated it can be to grow your own food.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato

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?

Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better

Black ice cream vendor Augustus Jackson (1808-1852) began his life in Philadelphia, where slavery was outlawed. After cooking regularly for his family, Augustus decided at age 12 to support them further, using his kitchen know-how to find work. He applied and was hired at the White House, and by 17 he'd earned the title of cook and developed a particular expertise—making ice cream for White House guests. One day, he developed a new dream—making ice cream that all could enjoy—and opened an ice cream parlor in his hometown. By adding rock salt to the ice that froze the confection, he started conjuring ice cream in half the time, a change that allowed him to sell the product "near and far." Augustus's dream had come true, and better yet, he had brought smiles to many faces.

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop

Cool and smooth and sweet, ice cream has long been a favorite treat. It cools you off when it's hot and is too delicious to resist even in cold weather. How did it get to be so scrumptious? Ice Cream: The Full Scoop dishes out the latest scoop on ice cream production. Ice cream has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a mixture of snow, milk, and rice. This book details the many firsts in ice cream history, from the earliest ice cream crank to the original waffle cone. Children's mouths will be watering as they follow ice cream's journey from farm to factory to freezer.

If You Lived At the Time of the Civil War

This Scholastic book illustrates what it was like to live at the time of the Civil War. Alternating pages are written from the point of view of the South and the North. Appropriate for Grades 2-6, this is a great resource to help tie lessons on cotton to social studies.

If You Lived In Colonial Times

If you lived in colonial times, what kind of clothes would you wear? What would you eat? Would you go to school? What would happen if you didn't behave? This book describes what it was like to live in the New England colonies during the years 1565 to 1776, providing illustrations of how people made their own clothes and furniture and more.

If You Want to Knit Some Mittens

How do you knit a pair of mittens? The first step is to get a sheep of course! In this playful story, a girl follows 18 steps to knit mittens—from bringing home a sheep to carding, spinning, and dyeing the wool to knitting the mittens. But along the way, her mischievous sheep creates chaos and wins her heart. By wintertime, the girl has sunny-yellow mittens, the sheep has a sunny-yellow hat, and together they're ready for adventure. This tale of patience, creativity, and friendship is knitted from skeins of humor and love.

If the World Were a Village

Imagine if the entire world's population were compiled into a village of 100 people. What would the demographics of that village be? This book helps students understand the similarities and differences of a global society. Comprehend the languages they speak, where they live, how much money they earn daily, and if they can read and write.

Illustrated Alphabet of Farms

If your students have advanced past “A is for Apple, B is for Barn, and C is for Cow,” you’ll want to give them this alphabet book about farms. Accurate agricultural terms are explained in rhymes and shown in pictures.

Immigration, Migration, and the Industrial Revolution

This easy to read 24-page book describes how inventions such as the cotton gin transformed America from an agricultural country to an industrial one, and led to both problems and opportunities.

In Search of the Perfect Pumpkin

Follow this family as they search for the perfect pumpkin to make pumpkin pie.

In the Garden with Dr. Carver

Sally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help. He teaches them how to restore the soil nutrients. He even prepares a delicious lunch made of plants, including "chicken" made from peanuts. Susan Grigsby's warm story shines new light on an African American scientist who was ahead of his time.

In the Garden: Who's Been Here

Christina and Jeremy have been sent to the garden to gather vegetables for dinner. But they quickly realize that they are not the first visitors to the garden today. There's a slimy trail on a leaf in the cucumber patch, and some corn kernels have been pecked off the cob. Not only that, someone has been snacking on the lettuce leaves! Christina and Jeremy follow the clues to discover which birds, animals, and insects have been in their garden. Keep your eyes open and join Christina and Jeremy on a scientific journey in their own backyard!

In the Trees, Honey Bees

Peek inside this tree and see a wild colony of honey bees. It hums with life. Look at the thousands of worker bees--each one doing her job. Some are making wax. Some are feeding the hungry brood. Some are storing sweet honey. Look at all the combs, filled with honey and pollen! And there's the queen, laying eggs. It's all very organized, like a smoothly running town. A honey bee colony is a remarkable place. You will never look at bees in the same way again.

Inside An Egg

Follow the text and the photographs in this book to learn about the development of a baby chick from the time the egg is laid until the chick hatches.

It Feels Like Snow

Alice doesn't need a weather forecast to tell if it's going to snow. She can feel it in her toes and elbows and nose. Each time she feels a twitch or a tingle, she warns her neighbors. 'There's snow coming,' she tells Etta and Gretta Grillo. 'I can feel it in my toe!' Like Alice's other neighbors, the Grillo sisters laugh and ignore her warning. But sure enough, the snow falls and catches everyone by surprise— everyone that is except Alice, who has loaded in her supplies. But now she feels a big snowstorm coming. And still her neighbors ignore her warnings. What will Alice do?

It's Our Garden: From Seeds to Harvest in a School Garden

Want to grow what you eat and eat what your grow? Visit this lively, flourishing school-and-community garden and be inspired to cultivate your own. Part celebration, part simple how-to, this close-up look at a vibrant garden and its enthusiastic gardeners is blooming with photos that will have readers ready to roll up their sleeves and dig in.

Jack & the Hungry Giant Eat Right with MyPlate

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.

Jack's Garden

Come to the garden that Jack planted. You will see seeds and seedlings, buds and leaves. You will meet birds and bugs and butterflies. And best of all, you will watch the garden bloom! And maybe you will plant a garden yourself!

Jo MacDonald Had a Garden

Old MacDonald had a...garden? Yes! Sing along with young Jo MacDonald as she grows healthy food for people and wild creatures. E-I-E-I-O! Find out how butterflies, bumblebees, and birds help a garden to thrive – and how you can help them too. And keep an eye on one mysterious plant. What will it become? Youngsters learn about garden ecosystems and stewardship through this playful adaptation of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

John Deere's Powerful Idea: The Perfect Plow

John Deere’s farm equipment brand is famous around the world, but people may not know the story behind the man himself. Deere's humble blacksmith beginnings and a simple plow eventually led to massive success, but it wasn’t easy. The story behind the name will give readers new appreciation for the popular green tractors and equipment around today.

John Deere, That's Who!

Back in the 1830s, who was a young blacksmith from Vermont, about to make his mark on American history? John Deere, that's who! This illustrated biography tells the story of John Deere and his contributions to agriculture. Learn how John Deere invented a steel plow and changed farming forever.

Johnny Appleseed

John Chapman—better known as Johnny Appleseed—had wilderness adventures that became larger-than-life legends. Pioneering west from Massachusetts after the American Revolution, John cleared land and planted orchards for the settlers who followed, leaving apple trees and tall tales in his wake. In this glorious picture book retelling, Steven Kellogg brings one of America's favorite heroes—and the stories that surrounded him—to life.

Josias, Hold the Book

Every morning Josias, a Haitian boy, is hard at work in the family's garden under the hot Haitian sun. His friend Chrislove asks, "When will you join us and hold the book?" With his garden failing, Josias has no time to learn how to read and write. There may not be enough food for his family. Soon, Josias realizes a book might hold the solution to his problem.

Jump Into Science: Dirt

A star-nosed mole shows off all the different kinds of dirt in his garden, helps us to understand how dirt is formed and what's in it, and points out many of the incredible creatures who live in the dirt. Young readers will learn fascinating scientific information about the different soil layers, or horizons, and find out how the soil that plants grow in differs from the soil that building foundations sit in.

Katie's Cabbage

Katie's Cabbage is the inspirational true story of how Katie Stagliano, a third grader from Summerville, South Carolina, grew a forty-pound cabbage in her backyard and donated it to help feed 275 people at a local soup kitchen. In her own words, Katie shares the story of the little cabbage seedling and the big ideas of generosity and service that motivated her to turn this experience into Katie's Krops, a national youth movement aimed at ending hunger one vegetable garden at a time. Katie's Cabbage reminds us of how small things can grow and thrive when nurtured with tender loving and care and how one person, with the support of family, friends and community, can help make a powerful difference in the lives of so many.

Kids' Container Gardening

Gardening can be done inside or outside, all year long, if you use a container. You don't have to just use pots, either. You can garden in bowls, drinking glasses, aquariums--even an old hat! Grow a hanging basket of veggies. Make 'people' out of pots. Create your own water garden--with fish, even. Many are great gifts to give your family on holidays and birthdays.

Kiss the Cow!

Never. Not a chance. Annalisa wouldn't dream of kissing Luella the cow, even though her mother kisses her every day after singing her a song and milking her. Still, inquisitive Annalisa is awfully interested in milking Luella, and one day she sneaks off and does everything just the way her mother does - except for the kiss on the nose. Will Annalisa's innate curiosity get the best of her?

Las calabacitas de Zora (Spanish Edition)

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!

Las espinacas de Sylvia (Spanish Edition)

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.

Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest

Deep in the granite hills of eastern Arizona in 1880, H.C. Day founded the Lazy B Ranch, where US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her brother Alan spent their youth, a time they recall in this affectionate joint memoir. "We belonged to the Lazy B, and it belonged to each of us," write O'Connor and Day. This fascinating glimpse of life in the Southwest in the last century recounts an important time in American history, and provides an enduring portrait of an independent young woman on the brink of becoming one of the most prominent figures in America.

Leaf Litter Critters

Have fun on this poetic tour through the leaf litter layer and dig into the fascinating facts about the tiny critters who live there.
Nineteen poems in a variety of verse forms with accompanying science notes take readers on a decomposer safari through the "brown food web," from bacteria through tardigrades and on to rove beetle predators with other busy recyclers in-between. Glossary, hands-on investigations, and resources are included in the back matter.

Let Me Fix You a Plate: A Tale of Two Kitchens

This tale of a family road trip highlights the author's joy in both her American and Colombian heritage, and captures all the warmth and love of her family's two distinct cultures. After a long drive to visit family—whether in the mountains of rural West Virginia or the sticky heat of Florida—what could be a better welcome than a homemade meal? Inspired by Elizabeth Lilly's childhood vacations and the sense-memories of late-night journeys down the coast, Let Me Fix You a Plate is a vivacious exploration of family traditions old and new—from toast with homemade blueberry jam, to fresh orange juice and arepas with queso blanco, to midnight waffles at home. Vivid illustrations explore the heart of the home—the kitchen—and the treasures found when a family gathers to celebrate their culture, and one another. Joyous, bright, and mouth-watering, this celebration of family and our diverse, delicious traditions is sure to leave readers hungry for more!

Let's Make Butter

This book describes the way foods can change, using butter as an example, and shows the steps needed to make heavy cream into butter.

Let's Pop, Pop, Popcorn!

Told through exuberant rhyme, a group of children shows the step-by-step process of how America's favorite snack comes about. Beginning with the planting of seeds, the cycle moves through the caretaking of the plant (watering and weeding), all the way to its harvest. Finally, it's time to shuck, then pop the kernels, and enjoy the finished product! Complete with back matter that includes scientific facts and activities, Let's Pop, Pop, Popcorn! offers a fun introduction to the process of creating popcorn.

Levi Strauss and Blue Jeans

Levi Strauss and Blue Jeans tells the story of the man who made the first pair of blue jeans and changed the way the world dressed! In the mid-1880s, while adventurers rushed off to California to find gold, Levi Strauss followed with an idea of his own. In dramatic, graphic novel format, this book follows Strauss as he works to create a pair of pants sturdy enough for gold miners. Readers will learn how Levi found that not just gold miners, but hard-working people everywhere wanted the durable pants with the pocket rivets.

Levi's Lost Calf

Young Levi rides out one morning to bring the cattle home from the pasture. After a head count, Levi is surprised that one calf is missing. Little Red, his favorite heifer calf, is nowhere to be found. Determined to prove his independence—and locate Little Red, Levi rides out with his horse, Pepper, and Gus, his trusty dog, in tow. The three sleuths search high and low around the ranch in search for the calf. Little Red stays hidden as readers are introduced to a bevy of barnyard animals throughout the search. A kid-friendly recipe is added to compliment the adventure and bring the cowboy spirit home to the reader.

Life Cycles: Pumpkins

Pumpkins is a picture-book celebration of the edible plant. Full-color photography offers a tour of the life of a pumpkin plant, from planting to flower to fruit to harvest, and finally to being carved into a jack-o-lantern. Large photos and simple language make this book ideal for young students.

Life in a Bucket of Soil

This fascinating 96-page book can be used to introduce older grade school students to industrious ants, tunnel-building earthworms, snails and slugs, beetles, and many other creatures inhabiting the world beneath our feet. The book provides vivid descriptions of how soil organisms live, breed and interact; their methods of locomotion, feeding and defense; and the effect they have on the soil in which they live.

Lily's Garden

Lilys grandparents move all the way across the country, but stay in touch with Lily by sending her plants and produce from their new home and through her garden. Each spread deals with a new month and garden challenge for Lily. Her grandparents advice helps her cope with the realistic challenges presented by managing a successful garden. This book is also a good exploration of seasonal changes.

Lincoln Clears a Path: Abraham Lincoln's Agricultural Legacy

As a boy, Abraham Lincoln helped his family break through the wilderness and struggle on a frontier farm. When Lincoln was a young man, friends made it easier for him to get a better education and become a lawyer, so as a politician he paved the way for better schools and roads. President Lincoln cleared a path to better farming, improved transportation, accessible education, and most importantly, freedom.

Little Joe

The novel Little Joe offers a realistic look at the bond between 9-year-old Eli Stegner and his Angus calf, Little Joe, as they prepare for the county fair -- and the beef auction that follows. Readers will be fascinated by the details of raising beef cattle and receive an in-depth account of life on the farm.

Look Inside Food

Look Inside Food is an all-inclusive book highlighting the production of our food from the farm to our table. This interactive flap book includes extensive information and illustrations about the origin of our foods including grains, fruit and vegetables, and food from animals such as milk, meat, and eggs. Even sugar and chocolate begins its production on a farm.

Louis Pasteur and Pasteurization

In the early 1880s, people did not understand why food spoiled. Louis Pasteur discovered that small germs cause spoilage. He began working on a process that would help food last longer. Inside this graphic novel, the reader learns about the experiments Pasteur conducted and the process of pasteurization.

Machines on the Farm

Providing an early introduction to STEM education, this book uses simple text and labeled photographs to examine a wide range of exciting machines used on the farm, revealing how each machine solves a particular problem. Machines covered include tractors, combine harvesters, milking machines, hay balers, crop sprayers, and more!

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.

Make Mine Ice Cream

A colorful photographic journey from milk to ice cream. A 'big book' format for young audiences.

Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice

Using the pot of rice with chicken, Mama barters with her neighbors to create a bountiful meal. As she does so she also takes her granddaughter, Lucy, on a marvelous cultural tour of the neighborhood. Woven throughout the book are the Spanish names for a variety of foods.

Maple Syrup from the Sugarhouse

Maple syrup season is here! Read the story of Kelsey and her father as they begin harvesting sap from sugar maple trees. Join her family and friends to learn the process of turning sap into maple syrup.

Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever

After sketching and plotting and planting, Maxine and Leo know they've made The Greatest Garden Ever! But they're not the only ones who think so. Soon, all sorts of animals make their way in, munching on carrots and knocking over pots. When Leo and Maxine can't agree on a way to deter these unwelcome critters, it looks like there's more on the line than saving their garden—they just might need to save their friendship too.

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.

Migrant

Anna is the child of Mennonites from Mexico, who have come north to harvest fruits and vegetables. Sometimes she feels like a bird, flying north in the spring and south in the fall, sometimes like a jackrabbit in an abandoned burrow, since her family occupies an abandoned farmhouse near the fields, sometimes like a kitten, as she shares a bed with her sisters...But above all Anna wonders what it would be like to be a tree rooted deeply in the earth, watching the seasons come and go, instead of being like a "feather in the wind."

Miguel's Community Garden

Miguel is throwing a party at his community garden for all of his friends, and he needs help searching for sunflowers to complete the celebration. What do we know about sunflowers? They're tall with petals and leaves—and, hold on, is that a sunflower? No, that's an artichoke. Where, oh, where could those sunflowers be? Can you help Miguel find them in time for his party?

Milk Comes From a Cow?

Follow the travels of Kailey as this city girl visits a dairy farm to learn where milk comes from. Gather trivia about milk along the way and take a tour of a milk processing plant. This educational story offers a fun way for young people, parents, and teachers to learn more about agriculture. The book, sponsored by the Kansas Farm Bureau, is now available for download from their website as part of an app that comes complete with a host of bonus features and videos.

Mountains of Jokes About Rocks, Minerals, and Soil

Each chapter of this book introduces a new geology concept and gives a couple of related jokes or riddles. Read some fascinating science facts about soil, gems, volcanoes, and mountains. Then learn some seriously silly jokes! There is even a section of the book that teaches you to write your own jokes about rocks, minerals, and soil!

Mr. Blue Jeans

Mr. Blue Jeans is a 64-page chapter book which tells the story of the life of an immigrant Jewish peddler who founded Levi Strauss & Company, the world's first and largest manufacturer of denim blue jeans.

Mr. Crum's Potato Predicament

When Filbert P. Horsefeathers walks into George Crum's restaurant, he tells the waitress, "I have a hankering for a heaping helping of potatoes." Fine cook that he is, George prepares a serving of his most scrumptious, succulent and sublime potato wedges, only to have Filbert send them back. "Too thick, " he says. So, George makes thinner wedges. But his picky customer sends them back until they are crackling and then showers with salt. At last Filbert is satisfied, proclaiming, "Perfection!" Which they are. Because quite by accident, George Crum has invented potato chips! This fictional picture book tale is based on a real man named George Crum, a cook in Saratoga Springs, New York, in the 1850s, who is purported to have created the first potato chip in response to a demanding customer.

Mrs. Spitzer's Garden

Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and both will flourish if tended lovingly.

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat! That's the sound three hungry bunnies make when the sun goes down and the moon comes up and Mr. McGreely's garden smells yum, yum, yummy. While he's dreaming of his mouth-watering carrots, the bunnies are diving over fences and swimming trenches to get the veggies first! Hammer, hammer, hammer, Saw! That's the sound Mr. McGreely makes when the sun comes up and the moon goes down and he sees what those twitch-whiskers have done....Nibbled leaves! Empty stalks! Mr. McGreely will build something bigger and better, sure to keep even pesky puff-tails away.

My Family's Farm Book Series

Learn through the eyes of young farmers how animals are cared for, crops are raised, and renewable resources are used as they take you for a tour of their family's farm. This digital book series includes titles for beef, corn, soybeans, wind (energy), pigs, and apples.

My Family's Soybean Farm

Alexander lives on a soybean farm. What's a soybean farm and what's it like to live there? Join Alexander on his family's farm as he shows us how soybeans grow, are harvested, and are used.

My School Yard Garden

This colorful book takes students on a ramble through a school yard garden—past the seeding beds, along the compost bin, and over to the bird house and bird bath. Along the way, children learn what insects, animals, and plants need to thrive and discover the fun of observing and recording it all. My Schoolyard Garden proves you can learn a lot from a garden, no matter where it grows.

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.

No Small Potatoes: Junius G. Groves and His Kingdom in Kansas

Discover the incredible true story of how one of history's most successful potato farmers began life as a slave and worked until he was named the "Potato King of the World!" Junius G. Groves came from humble beginnings in the Bluegrass State. Born in Kentucky into slavery, freedom came when he was still a young man and he intended to make a name for himself. Along with thousands of other African Americans who migrated from the South, Junius walked west and stopped in Kansas. Working for a pittance on a small potato farm was no reason to feel sorry for himself, especially when he was made foreman. But Junius did dream of owning his own farm, so he did the next best thing. He rented the land and worked hard! As he built his empire, he also built a family, and he built them both on tons and tons and tons of potatoes. He never quit working hard, even as the naysayers doubted him, and soon he was declared Potato King of the World and had five hundred acres and a castle to call his own. From award winning author Tonya Bolden and talented illustrator Don Tate comes a tale of perseverance that reminds us no matter where you begin, as long as you work hard, your creation can never be called small potatoes.

Nory Ryan's Song

Life is hard for poor Irish potato farmers, but 12-year-old Nory Ryan and her family have always scraped by... until one morning, Nory wakes to the foul, rotting smell of diseased potatoes dying in the fields. And just like that, all their hopes for the harvest--for this year and next--are dashed. Hunger sets in quickly. The beaches are stripped of edible seaweed, the shore is emptied of fish, desperate souls even chew on grass for the nourishment. As her community falls apart, Nory scrambles to find food for her family. Meanwhile, the specter of America lurks, where, the word is, no one is ever hungry, and horses carry milk in huge cans down cobblestone streets.

Ode to an Onion

A poetic, beautifully illustrated picture book inspired by Ode to the Onion by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973). Pablo has a lunch date with his friend Matilde, who shows the moody poet her garden. Where Pablo sees conflict and sadness, Matilde sees love and hope. The story is a simple ode to a vegetable that is humble and luminous, dark and light, gloomy and glad, full of grief and full of joy—just like life.

Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the Pony Express

In 1860, the first Pony Express rider set out on a trail from Missouri to California. With him, he carried a special delivery—the first mail ever carried by hand to the West. Over the next eleven days, he and many other riders would endure harsh weather, dangerous animals, and more. But nothing would diminish their unflagging determination and courage.

Oh Say Can You Seed?

With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2—and a fleet of Rube Goldbergian vehicles—the Cat in the Hat examines the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and seed dispersal.

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?

Oliver's Vegetables

On a visit to his grandparents' house, Oliver wants to eat only French fries. Grandpa tells him that he may look in the garden for potatoes, but that he must eat what he finds, whatever it may be. On the first evening, Oliver pulls up carrots and discovers that he likes them. On successive days he discovers spinach, rhubarb, cabbage, beets, and peas. A fun book about eating from the garden.

On the Farm, at the Market

Take a behind-the-scenes tour of three different farms where food is locally grown, harvested, and sold at the market. This book illustrates the journey of vegetables, cheese, and mushrooms as they travel from the farm to your fork.

One Egg

One little egg can go on to become one incredible creature! From egg to chick to chicken, find out about the life cycle of an egg in this fascinating guide.

One Grain of Rice

A mathematical folktale illustrating the concept of doubling using rice as the example.

One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference

Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings, Kojo is able to return to school, and soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore. This book is part of CitizenKid, a collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.

One Hundred Hungry Ants

One hundred hungry ants marched in a row, going to a picnic, but were they going too slow? This fantastic counting book allows students to work through simple addition by twos, fives, and tens. They will enjoy the flow of the text and the simple illustrations.

One Thousand Black Walnuts

One Thousand Black Walnuts is a delightful, entertaining story about a farm family who gathers black walnuts to sell. While picking up the walnuts, the kids learn about this industry from their mom. Readers discover the uses for black walnuts, from shell to nut, and even how wildlife depend on the nuts as a food source.

Our Apple Tree

A whimsical and very useful look at the life cycle of the apple tree. With the help of two helpful tree sprites as guides, readers travel from spring, when the apple tree blossoms, through summer, when the fruit grows, to fall and the harvest. Along the way, you'll learn about the life of the tree and the animals that visit—from insects that pollinate the flowers to deer that eat the fallen fruit.

Our School Garden!

New city. New school. Michael is feeling all alone—until he discovers the school garden! There's so many ways to learn, and so much to do. Taste a leaf? Mmm, nice and tangy hot. Dig for bugs? "Roly-poly!" he yells. But the garden is much more than activities outdoors: making school garden stone soup, writing Found Poems and solving garden riddles, getting involved in community projects such as Harvest Day, food bank donations, and spring plant sales. Each season creates a new way to learn, explore, and make new friends.

Out of the Dust

This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the head dust and wind of Oklahoma along with the discontent of narrator Billie Jo who relates the hardships of living on her family's wheat farm in Oklahoma during Dust Bowl years of the Depression. ALA notable children's book, ALA best book for Young Adults, SLJ best book of the year.

Ox-Cart Man

Describes the day-to-day life of an early nineteenth-century New England family throughout the changing seasons. A Caldecott Medal award winner; sure to be a classroom favorite.

PB&J Hooray!

From peanut, grape, and wheat seeds to sandwich, PB&J Hooray! is all about how peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are made. The story begins with the kitchen and works backward to the shopping, delivery, production, harvesting, farming, and planting processes! In fun, rhythmic language, readers discover how peanuts become peanut butter, grapes are made into jelly, and wheat turns into bread.

Pancakes for Breakfast

This wordless picture book follows the trials of a little old lady who attempts to make pancakes for her breakfast. The illustrations walk through the process of procuring the ingredients to make pancakes, including collecting eggs, milking a cow, and churning butter.

Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World

Breakfast varies from country to country, but it's how all children begin their day. Explore the meals of twelve countries in this playful approach to the world! From Australia to India to the USA, come travel around the world at dawn. Children everywhere are waking up to breakfast. In Japan, students eat soured soybeans called natto. In Brazil, even kids drink coffee—with lots of milk! With rhythm and rhymes and bold, graphic art, Pancakes to Parathas invites young readers to explore the world through the most important meal of the day.

Pancakes, Pancakes!

Read the fictional story of "Jack" who is gathering the ingredients for his mother to make pancakes. Jack must visit the mill for flour, collect eggs from the hen, and milk from the cow.

Peach Heaven

The white peaches grown in Puchon are the best in all South Korea and are a rare treat for a little girl who lives in the town. She dreams of a peach orchard where she can play and eat as much of the delicious fruit as she wishes. Then one day, after weeks of heavy downpours, the sky begins to rain peaches. Yangsook finds herself in peach heaven—until she remembers the farmers who have lost their harvest, and decides she must help them.

Pick, Pull, Snap! Where Once a Flower Bloomed

In the orchard, a honey bee buzzes. Its legs brush pollen inside a fragrant pink flower. A small green fruit begins to grow and grow and grow...Peaches and peas and even peanuts—they all begin with a single flower. How? Open this book and find out!

Pickles to Pittsburgh

In Pickles to Pittsburgh, the sequel to Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Kate drifts off to sleep and, with her brother Henry as her copilot, visits the land of Chewandswallow—a land characterized by massive amounts of food, immense carrots, leafy jungles of lettuce, and tuna fish sandwiches so gigantic they have to be moved by helicopter. And what the people of Chewandswallow are doing with all that food is most intriguing of all!

Pie in the Sky

Do pies grow on trees? Join a father and child as they watch over their backyard cherry tree—and all the colorful living things surrounding it—throughout the seasons. At the end of the summer, they harvest the cherries together and make a delicious pie for the whole family to enjoy.

Pigs

This book teaches about the domestication of the pig, how pigs are used, their life cycle and different types (breeds) of pigs. This book is interlaced with many facts including what they eat, how fast they grow, and how to care for pigs.

Pizza Day

On a sunny, summer day, a young boy and his father assemble the ingredients for a homemade pizza. From gathering fresh garden herbs to rolling out the dough for a crust to spreading on sauce and cheese, this picture book leads young chefs step-by-step through the process of making a favorite meal.

Plant Secrets

Young scientists will love this nature mystery that reveals the secrets hiding in seeds, plants, flowers, and fruits throughout the life cycle of various flora. Curiosity will bloom in this introduction to botany and primary nature science. Plants come in all shapes and sizes, but they go through the same stages as they grow. Using four common plants, young readers learn about plant structure and life cycles.

Planters and Cultivators: with Casey and Friends

Planters and Cultivators introduces children to the world of modern farming and the specialized equipment that is used on the farm for cultivating, planting and spraying crops. This book is filled with colorful action photographs, fun illustrations and a cast of cartoon equipment characters. As a companion to lessons about soil composition and soil nutrients, students will learn why and when these tools are used to manage and improve crop health and growth.

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.

Plantzilla

After Mortimer takes a plant home from his 3rd grade classroom during summer vacation, strange things begin to occur. Plantzilla begins to grow tentacles and perform miraculous feats. Mortimer's parents begin to worry as they see the plant take on human characteristics, but Mortimer's love for Plantzilla grows even deeper. Written in letter-form, the text is a series of communications between Mortimer and his teacher, and the teacher and Mortimer's mother regarding the progress and concerns of this unusual plant. This humorous story contains beautiful watercolor illustrations that spill across the page and engage the reader.

Pollen: Darwin's 130 Year Prediction

How long does it take for science to find an answer to a problem? On January 25, 1862, naturalist Charles Darwin received a box of orchids. One flower, the Madagascar star orchid, fascinated him. It had an 11.5" nectary, the place where flowers make nectar, the sweet liquid that insects and birds eat. How, he wondered, did insects pollinate the orchid? It took 130 years to find the answer.

Popcorn Country: The Story of America's Favorite Snack

How does a field of corn become a delicious bowl of popcorn? The story behind the fluffy snack the entire country loves is revealed in this photographic nonfiction picture book. Kids love food—and they especially love to eat popcorn! Author Cris Peterson offers an illuminating step-by-step examination of the history and science behind America's favorite snack. With photographs illustrating every stage, readers get a behind-the-scenes view of how popcorn is planted, grown, harvested, processed, tested, and finally shipped to stores and movie theaters all over the world. Back matter delves into the history of popcorn and how it became so popular in the United States.

Popcorn!

Pull up a chair and dig in! Popcorn! is chock-full of tidbits about one of America's favorite snack foods. Learn what makes popcorn pop, how Native Americans liked their popcorn, and how television almost wiped out popcorn's future. Cooking tips, recipes, and resources included.

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.

Producing Fish (The Technology of Farming)

What is commercial fishing? What are fish farms? How do fish get from the sea to the supermarket? This book looks at the history of fishing, discusses commercial fishing and aquaculture, and explores how technology has impacted the fishing industry.

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden

Pumpkin Circle provides a bug's eye view and a bird's high view of seeds sprouting, flowers blooming, bees buzzing, pumpkins growing and, finally, going back to earth. Told in verse and through dramatic photography as an orange gloved-gardener plants, tends, and harvests a backyard pumpkin patch.

Pumpkin Jack

Join Jack in his voyage of discovery as he experiences death, decomposition and rebirth as his jack-o-lantern fades, rots and new plants grow from a seed left inside the pumpkin shell. That seed sprouts and the growth leads to a new crop of pumpkins.

Pumpkin Pumpkin

The story's character, Jamie, plants a pumpkin seed and observes the plant's growth, blossom formation, and pumpkin growth. A good exposure at an early age to the concept of life cycle.

Pumpkins

From late summer to Thanksgiving, pumpkins are everywhere, a symbol of fall and a reminder of the holidays to come. In this book, Ken Robbins portrays the pumpkin from seed, to sprout, to flower, to fully fledged fruit, and back again. Instructions are given to (safely) carve a jack-o’-lantern.

Radio Man

Diego and his family are migrant farmers who move from state to state picking fruits and vegetables. Each day brings a new experience—a different place, a different crop, and different people to meet. But no matter where Diego goes, his radio goes with him—it helps him to learn about the places he's going and to keep in touch with the people he meets along the way.

Real Farm & Ranch Kids

A collection of "interviews" with small girls and boys, who live, work, and love their ranching life and the animals they care for.

Right Here on this Spot

Right here on this spot, where today Grandpa drives a tractor in his cabbage field, Indians in ancient times lit their campfires, chipped stone into tools, and then moved on. Time passed, trees grew into a forest, and settlers came from across the ocean to clear the land again and make a new home. Years later, a Union soldier crossing that field lost a button. Grandpa was digging a ditch when he found that button... In graceful words and striking pictures, this book chronicles the changes the centuries bring to one field and offer young readers a vivid slice of history.

Right This Very Minute: A table-to-farm book about food and farming

What's that you say? You're hungry? Right this very minute? Then you need a farmer. You have the stories of so many right here on your table! Award winners Lisl H. Detlefsen and Renee Kurilla's delicious celebration of food and farming is sure to inspire readers of all ages to learn more about where their food comes from – right this very minute!

Rocks and Soil

What is sand made of? What is erosion? What is clay used to make? The Investigate series encourages science inquiry with an interactive, investigative, and visual approach to a wide range of core curriculum topics. The format allows students to use scientific processes such as prediction, hypothesis, and inference in answering a series of questions on important topics throughout the book.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

This book tells the story of one African American family, fighting to stay together and strong in the face of brutal racist attacks, illness, poverty, and betrayal in the Deep South of the 1930s. Nine-year-old Cassie Logan, growing up protected by her loving family, has never had reason to suspect that any white person could consider her inferior or wish her harm. But during the course of one devastating year when her community begins to be ripped apart by angry night riders threatening African Americans, she and her three brothers come to understand why the land they own means so much to their Papa. "Look out there, Cassie girl. All that belongs to you. You ain't never had to live on nobody's place but your own and long as I live and the family survives, you'll never have to. That's important. You may not understand that now but one day you will. Then you'll see."

Rooftop Garden

Set to a foot-tappin' original tune, this rhythmic, rhyming story shows a group of city friends work diligently together to grow herbs and vegetables in a rooftop garden, concluding with a summer harvest and feast that celebrates the gardeners' commitment.

Rotten Pumpkin: A Rotten Tale in 15 Voices

Compost won't mean the same thing after readers have seen the amazing transformation of Jack from grinning pumpkin to mold-mottled wreckage to hopeful green shoot. The story of decomposition is vividly told so that science comes to life (and death). Part story, part science, and a whole lot of fun.

Sadie's Seed Adventures: Learning About Seeds

Sadie and Gardener Marv set out to clear weeds from a garden plot. While working, they go on a magical adventure to learn all about seeds. From hitching a ride with a cocklebur to flying through the sky with a milkweed seed, join Sadie as she figures out how seeds disperse.

Sand and Soil: Earth's Building Blocks

This 32-page book looks at earth's soil and how we have used soil throughout history. The book describes the many forms of life that are found in the soil, types of soil, and how we can protect soil from erosion.

Saturday at the Food Pantry

Molly and her mom don't always have enough food, so one Saturday they visit their local food pantry. Molly's happy to get food to eat until she sees her classmate Caitlin, who's embarrassed to be at the food pantry. Can Molly help Caitlin realize that everyone needs help sometimes?

Say Cheese! A Kid's Guide to Cheese Making

A mother-daughter team bring easy cheese making right into your kitchen with this fun guide for kids and families. Step-by-step photos take kids ages 8–12 through the cheese making process, then teach them how to make 12 classic favorites, including mozzarella, feta, ricotta, and cream cheese. A hearty helping of kitchen chemistry and math along with bits of international cheese making history add to the education.

Seed, Soil, Sun: Earth's Recipe for Food

Seed. Soil. Sun. With these simple ingredients, nature creates our food. Noted author Cris Peterson brings both wonder and clarity to the subject of agriculture, celebrating the cycle of growth, harvest, and renewal in this American Farm Bureau Foundation's Agriculture Book of the Year.

Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie

Pumpkins! Who can resist the sight of big, round, orange pumpkins ripening in a field? Children piling off school buses to pick one out. Carving out funny faces, smiles, or scary frowns to illuminate Halloween doorsteps. Making room for that last piece of pumpkin pie after a delicious Thanksgiving feast. In this book, pumpkins aren’t just a fruit, they’re a symbol, a scent, a flavor of the entire season.

Seeds Go, Seeds Grow!

Does a towering sunflower fit inside a tiny seed? Where do seeds come from? What makes them grow? Simple text and close-up photographs make this book a great way to introduce young students to the amazing science of seeds.

Sheep on the Farm

Students will read about the physical appearance and basic needs of sheep and will learn why farmers raise certain types of animals.

Side By Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez

Every day, thousands of farmworkers harvested the food that ended up on kitchen tables all over the country. But at the end of the day, when the workers sat down to eat, there were only beans on their own tables. Then Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez teamed up. Together they motivated the workers to fight for their rights and, in the process, changed history.

Simple Machines: Wheels, Levers, and Pulleys

Machines make work easier—helping break things apart, lift heavy objects, and change the power and direction of force applied to them. Simple Machines outlines different types of simple machines—wedges, wheels, levers, pulleys, and more—and gives common examples of how we use them every day. Clear, simple language is used to introduce important mechanical vocabulary, and easy-to-understand examples illustrate how we use machines to solve all kinds of problems.

Sleep Tight Farm

Learn how a family gets a farm ready for the snow of winter, Sleep Tight Farm lyrically connects each growing season to the preparations at the very end of the farm year. See what winter means to the farm year and to the family that shares its seasons, from spring's new growth, summer's heat, and fall's bounty to winter's well-earned rest. All year long the farm has worked to shelter us, feed us, keep us warm, and now it's time to sleep.

Snow Comes to the Farm

A day comes, after the leaves have fallen and the wild geese have left for warmer places, when the air holds its breath, still and full of expectation. Snow is coming, and soon farmland and forest, ground and sky will be transformed. This story tells about two brothers waiting and watching for the first snow of winter. *This book is no longer in print, but is readily available through the Public Library System.

Soil! Get the Inside Scoop

This book will help get kids excited about the living world of soil. Targeted for children aged 9-12, this 36-page, full-color book explores how soil is part of our life-the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses we live in, and more. Along the way, readers learn about different kinds of soil and meet the scientists who work with soil every day.

Sonya's Chickens

Sonya raises her three chickens from the time they are tiny chicks. She feeds them, shelters them, and loves them. Everywhere Sonya goes, her chicks are peeping at her heels. Under her care, the chicks grow into hens and even give Sonya a wonderful gift: an egg! One night, Sonya hears noises coming from the chicken coop and discovers that one of her hens has disappeared. Where did the hen go? What happened to her? When Sonya discovers the answers, she learns some important truths about the interconnectedness of nature and the true joys and sorrows of caring for another creature.

Sophie's Squash

On a trip to the farmers' market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. From then on, Sophie brings Bernice everywhere, despite her parents' gentle warnings that Bernice will begin to rot. As winter nears, Sophie does start to notice changes.... What's a girl to do when the squash she loves is in trouble?

Sparrow Girl

After sparrows ate too much grain, it was determined to banish them from China. However, an unintended consequence surfaced. The locust population grew to plague proportions and contributed to widespread famine. Based on a true story about the 1958 Sparrow War in China, this event highlights the important connections between managed and natural ecosystems.

Spill the Beans and Pass the Peanuts

This book highlights legumes, especially peanuts and beans. Learn the history, agricultural production, and processing of these food crops. You will also find recipes and cooking methods used around the world.

Step into the Inca World

This book explores the Inca civilization, including information on diet, domestic life, and religious beliefs. Instructions for making crafts that bring the past alive are included throughout. Sections on living on the land, hunting and fishing, food and feasts, and textiles and tunics provide useful information and activities for connecting agriculture and social studies.

Stinky and Stringy: Stem & Bulb Vegetables (Plants We Eat)

This book provides a fun-filled exploration of the history and field-to-table processes of onions, garlic, leeks, celery, asparagus, and rhubarb. Examine the discovery and migration of these vegetables as well as their roles in cooking, technology, and world cultures.

Sugar Snow

Laura is delighted when a soft, thick snow falls in late spring in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. A late snow helps the trees make more sap for maple syrup, and maple syrup means sweet sugar cakes and sticky fingers for Laura!

Sugarbush Spring

Read the fictional story of a girl and her grandfather who tap sugar maple trees and tell the story of making maple syrup.

Sugaring

Nora and Gramp are collecting sap from maple trees to make maple syrup. The horses, Bonnie and Stella, are working hard, too, pulling the heavy sap tank through the snow from tree to tree. This third story about Nora and her grandparents brings the beauty of a Vermont farm in early spring vividly to life.

Sunflower House

Sunflower House highlights the stages and life cycle of the sunflower. A young boy plants sunflower seeds in a large circle, waters the plants, and waits as they grow into a "house" to play in.

Sunflower Life Cycle

Learn all about a sunflower's life cycle in this book for young students. Simple text and clear pictures make it fun to learn about how sunflower seeds grow from a seed to a flower, how flowers produce seeds, and what sunflower seeds and parts of sunflowers can be used for.

Survival in the Storm

In this Dear America series book, Grace Edwards uses her journal to tell the story of a year (1935) in the Texas Panhandle town of Dalhart during the days of the Dust Bowl. Centered on a 12-year-old's perspective of home and school, chores and friends, Grace's diary reveals in graphic detail what life was like when farms failed, families went hungry, and children died from dust pneumonia because no rain fell.

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 Amazing Life Cycle of Plants

How do plants grow? Explore the journey from seed to sapling and beyond. Children have lots of questions about the world around them, and this book helps them discover many amazing and wonderful scientific facts about nature. The charming collage-effect illustrations are inspired by farms and scenery that the illustrator sees around her home in New Hampshire. Lively texts engage children and make this book a favorite to return to again and again. There are also Notes to Parents and Teachers at the end to encourage further exploration and learning.

The Apple Orchard Riddle

Mr. Tiffin takes his class on a field trip to the local apple orchard. This book teaches where apples are grown, names of different varieties of apples, and how apple cider and apple pie are made. Throughout the field trip students are trying to solve a riddle about apples.

The Apple Pie Tree

Two young sisters watch in fascination as their apple tree changes, from bare in winter to a burst of pink blossoms in the spring. When autumn comes, the small green apples have grown big enough for picking—and for pie! This colorfully illustrated book shows how apples are produced and how apple trees change with the seasons.

The Bee Book

A wonderful introduction to the humble honeybee: nature's hardest worker, and much more than just a provider of honey! Bees are incredibly industrious, brilliant at building, super social, and—most importantly—responsible for a third of every mouthful of food you eat! Find out how bees talk to one another, what it takes to become a queen bee, and what the life of a worker bee is like. The contents include bee anatomy, types of bees, hives, colonies, pollination, making honey, and more.

The Bee Tree

When Mary Ellen gets bored with her reading, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is just what she needs. Half the town joins in chasing a bee to find the hive from which they will collect honey. The story is fun to read aloud and will easily hold the attention of students.

The Beeman

Told from the viewpoint of a child whose Grandpa is a beekeeper, this rhyming text offers an accessible and engaging introduction to the behavior of bees. You will learn where bees live, how honey is made, what a beekeeper does, and more.

The Book of Chocolate: The Amazing Story of the World's Favorite Candy

Join science author HP Newquist as he explores chocolate's fascinating history. Along the way, you'll meet colorful characters like the feathered-serpent god Quentzalcoatl, who gave chocolate trees to the Aztecs; Henri Nestlé, who invented milk chocolate while trying to save the lives of babies who couldn't nurse; and the quarrelsome Mars family, who split into two warring factions, one selling Milky Way, Snickers, and 3 Musketeers, the other Mars Bars and M&M's. From its origin as the sacred, bitter drink of South American rulers to the the familiar candy bars sold by today's multimillion dollar businesses, people everywhere have fallen in love with chocolate, the world's favorite flavor.

The Boy Who Changed the World

This book tells the story of Nobel Laureate, Norman Borlaug. Norman grew up as an average farm boy in Iowa, but later his work as a plant scientist reached far and wide to help improve the growth of wheat, rice, and corn all over the world. This book highlights the benefits of emerging science, but also has an underlying message to teach kids that, "Every choice you make, good or bad, can make a difference."

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 Bug Girl

Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder—and wouldn't leave!—at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies...but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some students bullied her, and Sophia stopped talking about bugs altogether. When Sophia's mother wrote to an entomological society looking for a bug scientist to be a pen pal for her daughter, she and Sophia were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response—letters, photos, and videos came flooding in. Using the hashtag BugsR4Girls, scientists tweeted hundreds of times to tell Sophia to keep up her interest in bugs—and it worked! Sophia has since appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and NPR, and she continues to share her love of bugs with others.

The Carrot Seed

When a little boy plants a carrot seed, everyone tells him it won't grow. But when you are very young, there are some things that you just know, and the little boy knows that one day a carrot will come up. So he waters his seed and pulls the weeds and he waits... This beautiful simple classic teaches the patience and technique of planting a seed and helping it grow. This story was first published in 1945 and never out of print.

The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County

Meet one smart chicken chaser. She can catch any chicken on her grandmother's farm except one - the elusive Miss Hen. In a hilarious battle of wits, the spirited narrator regales readers with her campaign to catch Miss Hen, but this chicken is "fast as a mosquito buzzing and quick as a fleabite." Our chicken chaser has her mind set on winning, until she discovers that sometimes it's just as satisfying not to catch chickens as it is to catch them.

The Cow in Patrick O'Shanahan's Kitchen

When Patrick wakes up for breakfast, he finds an adventure in his kitchen. As his dad cooks him breakfast, he learns where each breakfast food item is produced. The chicken lays the eggs, the cow produces the milk and the maple tree makes the syrup. This book is a great resource for teaching elementary students where their food comes from.

The Curious Garden

While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

The Day the Farmers Quit

Farmer Bob is tired of the endless chores on the farm. He and his farmer friends decide to take a vacation and leave their worries and work behind. What will become of the community without the farmers that provide all that they need? One child embarks on a journey to save his town by getting the farmers to return from vacation. This rhyming read-aloud text tells the heartwarming story of a boy that learns he can't live without the hard work of his farmer friends.

The Dirt Book: Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet

Spectacular vertical panoramas illustrating life underground accompany 15 funny, fascinating poems that explore dirt and the many creatures that make their homes underground. Spiders, earthworms, ants, chipmunks and more crawl across the pages, between stretching roots and buried stones. This unique celebration of dirt—what makes it, what lives in it, and the many wonderful things the soil does to support life on our planet—is a whimsical, cleverly-illustrated pick for kids who love animals...or who just love playing in the mud.

The Empty Pot

When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty. This simple story with its clear moral is illustrated with beautiful paintings. The story shows how Ping carefully plants his seed in a flowerpot with rich soil and waters it daily, but to his surprise it doesn't grow. The emperor later reveals that the seeds he'd provided had been cooked and could not grow. This book works well as an engagement approach to lessons on seeds for younger students.

The Extraordinary Gardener

Joe is a boy just like any other, but with a bigger imagination. Joe lives in an ordinary apartment building in a rather ordinary city. His world is rather gray. But he spends his time imagining a wonderful, colorful world filled with exotic plants and unusual animals. One day, Joe decides to plant a seed on his balcony. He waits and waits, but nothing happens! Joe gives up and returns to his daily life, but when he least expects it, he sees that the seed has taken root and turned into the most beautiful tree.

The Fruits We Eat

This book teaches accurate science about fruits and the production of fruits. It is a book of facts, examples, and illustrations. Facts taught include: How fruits are included in a healthy diet, different ways fruits are eaten, types of plants that grow fruit (tree, bush, vine, etc.), parts of a fruit, colors of fruit, and sweet fruits vs. tart fruits. The illustrations are very detailed and include many diagrams.

The Giant Carrot

A TALL tale about the power of teamwork. When sweet Little Isabelle's family plants a carrot seed one day, tall Papa Joe, wide Mama Bess, and strong Brother Abel all do their part. But when Little Isabelle wants to help too, Brother Abel just laughs. "What can you do," he asks. "I'll sing and dance to the carrot to make it grow," she says. "And come summer, we'll have little cups of sweet carrot puddin." Sure enough, that carrot takes a fancy to Little Isabelle's singing and dancing and grows to an amazing height, proving that great things can be accomplished when everyone works together. Based on an old Russian folktale, and complete with a scrumptious recipe for carrot puddin', this wonderfully humorous story shows the strength of teamwork and the power of a touch of imagination.

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin

When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe!

The Goat Lady

Although their neighbors bemoan the "Goat Lady's" rundown house and barnyard animals, the children see how she cares for her goats, they hear her stories, and they come to love her. For many years Noelie has provided goat's milk for people who need it and has sent her extra goat kids to poor people in poor countries through the Heifer Project. The children's mother paints a series of portraits of the "Goat Lady," and her art show at the local town hall helps the rest of the community see Noelie's kindness and courage.

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.

The Grapes of Wrath

*Recommended Common Core Reading First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads-driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity.

The Great American Dust Bowl

A speck of dust is a tiny thing. In fact, five of them could fit into the period at the end of this sentence. On a clear, warm Sunday, April 14, 1935, a wild wind whipped up millions upon millions of these specks of dust to form a duster—a savage storm—on America's high southern plains. The sky turned black, sand-filled winds scoured the paint off houses and cars, trains derailed, and electricity coursed through the air. Sand and dirt fell like snow. People got lost in the gloom and suffocated...and that was just the beginning. Don Brown brings the dirty thirties to life with kinetic, highly saturated, and lively artwork in this graphic novel about one of America's most catastrophic natural events: the Dust Bowl.

The Hen Who Sailed Around the World

Monique is a highly accomplished chicken: she surfs, she skateboards, and she just crossed the world on a tiny boat with her human companion, Guirec, who helped steer. On their three-year journey, together they were unstoppable. When they became stranded in the ice off Greenland for four months, Monique, unruffled as always, kept Guirec alive with her eggs—and they both made it home.

The Honeybee Man

This is the story of Fred, who raises honeybees on his roof in Brooklyn, New York. Fred watches his bees closely, sharing his observations of how they tend the hive, feed babies, and make wax rooms. He even imagines flying with the bees to find flowers. The engagingly illustrated story is full of facts about bees.

The Honeybee and the Robber

This moving/picture book follows an adventurous honeybee as she goes about her busy day, sipping nectar from flowers, avoiding hungry birds, and playing with butterflies. But when a robber bear comes looking for honey, all the bees must rush out to defend their home.

The Hundred-Year Barn

One hundred years ago, a little boy watched his family and community come together to build a grand red barn. This barn became his refuge and home—a place to play with friends and farm animals alike. As seasons passed, the barn weathered many storms. The boy left and returned a young man, to help on the farm and to care for the barn again. The barn has stood for one hundred years, and it will stand for one hundred more: a symbol of peace, stability, caring, and community.

The Journal of C.J. Jackson, a Dust Bowl Migrant

C.J. Jackson is a young farmer whose family is forced to abandon their farm and seek a new life in California during the Dust Bowl. This book tells his story in journal form, beginning with an entry about being bit by a rattlesnake and following his family's trek across the country from Oklahoma to California. Use this story to give students a personal perspective on an important historical event that continues to affect the way agriculture is practiced today.

The Life Cycle of a Pumpkin

How big can pumpkins grow? Why do pumpkins have very big leaves? What can we make with pumpkins? Explaining concepts through stunning photographs and simple text, Life Cycle of a Pumpkin takes an in-depth look at this familiar but fascinating plant.

The Life and Times of the Honeybee

Information about honeybees has never been more interesting. The text and illustrations perfectly complement one another in a concise presentation of facts about the insects both within and outside the hive. Their physical characteristics, division of labor, and role in pollination are fully described. Additional fascinating facts about a bee's year-round activities, the job of the beekeeper, the many products that contain beeswax, and ways honey has been used throughout history are included. Even the "tail-wagging dance" that directs bees to flower locations is simple to follow. There is no index, but a table of contents leads to specific topics. A book that is right on target for young readers.

The Life of a Potato

This charming and informative picture book follows a boy and his family through the process of growing and harvesting potatoes. In The Life of a Potato, the young reader is taken step-by-step through a plant's growth cycle. The beautiful drawings show readers where their food comes from. This book is a great companion to lessons on the life cycle of plants, farming, harvesting, and use of machines.

The Little Plant Doctor: A Story About George Washington Carver

If a flower drooped, George asked, "What's the matter? Too much sun? Too little sun?" He moved some plants from sun to shade and others from shade to sun. Nicknamed the Little Plant Doctor, George would try to find a remedy. Told in the voice of an old tree at the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri, this fictionalized biography provides an introduction to Carver's early life.

The Little Red Hen

This is the classic tale of the little red hen who asked, "Who will help plant this wheat?" "Not I," said the cat. "Not I," said the dog. "Not I," said the mouse. The little red hen does everything by herself including the eating of the entire cake! Use this story to teach young students about wheat and how it is grown, harvested, and turned into food.

The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza)

The story of the industrious Little Red Hen is not a new one, but when this particular hen spies a can of tomato sauce in her cupboard and decides to make a pizza, the familiar tale takes on a fresh new twist. Kids will love following along as the hen, with no help from her friends the duck, the dog, and the cat, goes through the steps of making a pizza - shopping for supplies, making the dough, and adding the toppings.

The Magic School Bus Gets Planted: A Book About Photosynthesis

Ms. Frizzle's class takes a trip into a nearby plant to find out what plants eat. Join the gang as they get to the root of the matter and learn all about a plant's private food factory.

The Magic School Bus Meets the Rot Squad: A Book About Decomposition

The students in Ms. Frizzle's class embark on another journey when the Magic School Bus tours a decomposing log that introduces the latter end of the life cycle and teaches readers that there's more to rot than meets the nose.

The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Robot Farm

Wanda proudly hosts this year's school harvest feast, but she was so busy promoting it she forgot to get the food! Luckily, Ralphie happens to know of a farm that grows the finest produce around, but there's a problem—he thinks it's haunted! There are tractors driven by ghosts, plants that climb walls, and so many robots! Could the spooky discoveries actually be helping the farm?

The Milk Makers

This 32-page book describes and illustrates the process of milk production from the care of the cows to the processing of the milk and each step in between.

The Most Magnificent Thing

A young girl sets her mind to creating the most magnificent thing! She has the plans in her head, gathers all the necessary materials, and builds her first prototype. However, her invention is not exactly what she had planned, and after repeated attempts at making her invention "magnificent," she quits. Her pet dog convinces her to walk away, and when she returns she tackles her project with renewed enthusiasm and conviction. The result—the most magnificent thing! This is a fun, educational look at the engineering design process.

The Perfect Barn

Have you ever wondered about the purpose or function of different types of barns? The Perfect Barn is a captivating story about an owl that searches for a barn that would meet her needs and tells the story about some of the modern-day uses of barns. In the book, the main character, Barn Owl, takes flight to find the perfect barn. On her journey, she discovers various types of barns and the animals that live there—chickens, pigs, dairy cows, and sheep. Will Barn Owl find the perfect barn? At the last farm, Barn Owl makes a great discovery.

The Pig War

In 1859, the British and Americans coexist on the small island of San Juan, located off the coast of the Pacific Norhwest. They are on fairly good terms—until one fateful morning when an innocent hog owned by a British man has the misfortune to eat some potatoes on an American farmer's land. In a moment of rash anger, Lyman Cutlar shoots Charles Griffin's pig, inadvertently almost bringing the two nations to war. Tensions flare, armies gather, cannons are rolled out...all because of a pig!

The Popcorn Book

Brothers Tiny and Tony are hungry for a snack, and their mother allows them to make some popcorn. The two boys learn about the history of popcorn in the Americas, how much popcorn is eaten on an annual basis, and methods of popping corn. Two recipes to pop corn are included in this book.

The Prized Pumpkin

Tori and Jade are best friends until a friendly competition to grow the most prized pumpkin nearly tears their friendship apart! Come along as they create plans, work with an agronomist and beekeeper, learn from their mistakes and successes all in an effort to grow weird, warty, and ginormous pumpkins. The summer of the prized pumpkin competition will be one Tori and Jade will never forget!

The Pumpkin Book

Big, small, round, tall—pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes. Here one learns the marvels of the growth cycle of these incredible plants—from flat seeds, to thick vines covered in golden flowers, to brilliant orange pumpkins! Gail Gibbons also relates the special role pumpkins played in the first Thanksgiving. Simple and clear directions for drying seeds, planting and tending pumpkin patches, and carving funny or scary faces are included in the book, along with a fascinating section on pumpkin facts and lore.

The Reason for a Flower

This book has large pictures and fun text to introduce scientific words in a simple way. The book teaches about stages of plant growth, flowers, and seeds.

The Scrambled States of America

One day, Kansas wakes up grumpy. The other 49 states are stretching, yawning, and pouring maple syrup onto each other's pancakes, but irritable Kansas announces to his neighbor Nebraska that life is dull and changes must be made. This fun book describes the initial excitement and new arrangements made when the states decide to trade places. Read the book to find out if they ever get back home in the right place.

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own. Here, he rolled dirt between his fingers to check if plants needed more rain or sun. He protected roots through harsh winters, so plants could be reborn in the spring. He trimmed flowers, spread soil, studied life cycles. And it was in this very place that George's love of nature sprouted into something so much more—his future.

The Shepherd's Trail

A wagon sits in the sagebrush-covered desert, while herders on horseback move sheep to high summer range. It looks like a scene from the Old West, but it's actually a sight you can see today. Shepherds still live in wagons, tending their flocks in Wyoming and other places in the American West just as they have done for more than a hundred years. From breeding season to lambing season, and shearing in between, this informative text filled with stunning photographs shows how sheep are raised over the course of a year. Use this book as an introduction for examining migrant workers and the importance of their contribution to the American economy or as a background text to provide context to lessons on wool or ranching.

The Story of Food: An Illustrated History of Everything We Eat

This glorious visual celebration of food in all its forms reveals the extraordinary cultural impact of the foods we eat, explores the early efforts of humans in their quest for sustenance, and tells the fascinating stories behind individual foods. With profiles of the most culturally and historically interesting foods of all types, from nuts and grains, fruits and vegetables, and meat and fish, to herbs and spices, this fascinating culinary historical reference provides the facts on all aspects of each food's unique story. Feature spreads shine a spotlight on influential international cuisines and the local foods that built them. The Story of Food explains how foods have become the cornerstone of our culture, from their origins to how they are eaten and their place in world cuisine.

The Story of Seeds

This nonfiction chapter book follows seeds from Mendel's garden to our plate. Discover how something as small as a seed can have a world-wide impact. From Iraq to India to an impenetrable seed vault in a Norwegian mountainside, this book speaks to the current ways we think about our food and how it is grown. Readers will discover just how important seeds are to the functioning of our global economy--and how much power we as a world-wide community have to keep seeds around, because once a seed disappears, it's gone forever. With both text and color photos, this book touches on subjects such as seed genetics, the development of new seed varieties, heirloom seeds, and GMO seeds. It also introduces readers to seed scientists such as Gregor Mendel, Luther Burbank, and Nikolai Vavilov.

The Summer My Father Was Ten

That was the summer the boy lost a baseball under a tomato plant in Mr. Bellavista's garden. And someone tossed a tomato back instead of a baseball. A lively battle took place, which seemes like great fun at the time, but in the end Mr. Bellavista's garden had been destroyed. In a touching story of one boy's efforts to make amends, we see the rebuilding of a garden and the forming of a relationship across generations.

The Surprise

A sheep shears, dyes, and spins her wool into a wonderful surprise. True to its title, this wordless story will keep readers wondering what "sheep" is up to. After taking some measurements, she realizes that she has enough wool on her body to suit her purposes. She dyes the wool red, shears it off, and, donning a sweater to warm herself, takes the wool to a poodle to be spun into yarn. The sheep then works late into the night, knitting and sewing. Obviously she is preparing something special–but what is it? The final page turn brings a satisfying resolution to the mystery. Even the very young will be able to follow the story by reading the illustrations. A fine addition for wordless-book collections.

The Sweetest Season

It's early springtime in the forest. The snow is melting, and the sweet maple trees are budding. That can only mean one thing; it's time to collect the sap and make some delicious maple syrup.

The Sweetwater Run: The Story of Buffalo Bill Cody and the Pony Express

In 1860, the only Pony Express job 13-year-old Will Cody could land was the "sweat and water run," taking care of the tired and thirsty ponies. But one chilly November morning, Will has his big chance. The news of the U.S. presidential election has been entrusted to the pony boys, and from the looks of it, only Will would be able to get the mail through. But should he risk his own safety and the wrath of his boss, the Terrible Slade, and ride himself?

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Follow the tale of Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor's garden. This book was named the second best-selling children's book of all time by Publishers Weekly.

The Thing About Bees: A Love Letter

A love poem from a father to his two sons, and a tribute to the bees that pollinate the foods we love to eat. "Sometimes bees can be a bit rude. They fly in your face and prance on your food." And yet...without bees, we might not have strawberries for shortcakes or avocados for tacos! Children are introduced to different kinds of bees, "how not to get stung," and how the things we fear are often things we don't fully understand.

The Things You'll Grow: Agriculture Careers for Little Big Dreamers

Join Cas, Kanga Blue, and their new friend Tillie on an adventure through a wide range of agriculture careers as they imagine the exciting things they might do someday. Agriculture is the backbone of society, and it goes far beyond farming or ranching. In The Things You'll Grow, young readers get a firsthand glimpse of how multiple fields are connected to agriculture: culinary, technology, aviation, engineering, supply chain, and conservation, to name a few. This light-hearted adventure encourages children's interest in career and technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The Tiny Seed

The Tiny Seed tells the story of the life cycle of a flower, beginning with a tiny seed.

The Tortilla Factory

Beautiful illustrations and a simple story tell how corn is planted and processed to provide the ingredients for the tortilla factory. The story comes full circle as the corn tortillas nourish the workers that return to the field to plant another year's crop.

The Tree Farmer

Challenged by his grandson as to how he can grow beautiful trees only to cut them down, the tree farmer shares his knowledge and understanding of trees as a renewable resource. He also shares his love of the products trees provide and how they touch the souls of the people whose lives they grace. Written about the family tree farm of the Rolling Stones' keyboardist, Chuck Leavell, the author shares his second life as a tree farmer. This is a book that shares a farmer's love of the land and the wise use of its resources.

The Ugly Vegetables

A Chinese-American girl wishes for a garden of bright flowers instead of one full of bumpy, ugly vegetables. The neighbors' gardens look so much prettier and so much more inviting to the young gardener than the garden of "black-purple-green vines, fuzzy wrinkled leaves, prickly stems, and a few little yellow flowers" that she and her mother grow. Nevertheless, mother assures her that "these are better than flowers." Come harvest time, everyone agrees as those ugly Chinese vegetables become the tastiest, most aromatic soup they have ever known. As the neighborhood comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetable soup, the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose.

The Vegetable Alphabet Book

A wonderful blend of facts and humor make learning about vegetable gardening fun and easy for children. The wonderful, accurate illustrations guide children through a variety of vegetables and terms from A to Z relating to vegetable gardening.

The Very Oldest Pear Tree

In the 1630s in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a Puritan settler planted a pear tree—the first pear tree in America. More than a century later, the tree still bore fruit, impressing a famous poet and one of the first US presidents. The pear tree survived hurricanes, fire, and vandalism, and today, more than 350 years after it was first planted, it's alive and strong, and clones of it grow all around the US. This is the amazing true story of the Endicott Pear tree, and how it grew up with our nation.

The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation

Underneath the New Mexico sky, a Navajo boy named Cody finds that his family's barrels of water are empty. He checks the chicken coop—nothing. He walks down the road to the horses' watering hole—dry. Meanwhile, a few miles away, Darlene Arviso drives a school bus and picks up students for school. After dropping them off, she heads to another job: she drives her big yellow tanker truck to the water tower, fills it with three thousand gallons of water, and returns to the reservation, bringing water to Cody's family, and many, many, others. Here is the incredible and inspiring true story of a Native American woman who continuously gives back to her community and celebrates her people.

The Wheat Doll

Mary Ann lives in the rugged territory of Utah, doing daily chores such as tending the vegetable garden and braiding rags into rugs. Her best friend is her beloved homemade wheat-filled doll, Betty. One day, a severe storm forces Mary Ann's family into their cabin before she can retrieve her doll from the garden. When the wind and rain finally subside, she is heartbroken to find that Betty is gone. When winter turns to spring, Mary Ann makes a surprising discovery, some wheat growing in the shape of her doll! She carefully tends to the wheat through the summer and eventually makes a new doll. An afterword by the author reveals the story of the real-life Mary Ann and her doll, the inspiration for The Wheat Doll.

The Year at Maple Hill Farm

In January, the cows stay in the barnyard, and the chickens don't lay many eggs. By March, you can tell spring is coming: the barn is filled with baby animals. Month by month, the animals at Maple Hill Farm sense the changing seasons and respond to the changes.

They're Off! The Story of the Pony Express

In 1860, with North and South about to be divided by war, East and West were united through an extraordinary venture—the Pony Express. Over the course of ten days in April, eighty riders and five hundred horses delivered mail between California and Missouri—a mission that took three weeks by stagecoach. Although it existed for only a year and a half, the Pony Express remains a legendary chapter in American history and a symbol of the bold, adventurous character of the Old West.

This Land Is Your Land

Since its debut in the 1940s, Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" has become one of the best-loved folk songs in America. This classic ballad is now brought to life in a richly illustrated edition. Kathy Jakobsen's detailed paintings, which invite readers on a journey across the country, create an unforgettable portrait of our diverse land and the people who live it.

This Year's Garden

Follow the seasons of the year as reflected in the growth, life, and harvest of the garden of a large rural family.

This is the Sunflower

First there is a sunflower. Seasons pass...and soon there is a patch of sunflowers. Budding young gardeners will discover that what makes this happen is not magic—but is most definitely magical.

Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation

Thomas Jefferson was more than a president and patriot. He was also a planter and gardener who loved to watch things grow—everything from plants and crops to even his brand-new nation. As minister to France, Jefferson promoted all things American, sharing corn and pecans with his Parisian neighbors. As secretary of state, he encouraged his fellow farmers to grow olives, rice, and maple trees. In this meticulously researched picture book for older readers, author Peggy Thomas uncovers Jefferson’s passion for agriculture and his country. And Stacy Innerst’s incredibly original illustrations offer the right balance of reverence and whimsy. Back matter includes an author’s note on Jefferson’s legacy today; timeline, bibliography; place to visit (Monticello); and source notes.

Thunder Cake

A loud clap of thunder booms, and rattles the windows of Grandma's old farmhouse. "This is Thunder Cake baking weather," calls Grandma, as she and her granddaughter hurry to gather the ingredients around the farm. A real Thunder Cake must reach the oven before the storm arrives. But the list of ingredients is long and not easy to find...and the storm is coming closer all the time! Reaching into her childhood experience, Patricia Polacco tells the memorable story of how her grandma—her Babushka—helped her overcome her fear of thunder when she was a little girl. Whether the first clap of thunder finds you buried under the bedcovers or happily anticipating the coming storm, Thunder Cake is a story that will bring new meaning and possibility to the excitement of a thunderstorm.

Thunder Rose

One hopelessly stormy night, an especially hopeful child was born. She became known as Thunder Rose. Right from the start, Rose decided she would do more than just grow up to be good and strong, thank you very kindly! And, indeed she does. Rose grows up to soothe the rankest of beasts and subdue the wiliest of outlaws. With her trusty steer, Tater, at her side, there seems to be no mountain too high and no desert too dry for Rose. But when a whirling storm on a riotous rampage threatens, has Rose finally met her match? Don't be too sure. Wrought from the thunderous voice of Jerdine Nolen, and forged under the smoldering touch of Kadir Nelson, Thunder Rose is a heroine with more mettle than we've ever seen before.

Thunderstorm

Thunderstorm follows the course of a storm through midwestern farm country minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, from late morning into late afternoon. Other than the timeline that runs along the bottom border of the illustrations, there is no text. The images in the book, which form one continuous illustration, render the colors and landscapes of the American heartland in exquisite color and detail.

Tillie Lays an Egg

Unlike the other hens at Little Pond Farm, Tillie isn’t one to wait her turn to lay her eggs. And she’s certainly not one to stay cooped up all day. Off she goes! Author Terry Golson and photographer Ben Fink invite you to join Tillie on her first eggs-straordinary adventure. Come along as she explores the cozy world of Little Pond Farm—and lays her eggs in the unlikeliest of places! This book is perfect for engaging young students.

Time for Cranberries

From the cranberry bog to the Thanksgiving table, join Sam and his family as they harvest a classic American fruit. When the vines hang heavy with berries that the autumn winds have turned deep red, it's time for cranberries, and Sam is finally old enough to help with the harvest! This charming, lyrical picture book follows Sam and his family as they raise the water in the bog, pick the cranberries, and gather the fruit for processing. It's a story of modern family farming in action, showing readers where their food comes from but mostly delighting them along the way. This book is a great companion to lessons on farming, harvesting, use of machines, Thanksgiving, or cranberries.

To Market, To Market

Alternating between story and fact, this picture book follows a mother and son to the weekly market. As they check off items on their shopping list, the reader learns how each particular food was grown or produced, from its earliest stages to how it ended up at the market. To Market, To Market is a book that shines awareness on the skill that goes into making good food.

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.

Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn and Beans

This excellent book describes how foods from North and South America changed eating around the world. It focuses on corn, beans, peppers, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, and chocolate but also includes other foods that originated in the Americas. Can you imagine Italian food without the tomato? Indian curries without the pepper? German or Irish food without the potato? Corn is now the most widely grown grain in the world. This book details the history of those transitions and is illustrated with historic artwork and modern photos. For anyone wishing to understand the real gold found in America, this book is an essential read.

Tops & Bottoms

The story of a lazy bear and a conniving hare as they learn about plants that have food on the "top" and plants that have food on the "bottom." This elementary level book is an entertaining story to teach children about the parts of plants that some of their food comes from.

Trax the Tractor and His Farming Friends

A story about the love of farming, along with the challenges and hardships that come with it. Take a look into Trax's world and see what a typical year looks like for a grain farmer in the Midwest.

Try It! How Frieda Caplan Changed the Way We Eat

Meet fearless Frieda Caplan—the produce pioneer who changed the way Americans eat by introducing exciting new fruits and vegetables, from baby carrots to blood oranges to kiwis. In 1956, Frieda Caplan started working at the Seventh Street Produce Market in Los Angeles. Instead of competing with the men in the business with their apples, potatoes, and tomatoes, Frieda thought, why not try something new? Starting with mushrooms, Frieda began introducing fresh and unusual foods to her customers—snap peas, seedless watermelon, mangos, and more! This groundbreaking woman brought a whole world of delicious foods to the United States, forever changing the way we eat. Frieda Caplan was always willing to try something new—are you?

Tuttle's Red Barn: The Story of America's Oldest Family Farm

In 1632, John Tuttle set sail from England to Dover, New Hampshire. There he set up a farm on seven acres of land. From those humble beginnings the Tuttle family story became America's story. As the Tuttle's passed down the farm, along the way they witnessed the settlement and expansion of New England; they fought in the American Revolution; they helped runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad and sold maple syrup to Abraham Lincoln; they bought the first Model T in Dover; and they transformed the old barn into the thriving country store it is today.

Two Old Potatoes and Me

One day at her dad's house, a young girl finds two old potatoes in the cupboard. "Gross." But before she can throw them away, her dad suggests they try to grow new potatoes from the old ones, which have sprouted eyes. Told from May to September, the potato-growing season, the story includes all the basic steps for growing potatoes while subtly dealing with the parents' recent divorce. Just like the new potatoes that emerge from ugly old potatoes, this dad and daughter move on and make a new life together in the face of unavoidable and unpleasant change.

UnBEElievables

This book pairs facts about honey bees with fun, engaging poems and colorful illustrations. Through 14 clever poems the book explores topics ranging from bee anatomy to the role of the queen bee to making honey.

Uncle John's City Garden

Visiting the city from her home in the suburbs, an African American girl sees how a few packets of seeds, some helping hands, and hard work transform an empty lot in a housing project into a magical place where vegetables grow and family gathers. It's the magic of nature in the heart of the city! Bernette Ford's autobiographical story is a loving glimpse at a girl, her siblings, and her uncle, and their shared passion for farming. L'il Sissy's fascination with measurement, comparison, and estimation introduces children to STEM concepts. And the progress of Uncle John's garden introduces readers to the life cycle of plants.

Under Your Feet: Soil, Sand and Everything Underground

Under Your Feet delves beneath the Earth's surface and explores the diverse wonders hidden there. Encounter creatures of the deep and marvel at the mind-boggling size of the humongous fungus—the biggest organism in the world. Learn how one handful of ordinary soil contains more organisms than there are people on Earth, and carry out experiments using dirt from your own back garden.

Unearthing Garden Mysteries: Experiments for Kids

Kids will learn all about the fascinating world of plants, while using the scientific method, performing more than 20 classroom-tested projects.

Unraveling Fibers

Clear, colorful photographs and detailed drawings delve into the sources of our clothes, tablecloths, sheets, towels, and blankets. The authors describe a variety of fibers used to make cloth and how these fibers are collected.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

Up in the garden, the world is full of green—leaves and sprouts, growing vegetables, ripening fruit. But down in the dirt there is a busy world of earthworms digging, snakes hunting, skunks burrowing, and all the other animals that make a garden their home. Discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves...and down in the dirt.

Up, Down, and Around

From seeds dropping into soil to corn bursting from its stalks, from children chasing butterflies to ants burrowing underground, everything in this vibrant picture book pulses with life—in all directions! Sprightly illustrations set the mood for a rhythmic text that follows nature's course to a feast of backyard bounty.

Up, Up, Up! It's Apple-Picking Time

Read the story of Myles and Amber as they wake up early to visit Grandma and Grandpa's California apple orchard. They pick apples all day long, make apple cider, and snack on fresh apple pie. Before they know it, apple-picking time is over and apple-selling time has begun. This warmhearted story brings three generations of a family together to celebrate and share in the working of a fall harvest.

Vegetable Garden

In this colorful picture book even very young students can follow along with a family as they plant, tend, and harvest a vegetable garden. The sun shines brightly, summer rain falls, and vegetables grow and ripen. For Pre-K through 1st grade this book makes a nice introduction to gardening and related activities or lessons.

Warm as Wool

When Betsy Ward's family moves to Ohio from Connecticut in 1803, she brings along a sock-full of coins to buy sheep so that she can gather wool, spin cloth, and make clothes to keep her children warm. Based upon a true story.

Water is Water

This spare, poetic picture book follows a group of kids as they move through all the different phases of the water cycle. From rain to fog to snow to mist, Miranda Paul and Jason Chin combine to create a beautiful and informative journey in this innovative nonfiction picture book that will leave you thirsty for more.

Water, Weed, and Wait

When Miss Marigold challenges the kids at Pepper Lane Elementary to turn an unpromising patch of their schoolyard into a garden full of fruits, flowers, and vegetables, they know they'll need all the help they can get. Soon everyone in the community is lending a hand—including an unlikely neighbor with a soft spot for gardening—and it isn't long before peppers, zucchini, sugar peas, snapdragons, zinnias, and much more are growing and blooming. The book includes photos of students gardening in real school gardens and information on how readers can start their own school or home garden project.

Water: Sources, Use, Conservation

This 32-page book is perfect for any lesson on water. It contains informative text, pictures, and facts. Learn about the importance of water as well as the states, supply, and availability of it. Learn about the water cycle, rain, water tables, irrigation, and how water is used in agriculture. The book also includes numerous activities, websites, and other resources for teachers.

Watercress

Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road. Grabbing an old paper bag and some rusty scissors, the whole family wades into the muck to collect as much of the muddy, snail covered watercress as they can. At first, she's embarrassed. Why can't her family get food from the grocery store? But when her mother shares a story of her family's time in China, the girl learns to appreciate the fresh food they foraged. Together, they make a new memory of watercress.

We Are the Gardeners

The Gaines family (from HGTV's Fixer Upper) chronicles the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything), and all of the knowledge they gain along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden.

We Dig Worms!

What do worms do all day? How do they see? And why are they so cold and squishy? Find out by going on an underground tour through the hidden world of earthworms. Discover what's happening inside a worm's body—brain, crop, gizzard, and more. The book takes readers from "ew!" to "wow!" as they learn about the different ways worms work hard to help the earth.

Weather Words and What They Mean

Everyone talks about weather, but what does it all mean? Weather Words and What They Mean explains the origins of fog, clouds, frost, thunderstorms, snow fronts, hurricanes, etc., reinforcing the explanations with clear, well-labeled drawings and diagrams. Best of all, the book features a fun list of weird weather facts!

Weaving the Rainbow

How do you make a rainbow? If you are a weaver you can make a rainbow with wool. If you are a sheep you can BE a rainbow! This book is filled with lovely watercolor illustrations that show the process of tending the sheep, shearing their wool, spinning the wool, using natural dyes, and weaving the colored yarn into a piece of art.

Weslandia

Wesley suffers rejection from classmates until he puts his school lessons to use and founds his own civilization around a staple crop that blows in on the wind. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. Wesley's innovations make a perfect tie-in for teaching about goods and services in the community and how agriculture creates jobs and influences development. His whimsical garden is also sure to pique students curiosity about growing plants, making this a nice introduction to any plant-related lesson.

What's For Lunch?

Every day, all over the world children eat together at school. Use this book to help children compare and contrast school lunch in different countries and cultures. Each page has a photograph of a typical lunch along with a detailed description about the menu and what school lunch is like. This book will help your students "visit" school lunch in France, Mexico, Kenya, Canada, Brazil, Russia, Peru, America, and more.

What's Inside a Flower?

Budding backyard scientists can start exploring their world with this stunning introduction to these flowery show-stoppers—from seeds to roots to blooms. Learning how flowers grow gives kids beautiful building blocks of science and inquiry. Rachel Ignotofsky's distinctive art style and engaging, informative text clearly answers any questions a child (or adult) could have about flowers.

What's in the Garden?

Good food doesn't begin on a store shelf with a box. It comes from a garden bursting with life, color, smells, sunshine, moisture, birds, and bees! Healthy food becomes much more interesting when children know where it comes from. So what's in a garden? Children will find a variety of fruits and vegetables and a tasty, kid-friendly recipe for each one to start a lifetime of good eating. A "Food for Thought" section explains facts about each fruit and vegetable, and a "How Does Your Garden Grow?" section explains facts about gardening and the parts of plants.

Whatever Happened to the Pony Express?

When the Pony Express came along, it cut the time it took to send a letter across the country in half. But only a year and a half later, with the arrival of the transcontinental telegraph lines, it was put right out of business. Along with a family's story told through cross country letters, Verla Kay uses her trademark short, rhythmic verse to pack in loads of information about how the Pony Express came to be and why it didn't last.

When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree

When grandma gives you a lemon tree, definitely don't make a face! Care for the tree, and you might be surprised at how new things, and new ideas, bloom.

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.

When the Bees Fly Home

Young Jonathan, the son of a beekeeper, isn't sturdy enough to help his dad with some of the farmwork, but when his mom stays up late one night to make beeswax candles, he puts his own skills to work modeling small wax animals and insects to decorate the candles - which sell out quickly at the farmer's market. Bee facts buzz through this very human story about a child trying to please his father.

Where Did My Clothes Come From?

Did you know that the cotton for your jeans was picked from a plant? How did the colorful wool in your sweater get from a sheep’s back to a ball of yarn? Where did your soccer uniform, your rain boots, and your fleece jacket come from? And what does recycling plastic bottles have to do with anything? This book will take you to visit farms, forests, and factories all over the world to find out how everything you wear has a story behind it. The fabrics covered include denim, wool, and synthetics, and suggestions on how to recycle or repurpose old clothes are also provided.

Where Does Food Come From?

This book is all about making food connections. Each spread introduces a different food. The first spread explains that cocoa beans are seeds that grow on cocoa trees, chocolate is produced by grinding and cooking cocoa beans, and hot chocolate is made from chocolate. Children who have never thought about the origins of maple syrup or salt will have their eyes opened in a way that makes them think about how other products come to their lives.

Who Grew My Soup?

Who Grew My Soup? tells the story of young Phineas Quinn and his questions about the vegetable soup his mom serves for lunch.

Wiggling Worms at Work

Crawling through the dirt, worms are hard at work. Worms help the fruit and vegetables we eat by loosening the soil and feeding the plants. Read and find out about these wiggling wonders!

Wild Rose's Weaving

Rose’s grandmother wants to teach Rose how to weave, but Rose is enjoying the beautiful day outside far too much to come in and learn. It is not until Grandma shows Rose how she has woven the elements of nature into her rug that Rose wants to create a rug of her own. But now Grandma has spied a rainbow. Hand in hand, she and Rose head outside, and the next day, that rainbow reappears in Rose's own rug.

Winter on the Farm

Winter has come to the Wilder family farm in upstate New York. Almanzo goes through his afternoon barn chores, and then sits down to eat a hearty farm supper with his family. An illustrated adaptation of Farmer Boy from the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Working Cotton

Working Cotton describes the long days of work in a cotton field from the view of a child in a migrant family. Shelan describes how her parents, brothers, and sisters arrive at the cotton fields before dawn and work until night to harvest cotton.

You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Dirt!

Without dirt, or soil, life would have developed differently and we humans probably wouldn't be here at all. Soil supplies a surprising variety of raw materials for making things and provides the foundation for growing the plants that feed us. This book is full of information about the ways soil has been used by humans over the centuries. Each spread highlights a different topic, including types of soil, life in the soil, growing plants, soil erosion, and protecting soil resources for the future. Many sections also include suggestions for activities that can be used to further explore soil in the classroom.

You Wouldn't Want to be a Pony Express Rider!

It's 1860 and a new mail company is looking for riders. You are the son of a pioneer family, living in Kansas Territory. You read an ad for a direct mail delivery service. How do you survive the 1,966 miles of the Pony Express?

You're Aboard Spaceship Earth

This attractive picture book enlarges on the metaphor "spaceship Earth," explaining that just as the space shuttle carries all the food, water, and oxygen the astronauts need, Earth carries all the food (minerals), water, and oxygen we need. It demonstrates the water, mineral, and oxygen cycles, showing that Earth makes a great spaceship, but tells readers that "our job is to keep it that way."

Zee Grows a Tree

On the morning little Zee Cooper is born, a Douglas-fir seedling emerges from the nursery bed at her family's Christmas tree farm. As Zee and the tree grow up together, they experience many of the same milestones. When Zee starts preschool, her tree is ready to start life outside the nursery. As Zee outgrows all her clothes, her tree grows taller, too. When Zee gets a whole new look for kindergarten, her tree gets a spiffy transformation as well. And as the years go on, Zee takes loving care of her tree, watering it through heat waves and protecting it from winter winds. Combining interesting details about how trees are grown and cared for on a farm with the sweet story of a friendship between a girl and her special tree, Zee Grows a Tree offers a blend of fiction and nonfiction that will draw the interest of young nature lovers everywhere.

Zinnia and Dot

This the story of two feuding hens who lose all but one egg to a weasel that sneaks in while they're busy squabbling. Now they really have something to fight about. Whose is the egg that's left? Will friendship triumph over vanity? Use this book to engage young students before a lesson on chickens, eggs, or embryology.

Zora's Zucchini

Booklet/Reader

#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.

4R Reader

Use this free, downloadable reader from the Nutrient for Life Foundation to supplement a soil lesson. Students will learn about the 4 Rs of soil nutrient management: right source, right rate, right time, and right place.

Adventures in Agriculture Coloring Book

Get a glimpse inside some of the STEM career paths available in agriculture and see women in STEM. Edition 1 is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Edition 2 is available in English and Spanish.

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.

AgBadging Field Guide

The AgBadging Field Guide will lead you through an exciting exploration of agriculture—what you eat, wear, and use every day. Throughout your journey, you will have the opportunity to earn five different badges—Agriculture & the Environment, Plants & Animals, Food & Health, Technology & Engineering, and Geography & Culture. The AgBadging Field Guide was developed for youth ages 8-11. Preview the digital version of the field guide here. Order field guides online from agclassroomstore.com.

Biotech in Focus

Use this monthly bulletin as a companion resource for secondary lessons about DNA, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and many other related topics. Each 2-page bulletin addresses current topics in biotechnology including the development and safety of GM crops, GMO product labeling, plant breeding, GMOs and human healthy, and many more.

Christmas Tree Ag Mag

The Christmas Tree Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students will learn about the origin of the Christmas tree tradition, discover different varieties of evergreen trees, identify pests that can damage trees, explore careers, and other fun facts. The ag mag includes specific statistics for North Carolina, the 2nd largest producer of Christmas trees. Visit the Interactive Map webpage to discover if your state produces Christmas trees. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.

Climate Change Phenomena e-Magazine

This digital e-magazine gives students the ability to explore the connections carbon, climate, and weather have to our food supply. With interactive links, students can discover how climate and weather impact our food supply, where carbon is found and how it is cycled, what climate change is, and how adaptations and mitigations can help as we face climate change.

Cotton Reader

A four-page student reader examines how cotton is grown, its agricultural importance, product evolution, and economic importance. It can be easily printed for individual or small group use in the classroom.

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.

Farming for Energy e-magazine

A 5-page interactive magazine to help students study the science of energy and energy conversion. What is energy? Where can we collect energy and how? Can farms produce energy? What is biomass energy? These questions and more are answered.

Food and Farm Facts Booklet

The 2021 Food and Farm Facts series features interesting and educational facts about food in America - how and where it is grown, and who produces it. Color photographs and USA Today-style graphics illustrate the many fascinating facets of today’s agriculture. The series includes a 32-page book with map insert.

Food and Farm Facts Junior Booklet

Questions about agriculture are not always easy to answer. Answering the questions children have is important as it helps them understand where their food, fiber, and energy comes from. Food and Farm Facts Junior takes questions many children have and provides a simple way of understanding farming practices and contributions. It gives children an answer and opens the door for more exploration.

Fun With the Plant Nutrient Team Student Activity Book

24-page activity book full of activities, games, and puzzles to accompany the "Fun With the Plant Nutrient Team" lessons. Teachers can request this free resource from the Nutrients for Life Foundation.

Jr. Sprout - Communities and Help Wanted

Can a farm produce goods and services to make a pizza? Why of course it can. This booklet provides an activity that can be used to teach the difference between goods and services and help students discover that a farmer is not the only job on a farm. The student will learn that a mechanic, truck driver, and scientist all help the farmer produce and utilize resources to create the foods we eat.

Jr. Sprout - Funky Foods

Blue tomatoes, red bananas, and green oranges - is this possible? Yes, it is with the help and knowledge of farmers and scientists. Changes in color or taste made to fruits and vegetables can create healthier foods. This booklet an activity and provides colorful images and information regarding healthy fruits and vegetables through standards of science, math and English.

Jr. Sprout - Gardening

From seed to plate, this booklet provides an activity to examine the natural resources needed to grow vegetables and flowers, their life cycle, along with plant parts and their functions. The booklet covers science, math, and English standards in the form of engaging questions, counting and measurement activities, and drawings.

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.

Oh, Scrap

A digital agricultural reader for 6th-8th grade students to investigate the global impacts of food waste. Students will discover the difference between food waste and food loss, understand where food waste and loss occurs along the food commodity chain, and recognize the economic, social, and environmental impacts of food waste.

Pork Ag Mag

The Pork Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students learn about the history of domesticated pigs, the life cycle of a pig, careers, fun facts, and more. This ag mag includes specific statistics for North Carolina, the 2nd largest pork producing state. Visit the Interactive Map to discover where your state ranks in pork production. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.

Poultry Reader

This printable four-page reader is packed with information about chickens, turkeys, and other poultry. Use this reader to share information about the parts of an egg, poultry-related careers, the diets of chickens, and more.

Pumpkin Reader

Use this 4-page reader for students to self-discover facts about pumpkins. What are pumpkins? Topics include: Pumpkin vocabulary, plant anatomy, pumpkin history, varieties of pumpkins, and more.

Renewable vs Nonrenewable vs Inexhaustible Resources e-magazine

An interactive digital e-magazine describing the differences between renewable, nonrenewable, and inexhaustible resources.

SOIL Reader

This 18-page downloadable PDF reader contains activities and articles to enhance lessons on soil. The reader features an interview with an agriculture engineer and includes puzzles, quizzes, and visuals. The student reader and teacher guide are available free from the Nutrients for Life Foundation.

Sprout 2 - Careers

Do you have students that believe Agriculture only provides careers for farmers? This activity booklet defines agriculture and examines careers within the industry that include agricultural engineers, dairy farmers, turf scientist, veterinarians, and many more that are important but rarely discussed. The booklet also includes questions and activities for student engagement that builds vocabulary and knowledge.

Strawberry Ag Mag

The Strawberry Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students learn about the history of the strawberry, hybridization, the life cycle and anatomy of the strawberry plant, careers, and more. The reader can be viewed by students electronically on individual devices, as a class with a projector, or printed.

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.

Under Your Feet: Exploring Soil Science

Written for first and second grade, this activity reader introduces soil, plant nutrients, and their role in producing food. The digital booklet contains an experiential learning activity, a letter from a farmer, practice with categorizing food, and discussions about where food comes from. This student reader is free and available by request from the Nutrients for Life Foundation.

Kit

About Farm Animals Mini Kit

This kit contains a one-page coloring and activity sheet for kindergarten and first-grade-age students, complete with wool, felt, grain and other feed samples for students to paste into place. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

About...Books

If you are a teacher who creates educational books with your children, try creating the About Cattle, About Sheep, About Chickens, About Pigs, and About Goats books. Some of the books provide pages ready to color, others require the names of the animals be written, and other pages ask students to glue down feed samples or wool products. The books provide an opportunity to talk about animal needs, uses, offspring, seasonal changes, etc. The package of materials includes ready-to-copy booklet masters and enough samples of wool, hay, straw, cattle, pig, and chicken feed for the entire class to create the booklets. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Aeroponic Garden Kit

Aeroponics' is a plant cultivation technique where plant roots are suspended in the air and misted with a nutrient and water solution. The Aeroponic Garden Kit provides everything except a 5-gallon bucket for students to create their own aeroponic garden. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Alfalfa Seeds

The life cycle of a flowering plant begins with a seed. Alfalfa seeds are easy to sprout and grow in the classroom. Sprout these seeds in a jar, glove, or even an egg shell filled with soil. Order these seeds online from agclassroomstore.com.

Arduino Controlled Relay

Using a relay allows an Arduino microcontroller to power a high voltage object. This kit contains what you need to build a relay that can be used to control a grow light or a sprinkler in an aeroponics system. Use this system to replace the timer included in the SpaceLite (Plant Light) Kit and the Classroom Aquaponics Kit. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Beeswax Lip Balm Kit

Beeswax is a valuable by-product of honey harvesting. Beeswax is used in the production of candles, cosmetics, artists’ materials, electronics, lubricants, polishes, inks, and paints. This kit includes common ingredients used to make beeswax lip balm. Kit contains enough supplies for 36 tubes of lip balm. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Beeswax Modeling Clay Kit

Stimulate your students’ creativity with beeswax modeling clay. This kit contains the recipe and enough beeswax, coconut oil, and lanolin to make 36 portions of all-natural modeling clay that softens with the warmth of your hands. Beeswax clay can be reused again and again. Containers are included for storage. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Biotech Cheese Kit

Make cheese in your classroom using the same fast methods as industry. This kit includes the recipe to make cheese (also available to download), cheesecloth, and two different types of rennet - one from an organic animal source and one from a genetically modified yeast source. You add water, powdered milk, and buttermilk. This is a great activity for exploring enzymes and chemistry as well as the benefits and concerns surrounding genetic modification. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Bitter/Sweet Cucumber Taste Test

Having a cucumber taste test in your classroom can be informative and fun. This kit contains bitter cucumber seeds and non-bitter cucumber seeds. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Blue's the Clue

We're spoiling milk for science! This kit provides your students with the chance to experiment with different variables that affect something most of them drink every day. This experiment can be used to model the scientific process or to get kids thinking about how scientists and quality control workers keep them safe and healthy every day. The kit includes six test tubes with caps, one test tube stand, a bottle of methylene blue, a carton of UHT milk, and instructions. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Career Trek Game

Career Trek is an interactive game for up to four players. The object of the game is for students to be able to name 10 careers in agriculture and natural resources. The kit includes 10 game boards for a classroom of 40 middle school students. Order this game online from agclassroomstore.com.

Chicken Genetics Matching Cards

Each breed of chicken has specific genes which indicate what it will look like, how many eggs it will produce, how large its body will be, etc. Use the Chicken Genetics Matching Cards to discover the basic genetic characteristics found in various breeds of chickens. This kit includes 8 matching cards, 8 description cards, and an answer key. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Classroom Aquaponics Kit

Investigate the basic needs of plants and fish and discover how plants, animals, and bacteria interact in a symbiotic system by assembling, maintaining, and observing a small-scale aquaponics system. This kit contains clear tubs, an overflow drain kit, a submersible fountain pump, flexible tubing, a plastic bell siphon container, expanded clay pellets, a light bulb, a timer, ammonium chloride, a water test kit, an aquarium thermometer, seed paper, fish food, a fish net, an aquarium cave, and assembly and maintenance instructions. This kit complements the Exploring Aquaponics lessons. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Cotton Boll Kit

Help your students understand how the fiber in their clothing, towels, and sheets comes from cotton plants. The seeds must be removed from the cotton fibers to make cloth. This process is called ginning (after Eli Whitney's cotton gin; gin is short for engine). The cotton bolls in this kit may be hand ginned, or dissected, allowing students to experience the process of hand ginning, understand the significance of the cotton gin, and explain how machines help us today to be more productive. Each kit contains a classroom set of individually wrapped cotton bolls. Each cotton boll can easily be pulled apart into four distinct sections so that a group of four students may use one cotton boll. Teacher Note: The purpose of this activity is to investigate cotton, the process of hand ginning cotton, and the impacts of the cotton gin. Adjusting this investigation into a role-play or simulation of a slave activity is absolutely discouraged. In addition, no student should be required to participate in hand ginning cotton. We recommend consulting your administrator and/or communicating with parents prior to presenting this lesson. You may want to consider ginning as a teacher demonstration if you anticipate tension or uncomfortable feelings. For more information concerning teaching about the history of African Enslavement, refer to research conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Center Teaching Hard History: American Slavery. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Cotton Education Kit

This Cotton Education Kit is designed for students, teachers and anyone who is interested in learning about cotton. This kit can be used by educators as a companion to any lesson about cotton in the subjects of science, geography, history, or agriculture science. The kit includes cotton seed with planting instructions, cotton boll from the farm, cottonseed separated from raw cotton, cotton lint separated by removing seeds, cotton bale that is sent to mills, cotton sliver that makes yarn, cotton yarn used to make cloth, denim representing the final product, and the Cotton in the Classroom brochure with lesson plan ideas.

Countdown to Hatch

Build suspense and get a sneak peek at embryo development inside a fertile egg with this colorful embryology kit. The kit contains 21 plastic eggs. Inside of each egg is a laminated picture and detailed developmental description of the chick growing inside. One egg should be opened on each day of the 21-day chick hatching cycle to give students an exciting look at the mysterious process that happens inside the egg. This kit can be used on its own but also makes a great complement to a classroom hatching project. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Crazy About Corn

This is a lively, fun-filled elementary education kit, including an educator's guide, activity books, a video, and free songs that will keep students interested while learning about pattern recognition, memory, counting, alphabetizing, geography, agriculture, and elementary scientific concepts. Use these resources to show students how amazing plants can be.

Desktop Greenhouses Kit

Do plants need light? Investigate the importance of light to plants by growing and comparing plants in light and dark desktop greenhouses. Kit includes clear plastic cups with lids, black plastic cups, black electrical tape, black card stock, Jiffy 7 peat pellets, alfalfa seeds, white 5mm LED lights, and 3-volt coin cell batteries for a classroom of students working in groups of two. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Farm Animals 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 resources: Animal or Plant?; Animal Life Cycles (Activity 2); About Farm Animals Mini Kit; Hatching Science with Classroom Chicks (Activity 3); Baa, Ram, Ewe...Sheep Tales (Activity 3). Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Farming in a Glove

Grow your own farm in a glove! This kit contains instructions and enough materials for a classroom of students to plant five different seeds in the fingers of a food handler's glove and the cotton necessary to sprout them. Given a few days, and some water, the glove will be alive with growing sprouts - baby plants that your students can observe. An excellent activity for teaching plant growth and genetic differences. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Farming in a Glove (Corn Seeds)

This kit contains instructions and enough materials for a classroom of students to plant five varieties of corn seeds – sweet corn, super sweet corn, popcorn, dent corn (also known as field corn), and flint corn (also known as Indian corn) – in the fingers of a food handler's glove and the cotton necessary to sprout them. Given a few days and some water, the glove will be alive with growing sprouts that your students can observe. An excellent activity for teaching plant growth and genetic differences. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

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.

GM Leaf Test Kit

This laboratory activity demonstrates the difference between a conventional soybean plant and a genetically modified Roundup Ready® soybean plant. Students will use a leaf sample from both plant varieties to test for the presence of the CP4 EPSPS protein. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

GM Soybean Seed Kit

Provide a hands-on experience for students to compare conventional soybean seeds to genetically modified Roundup Ready® soybean seeds. This kit includes conventional soybean seeds, GM soybean seeds, and the testing materials to indicate which seed contains the protein responsible for making Roundup Ready® soybeans tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Garden Planner

This handy bulletin board planner will help you keep your garden on track all year long. The complete kit contains one full-size bulletin board, 17 crop strips to attach to the bulletin board, 17 corresponding crop cards for planning and classroom activities, and full instructions about how to use the bulletin board. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Gardening 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: Soil Texture and Water Percolation (Activity 1); Desktop Greenhouses (Activity 1); Seeds, Miraculous Seeds (Activities 1 & 3); Flower Power (Activity 2); Plant Tops and Bottoms (Activity 2). Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Get Popping!

How does popcorn pop? Investigate this phenomenon by observing how heat affects the water inside a popcorn kernel. See a demonstration of this investigation by viewing the Get Popping! video. This kit contains safety glasses, test tubes, a test tube clamp, an alcohol lamp, balloons, aluminum foil, vegetable oil, boiling stones, and popcorn kernels. This kit complements the lesson Get Popping! Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Google Earth on the Range Repeat Photographs

Take a tour of Utah rangelands with historical photos. This kit includes 16 pairs of laminated photographs. Each pair of photos shows one location in Utah's rangeland at two different points in time, illustrating how factors like grazing, erosion, and management affect the landscape over time. Order these photographs online at agclassroomstore.com.

Grains and Legumes of the World

This hands-on activity explores grains and legumes common in global agricultural production—barley, dent corn, popcorn, oats, rice, wheat, soybeans, lentils, and pinto beans. Students create their own journals that include important facts, descriptions, and samples of the seeds of these crops. Teachers can use the information to expand students’ knowledge of agriculture while connecting to lessons in social studies and science. This kit contains enough seeds for a classroom of students. A master copy of the grains and legumes information cards is also included. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Hen House Prototype

Creating a prototype is an important part of the engineering process. Adding paper circuits and fans to a cardboard model can be a cost effective way for students to build a prototype. The Hen House Prototype Kit contains copper tape, white LEDs, 3V coin cell batteries, hobby motors, and propellers. The kit contains enough materials for 12 small groups of students. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Heredity in a Box Kit

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: Apple Science: Comparing Apples to Onions (Activity 2); From Chicken Little to Chicken Big (Activity 2); Sheep See, Sheep Do (Activity 1); Peas in a Pod (Activity 2); Inherited Traits in the Living Corn Necklace (Activity 2). Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Living Necklace Kits

Grow your own necklace! These kits contains enough materials for a classroom of students to make a living necklace. Plant a seed in a mini Ziploc, and after a few days, and some water, the necklace will be alive with growing sprouts - baby plants for students to observe. Order these kits online from agclassroomstore.com.

Living Science Careers Equipment Bags

This is a great resource to help your students better understand the exciting and diverse array of STEM employment opportunities in food, agriculture, and natural resources. Each kit comes with yarn, signs, and seven Living Science Careers Equipment Bags, all in a sturdy plastic storage container. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Mozzarella Cheese Kit

Making mozzarella cheese in the classroom can provide an engaging opportunity to discuss food processing, the science of enzymes and proteins, careers, and more. This kit includes rennet (enzymes), and citric acid (acid), two of the components used in the cheesemaking process. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

My Farm Web

My Farm Web is an interactive lesson plan for Grades K-5 that has students create a web to visually showcase how agriculture is a part of their lives. This kit provides everything needed for the lesson, including the 30 Farm Web Pictures printed in color, and sufficient yarn for making the web. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Origami Parts of a Flower

Explore the parts of a flower by creating origami flower models. This kit contains instructions and enough origami paper, chenille stems, and beads for a classroom of students to make a flower. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

PTC Paper

Are you a "taster" or a "non-taster?" PTC paper is used to test whether or not a person can taste the bitter flavor of phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). The ability to taste or not taste PTC is conveyed by a single gene, TAS2R38, that codes for a taste receptor on the tongue. On average, 75% of people can taste PTC and 25% cannot. Each vial contains 100 testing strips. Order these testing strips online from agclassroomstore.com.

Packing Peanuts

Engage students in a quick and simple activity using a product that can be made from either renewable or non-renewable resources—packing peanuts. This kit contains enough petroleum-based, Styrofoam packing peanuts and corn-based, biodegradable packing peanuts to complete five demonstrations showing how one dissolves in water and the other does not. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Paper Circuits

Paper circuits are an exciting way for students to learn how electrical circuits work. The concepts learned in this activity are a springboard for more complicated electrical projects such as sewing circuits and building prototypes controlled by Arduino boards. This kit includes 3mm LEDs, copper tape, 3V coin cell batteries, and activity sheet masters. The kit contains enough supplies for a classroom of students. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Parent/Offspring Cards

This kit contains full-color pictures of chicken breeds that can be used to highlight similarities and differences between parents and offspring and to discuss inherited traits. A great complement to any unit on heredity. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Planet Zorcon

This interactive group activity will help your students understand the limited resources available for consumption on earth. Students will work in groups to explore the connection between individual behavior and resource use, explain the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources, and identify careers related to natural resource management. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Pollination Simulation Kit

Simulate the role worker bees play in pollination by conducting a pollination simulation. Each kit includes pompoms, cups, jewel bags, yarn, and straws for 35 elementary students. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Pompom Punnett Square Kit

This activity can be used with the lesson, Peas in a Pod (or any lesson on Punnett Squares) and illustrates the results of Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants. Scaffold instruction by first modeling how Punnett squares work and then monitoring students as they create pompom Punnett squares in small groups. This kit contains enough materials for 36 students. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Popcorn on the Cob

Pop popcorn right off the cob! Place the cob in a paper bag, fold the top of the bag down twice to secure the top, place in the center of a microwave, and heat on high power for 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes. Kit includes a popcorn cob and a brown paper bag. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Ranch Starter Kit

Need a great way to connect students to rangeland? Have them start their own ranch! This kit includes a classroom set of jiffy peat pellet pots and enough grass seed to fill each pot. As your class learns about cattle grazing throughout our history, each student will be able to see how grazing can help - or hurt - rangeland, and will understand the importance of keeping our lands healthy. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Sandpaper Texturing Kit

Students will explore soil textures using sandpaper and hand lenses. Kit includes 30 squares of sandpaper (10 pieces of 60 grit, 10 pieces of 220 grit and 10 pieces of 400 grit) and 10 hand lenses that students will use to explore basic hand texturing. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Seed Samples

This kit contains a variety of agronomic or crop seeds. Samples of corn, wheat, rice, and quinoa seeds are included. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Seeds for Terrariums

This kit contains a variety of agronomic or crop seeds for planting in terrariums. Seed varieties include wheat, soybeans, popcorn, and bean seeds. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Serious Cereal Science Kit

Use this kit to introduce students to careers that keep cereal on grocery store shelves. Just as grains were foundational in the advent of agriculture thousands of years ago, they continue to play a central role in agriculture and food security today. Corn, rice, and wheat provide more than half of the calories consumed by people worldwide. The science of cereal science is serious business! Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Soil Painting

This kit includes five Utah soils that have been finely ground and sifted for use as paint pigments. Each soil is labeled with the name of the Utah county from which it was collected, the soil type and order, and the color of the soil classified by hue, value, and chroma. Use this kit with the Color in the Garden lesson plan, which provides instructions for painting with soil-based pigments. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Soil Samples (Soil Texture)

This is a great kit for teaching students about soil textures. The kit includes two cups of sand, two cups of silt, and two cups clay. All of the soil samples are from the state of Utah and are representative of the Intermountain Region, although the mineral content may be different, the particle sizes are true to soil texture type and can be used by other states for demonstration purposes. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Solar Power Kit

Engage students with this engineering design challenge! Students will design and construct a barn and add a solar panel to their barn that produces electricity power a fan. This fun challenge is included in the Farming for Energy lesson plan. This kit contains enough materials for students to work in five small groups. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Source Search Kit

This kit complements the Source Search lesson providing all the supplies to teach the source of the items we rely on every day. The activity helps students discover what items come from farms, factories, stores, or natural resources. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

SpaceLite (Plant Light)

This small grow light is easy to set up, use, and store, and it comes in a kit with everything you need to get started: frame, pot, light bulb, light timer, and one packet each of Micro-tina Tomato and Earligreen Pea space seeds. These miniature plants are sure to impress your students and will get flowers and edible fruit—perfect for life cycle studies. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Strawberry DNA Necklace

This kit allows students to take home visible proof that plants have DNA. Each kit contains enough supplies for 100 students to make their own DNA necklace. The kit contains cheesecloth, funnels, pipettes, test tubes, flasks, microcentrifuge tubes, and yarn, all in a sturdy plastic storage container. Refill kits are also available. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Test Tube Hydroponics Kit

Investigate the importance of nutrients for plant growth and discover how plants grow without soil. Use this kit to grow and observe plants in a test tube hydroponic system. Kit includes rock wool, seed-starter trays, soybean seeds, plant tags, test tubes, and pipettes for 35 students. The Test Tube Hydroponics Kit complements the lesson Test Tube Hydroponics. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Three Sisters Seed Packet

Native Americans relied heavily on corn, squash, and beans, the "three sisters," for their survival. This packet contains organic, heirloom seeds ready to plant in the garden to demonstrate early Native American farming techniques. Order these seeds online from agclassroomstore.com.

Topsoil Tour

Designed especially for elementary and middle school, this hands-on test kit and mini curriculum employs simplified soil science methodology. Students examine and compare the physical and chemical properties of soil samples that they collect themselves, and they learn about properties of good and poor soil as related to requirements of plants. Materials included allow students to conduct soil tests for texture, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium using nonhazardous reagent tablets individually sealed in foil strips.

Utah Garden Planner

This handy bulletin board planner will help you keep your garden on track all year long. The complete kit contains one full-size bulletin board, 17 crop "strips" to attach to the bulletin board, 17 corresponding "crop cards" for planning and classroom activities, and full instructions on using this bulletin. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.
"I am LOVING the garden planner! What normally takes me forever to figure out took 15 minutes! This year's garden is planned (for me anyway). Now we will use it with the kids so they can better understand why the garden gets planted the way it does!" Kelly G

VR Viewer

Experience Virtual Reality (VR) in agriculture with these collapsible viewers. The VR Viewers fit most Android and Apple phones. The 360 Agriculture webpage contains a collection of virtual reality (VR) agricultural tours and farm field trips. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wheat Bundle

Wheat is the most widely used grain across the globe. Experience threshing and grinding the wheat with your students to accompany any lesson on wheat, flour, or bread. Each wheat bundle has 35 stalks of wheat. Order this wheat bundle online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wheat Germ DNA Necklace

Is there DNA in my food? Absolutely! Each variety of wheat has DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that gives it certain genetic traits or characteristics. Use this kit to extract and observe strands of DNA from wheat germ. Kit includes test tubes, stir sticks, pipettes, microcentrifuge tubes, and yarn with enough supplies for a classroom of students. The Wheat Germ DNA Necklace kit complements the lesson Wheat Germ DNA. Refill kits are also available. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wheat Grinder

What is wheat? How is bread made? This kit comes with a bag of wheat seeds, a wheat bundle with 35 stalks of wheat, and a hand-cranked grinder that your students can turn to make flour. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wheat Kernel Samples

This kit contains kernels of the six classes of wheat grown in the United States. Samples of Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, Soft White, Hard White, and Durum are included. Use these samples to discuss the different characteristics of wheat. Wheat kernel samples complement the lesson Wheat Germ DNA. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wind Power Kit

Engage students with this engineering design challenge! Students will design and construct a barn and create a wind turbine that produces electricity for the barn (lights up an LED light). This fun challenge is included in the Farming for Energy lesson plan. This kit contains enough materials for students to work in five small groups. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wool Samples

Use these samples to show your students what minimally processed wool looks like. The kit comes with a sample of scoured wool and another sample of wool top. Scoured wool is wool that has been washed commercially so that grease and vegetable matter are removed. Wool top is wool that has been scoured, carded, and combed. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Wool Spinning Kit

Involve students with the materials and techniques that people have used for centuries to spin, dye, and felt wool. This kit comes with 15 feet of carded wool, 30 wool-spinning hooks, and instructions. Wool refills are also available. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

eLearning Box (Grades 3-5)

Designed to support various forms of homeschool, virtual learning, and online classes, this kit provides ready-to-use supplies to facilitate hands-on learning and discovery. Each kit contains materials for one student to complete a variety of activities found on the 3rd-5th Grade eLearning lesson site. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

eLearning Box (Grades PreK-2)

Designed to support various forms of homeschool, virtual learning, and online classes, this kit provides ready-to-use supplies to facilitate hands-on learning and discovery. Each kit contains materials for one student to complete a variety of activities found on the PreK-2nd Grade eLearning lesson site. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Map

40 Maps that Explain Food in America

A collection of maps and graphs that represent farms, food production, and many other statistics in the United States. These maps provide excellent illustrations for students to understand how climate and geography affects the production of food as well as to provide statistics about the economics of food production through the years and across the United States.

Ag Census Web Maps

This interactive map allows users to select specific agricultural crops from a drop-down menu and see where those crops are grown in the United States. This map provides an excellent illustration for students to see how climate and geography impacts food production.

Apple Land Use Model

New version! Imagine the Earth as an apple. Use this large, 16.5"x17.5" apple model to demonstrate the distribution of the Earth's water and land resources. The model is two layers of durable styrene board with a handle on the back of the bottom layer. The top layer is cut into sections and held to the bottom layer by magnets. Remove the top layer of the apple to reveal the image underneath. Order this model online at agclassroomstore.com.

Crop Intensity Maps

The images on this site show crop intensity data (regions that produce the most crops), followed by the cropland products of 26 countries that produce 82% of the world's food. The final image shows the the population density in 2002 and the projected population in 2050.

How America Uses Its Land

A series of interactive maps illustrating how land is used in America.

Interactive Map Project

Use this interactive map to help students see how geography and climate affects the production of agricultural crops. The map has USDA statistics built in to allow your students to answer questions such as, "Which state(s) produce the most cattle?" "Where does [my state] rank nationally in corn production?" "What region of the United States produces the most cotton?" etc. There are many agricultural maps available including field crops such as corn, wheat, barley, and alfalfa in addition to fruit and vegetable crops, ornamental nursery crops, and livestock.

Interactive Map: Staple Food Crops of the World

This media spotlight from National Geographic highlights food crop layers from MapMaker Interactive, displaying how many tons of cassava, potatoes, soybeans, yams, and other food crops were produced per country as an average from 2010 to 2012.

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.

Map: The Most Common Job in Every State

Use this interactive map of the United States to see which job is most common in each state. Statistics can be viewed and compared from 1978 until 2014.

SoilWeb Interactive Map

This interactive map allows you to explore USDA-NCSS soil survey data for locations throughout most of the U.S. It is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Zoom into an area of interest and discover the soil composition.

The Complexities of our Global Food System

The global food system is balanced between the supply and demand of food and tethered to our environment. These high resolution PDFs demonstrate visually the complexity of agriculture. These maps highlight how the global food system is the balance between supply and demand of food as governed by geography and politics. These elements are divided into natural systems and human systems.

Utah Agriculture Activity Map

This engaging map shows agricultural production in Utah by county. Questions on the back help guide students to consider agricultural production in their home county and state. This map is available as a free download. Order a poster version from agclassroomstore.com.

Visualized: The World's Population at 8 Billion

Around November 2022, the world will reach a pivotal milestone—8 billion global population. Use this infographic to visualize the distribution of the world's population by region and country.

World Fabric Map

This fabric map is an excellent resource for "hands-on" geography activities. The cotton fabric washes well and can be taken outside. Countries and their capitals, and major bodies of water are identified. Each map has been serged around the edges. Order the map individually, or add on a set of Herbs and Spices Cards, Where in the World Food Cards, or Lunch Cards. Students will use the cards to identify where in the world each of the foods come from. Order this map online from agclassroomstore.com.

Movie/Video

"Cheese Science-As Gouda as TV Gets" Video Series

The Utah Education Network (UEN) website has a series of 25 three minute video clips about cheese and food science. The videos teach science, chemistry, and physics principles in addition to highlighting many careers in related fields.

'Martian' Food video

Show your students a neat application of hydroponics and climate controlled greenhouses with this video teaching about the NASA-funded research taking place at the University of Arizona. The goal of this research is to discover a successful method for food to be grown in space.

360 Agriculture Virtual Reality

Engage students in virtual agricultural experiences. The 360 Agriculture webpage contains a collection of virtual reality (VR) agricultural tours and farm field trips. Order VR Viewers online from agclassroomstore.com.

9 Billion Mouths to Feed: Leading the Way to Abundance and Sustainability

30-minute video segment giving an overview of how programs at the University of California are striving to meet the challenge of feeding an ever-growing global population with sustainable practices.

Ag States of America

Farms across America are like the patchwork of a quilt that binds our nation together. Comedian Charlie Berens takes you on a tour of America's farm production in the Ag States of America, a new show from Pivot Bio.

Agricultural Careers Prezi

This Agricultural Career Prezi can supplement a secondary lesson on careers by showing a variety of agriculturally related careers organized by career pathways. Explore careers in plant and animal science, business, science and engineering, education, communication, service, and natural resources.

Agricultural Engineering Video

Use this 8-minute video clip to profile a career in Agricultural Engineering. Learn how agricultural engineers apply engineering technology and science to help farmers be more productive, reduce environmental impacts, and keep our food affordable, safe, healthy and delicious.

Agriculture Technology Advancements Video Playlist

Robots, drones, and lasers...oh my! Western growers has produced a series of one-minute videos highlighting the newest technologies in agriculture. From flying autonomous robots working alongside harvest crews to AI-directed blades and lasers that zap weeds with ruthless efficiency, the next generation of farmers have access to cutting-edge technologies that will help them meet the challenges of the future.

Agriculture and the Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the world came together to identify some of the greatest challenges of our time, and set 17 Sustainable Development Goals to respond to them. The challenges are formidable, but they’re interrelated, in that progress in one area (like agriculture!) can cause a ripple effect of change in other areas (like health and education). Watch this video to see how agriculture can help transform our world.

All About Eggs

Experience the miracle of baby chicks hatching and follow their development into mature hens. This 17-minute video also shows how eggs are processed after leaving the farm, including inspection, washing, drying, and packaging. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

All About the Pumpkin Video

In two minutes, this video engagingly delivers a host of facts about pumpkins. Students will learn that each pumpkin has about 500 seeds, pumpkins originated in Central America, 19th century New Englanders thought that pumpkins could cure snake bites, and much more.

Amazing BREAD Processing- How It's Made Inside a Factory

Watch how wheat is processed into bread at a factory. Beginning with the harvest of the wheat on a farm and ending with slicing and bagging loaves of bread, see the automated machinery that makes bread processing on a large scale possible.

Amazing Time-Lapse: Bees Hatch Before Your Eyes

This one-minute time-lapse video captures the fascinating transformation of larvae into bees. Witness this mesmerizing life cycle with close-up footage from photographer Anand Varma.

America's Heartland

America’s Heartland is a magazine-style, half-hour video series. The website and YouTube channel offer more than 700 episodes about farmers and ranchers providing food, fuel, and fiber for America and the world. The series strives to give urban viewers a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing modern agriculture today by providing informative and compelling stories about topics ranging from agricultural technology to consumer issues to crop sustainability. Video segments can be viewed from the website or YouTube and can be easily integrated into classroom discussions. Visit the website and search for videos by topic (e.g., dairy farm, cotton, cattle ranch, etc.).

America's Heartland: A Sea of Grass

This half-hour video explores how the American tall-grass prairies have changed over the last 150 years. These grasslands created the rich soils that grow our crops today, and a number of farmers who work these soils are featured in the video.

America's Heartland: Bachelor Sheep Ranch

This half-hour video will give your students a peek into the lives of sheep ranchers Don and Pete Meike (pronounced mikey), who say that time slows when they’re on the trail. These bachelor brothers have been running sheep into Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains all their lives, a ritual and a responsibility started by their grandparents way back in 1901.

America's Heartland: Cotton Episodes

Watch all or part of these episodes to learn about cotton. Follow the production of cotton from field to fabric and learn about the genetic improvement of cotton plants, their harvesting, history, use as cattle feed, and more.

America's Heartland: Maine-ly Apples

A little band of bakers is busy turning out 32 hundred apple pies a day. But the Kroitzsh (pronounced “Kroich”) family doesn’t mind. These sweet treats have been the salvation for their Valley View Apple orchard in south central Maine for the past 15 years.

America's Heartland: Riding the Range on a Utah Cattle Drive

Give students a peek into the lives of the Heaton's— a cattle ranching family from Alton, Utah. Follow them on their 30-mile journey from Rush Meadow to Dixie National Forest and learn more about the challenges these hardworking cowboys face.

America's Heartland: Sweet Beets

You may think most of the sugar you consume comes from sugar cane. That’s not always the case. Sugar beets are playing an increasingly important role in American agriculture. This 10-minute video segment shows the sugar beet from the farm to the fork. Learn how the crop is grown, harvested, and processed into table sugar.

America's Heartland: Wheat Episodes

Browse a collection of short video clips about growing wheat.

America's Heartland: Wild & Wooly Roundup

This half-hour video visits the windswept plateaus of New Mexico, where some of America's best wool is being worn by sheep whose yearly shearing provides a valuable agricultural product for ranchers here. New Mexico claims that this region, also known for its sightings of UFOs, is the most productive wool gathering area in the nation.

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.

Ancient Recipes - Foods of Bible Times

Take your students on a culinary journey to learn how bread, olives, fish, and other foods were and are now produced. This 40-minute DVD explores foods from Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Hebrew cultures, detailing how these foods shaped culture, religion and the development of civilizations. Can be shown in segments. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Animal Biotechnology video

Animal biotechnology encompasses a broad range of techniques for the genetic improvement of domesticated animal species including selective breeding, artificial insemination, cloning, and genetic engineering. Learn about both biomedical and agricultural applications of animal biotechnology and some of the science-based and ethical concerns that are engendered by certain applications.

Animated Life: Seeing the Invisible

This animated feature celebrates 17th-century citizen-scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, whose discoveries of microbes changed our view of the biological world. Also available in Spanish.

Apples

This 30-minute video begins with the legend of Johnny Appleseed and then goes on to explore apples in pioneer times with the story of the McIntosh apple. An orchard is visited over the seasons from winter pruning, spring blossoms with bees and pollination, spring planting, summer thinning to fall harvesting. Viewers even get to see apple cells through an electron microscope and learn how to clone an apple tree.

Beef Cattle PowerPoint

This PowerPoint includes basic profile information about the major beef cattle breeds in the United States. It includes the name and basic characteristics of each breed including frame size, breed origin, size, coat colors, etc.

Black Blizzard

On May 9th, 1934 a giant storm rose up out of the great plains. A menacing wall of soil and dust headed east across the land, thick enough to block out the sun. This 3-minute video gives a good account of this disaster through video footage, interviews, and photographs.

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.

Bread Comes to Life

This award-winning, 22-minute video follows wheat from sowing and growing to kneading and baking. Watch a baker turn a homegrown crop of wheat into a homemade loaf to eat. Then see it all happen again at a wheat farm, a giant mill, and a full-scale commercial bakery. Also available as a hardcover picture book.

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."

CRISPR: A Word Processor for Editing the Genome Video

Since the discovery of DNA’s fundamental role in building and sustaining life, scientists have dreamed of having the ability to easily edit DNA in very precise ways. This video explores how a group of scientists made a major breakthrough in understanding the bacterial immune response, called the CRISPR/Cas system, and discovered a way to utilize this system to create a new technique to specifically change the DNA sequence of any organism with great ease. This video can be used with an advanced lesson on DNA to help students begin to see how science is advancing and how this knowledge can potentially be used.

CRISPR: Gene Editing and Beyond

The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionised gene-editing, but cutting DNA isn’t all it can do. From turning gene expression on and off to fluorescently tagging particular sequences, this animation explores some of the exciting possibilities of CRISPR.

California Rice: Farming with Nature

This excellent DVD explores a family rice farm in California's Sacramento Valley as viewed through the eyes of 11-year-old Sue Miller. A farmer's daughter, Sue is just beginning to understand the important role her family's farm plays in the surrounding ecology. Packed with plenty of educational information, this video also contains stirring visual images and a young person's perspective on something we all share; the basic human link to the soil and nature. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Can Science Create a 'Greener' Pickle? video

In three minutes, learn how a food processing company has discovered a more environmentally friendly method for processing pickles. This method disposes of the pickling salt which can seep into wetlands and contaminate the soil.

Career Profile Video: Educator & Agronomist

Learn from Catherine Swoboda about being an educator and agronomist. Discover how she became interested in the field and how she has used her education to help alleviate hunger by increasing education on the production of food.

Careers in Agriculture Videos

This collection of 40 short videos highlights a wide variety of careers in agriculture and natural resources. Each video is one to four minutes long and features an interview with a professional working in an agricultural field. Give your students time to explore these videos on their own or select a few to show in class. Allow students to hear directly from a plant scientist, a cheese production manager, an algae farmer, or a GIS specialist and learn how these professionals chose the career paths that got them where they are today.

Chick Embryology YouTube Playlist

This playlist from Utah Agriculture in the Classroom was developed as a resource for teachers using chick development as a way to explore life science concepts. Videos explore the development of the chick inside of the egg, agricultural production, and the hatching process.

Chicken Embryo Development

In just two minutes this video gives a stunning animation of the 21-day development of a chicken embryo in the egg.

Christmas Tree - How Does it Grow?

Why are Christmas trees harvested by helicopter? What does cutting them down mean for the environment versus an artificial tree? Discover how Christmas trees are grown and harvested on an Oregon farm.

City of Bees: A Children's Guide to Bees DVD

A kid-friendly look at the amazing world of the honey bee. The video is narrated by a beekeeper and several young children as they learn about the life and importance of a bee.

Climate Change: The Water Paradigm

This video explores why maintaining a healthy water cycle may be much more important for the health of the climate than people realize. In case you are wondering, it's not suggesting that the greenhouse effect due to CO2 or methane is insignificant. But prompts a consideration that the importance of the water cycle has been grossly under-emphasized, and should occupy a more central position in environmental discourse.

Colonial House

Colonial House is a reality-style show that was filmed over a 5-month period on an isolated stretch of the Maine coast. The adventurers arrived in their New World on a period tall ship and struggled to create a functioning and profitable colony using only the tools and technology of the era. Provides a glimpse into the daily life and experiences that helped shape our national character.

Connecting to Agriculture

This 17-minute video is a great way for students to learn about how agriculture connects to their lives. Animation, fun facts, and farmers tell the story of agriculture and how it relates to economics, science, and business. Interwoven through the commodity stories of corn, cotton, apples, dairy, and soybeans are important concepts such as: biodegradable properties, renewable resources, biotechnology, foreign trade, pest management, conservation practices, and food quality. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Cotton Gin Animation

View an animation of Ely Whitney's Cotton Gin. Separating the cotton seeds from the cotton fiber was a very labor-intensive task before the invention of the cotton gin. This animation can help students visualize how the cotton gin worked and see the impact of labor-saving technology.

Cotton in the Classroom

Take a walk through cotton's journey from dirt to shirt, and find out the many ways we use cotton everyday!

Cotton... From Field to Fabric

Explore how cotton is produced "from field to fabric" and processed into cotton cloth on a modern farm and in a modern textile mill. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Cotton...The Perennial Patriot

Cotton has been grown and used throughout the history of the United States. This 9-minute DVD teaches how cotton plants have impacted and changed the history of the United States. From the production of blue jeans to the filament in the first light bulbs, you will be amazed to learn some of the many uses of cotton, past and present. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Cows and Climate

Watch a series of video clips by Dr. Frank Mitloehner as he explains livestock's role in the global food system and our environment. Dr. Mitloehner is a professor and air quality scientist in the area of animal science at UC Davis. These videos help answer questions about our diet and climate change, the environmental footprint of cars vs cows, methane from livestock, food waste, and solutions for a sustainable future.

Cranberry Bounce

A great video to celebrate Thanksgiving. See an enactment of the first North American Thanksgiving at Plymouth. Watch children put on hip waders and go chest high into the bog during the fall cranberry harvest. Cranberry Bounce introduces children to the seasons on a cranberry farm. Along the way, they learn about the biology of cranberry reproduction, geography of cranberry growing areas, some cranberry recipes, and cranberry decorations.

Crash Course Geography

Crash Course Geography has 50 episodes to support geography courses. The first half of the collection focuses on physical geography, processes, and phenomena. The second half focuses on human geography and explores the ways people occupy the Earth's surface.

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.

Dairy in the Mountain West: Our Family of Farmers

This video highlights dairy farmers and their families. See many different dairy farms, learn about how they care for animals, dairy farmer's priorities in animal welfare, and how dairy farms utilize their resources to increase their sustainability and decrease their environmental footprint.

Deep Sea Fish Farming in Geodesic Domes

Learn how fish farming has changed through the years as overfishing and changing water temperatures have impacted the populations of ocean fish. Discover the differences between open ocean aquaculture and inland aquaculture where fish are farmed for food.

Dirt: Secrets in the Soil (DVD)

This 60-minute DVD contains a six-segment program that brings fundamental lessons of soil science from the countryside to the classroom in a way that is sure to keep students entertained and motivated. Although designed specifically for Utah fourth-grade students, segments on soil texturing, soil layers, and composting are valuable resources for teachers in any state. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Drones and the Future of Farming Video

This 3-minute video highlights how drones can be used to identify specific plants in a farmer's field that are diseased or infested with bugs. A great illustration of a technology that is improving agricultural production and efficiency.

Dust Bowl: CBS 1955 Documentary

This newsreel-style documentary chronicles the Dust Bowl with interviews from people (primary sources) who lived through the "dirty thirties." The images linger well after the film ends. An excellent resource to use when studying the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, or the Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck. The renowned Walter Cronkite narrates the 23-minute film available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Dust Bowl: Grantsville, Utah

This 14-minute documentary includes interviews from Utah residents (primary sources) about the "dirty" Grantsville Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Yes, Utah did experience its own dust bowl, not from the turn of the plow like the Midwest, but from overgrazing. Learn about how residents responded to what was one of the nation's worst environmental disasters. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Eat Happy Project video series

The "Eat Happy Project" is a British YouTube channel aimed to help children to understand more about food; where it comes from and how to cook it. Online Field Trips have taken schoolchildren from their classrooms to citrus groves in Valencia, Paddy fields in Thailand and banana plantations in Costa Rica, allowing them to interact with food growers and suppliers from all over the world. Browse the entire YouTube Channel or go directly to topic-specific playlists including Healthy Eating (ages 5-7) or (ages 7-11), Online Field Trips, Food Around the World, How Does Your Food Grow, and From Farm to Fork.

Eggs 101: An Egg's Journey from the Farm to Our Tables

Designed for the classroom, this collection of short videos showcases an egg’s journey from the hen house to our plates. This flexible series includes seven videos that give an in-depth explanation of an egg’s journey; from the barn experience to environmental management and from the egg itself to the homes of families nationwide.

Engineering Everywhere: Bioplastics

When plastic items are thrown in the trash, they can quickly pile up in landfills and create a big mess! Visit a chemical engineering laboratory to see how engineers are designing and testing new forms of plastic that are able to biodegrade over time.

Epic Pumpkin Collapse Timelapse

Observe the decomposition of a Jack-o-lantern in time-lapse over an 8-week period of time.

Everything is Chemical

A 4-minute video clip teaching that everything, including plants and animals is made of chemical elements. See how chemistry relates to agriculture to balance feed rations, calculate fertilizer application rates, and digestion.

FARMLAND

The documentary, FARMLAND was created to educate the public about farms and the source of their food. This documentary highlights six farmers and addresses organic vs conventional farming, risks involved with farming, the public perception of animal welfare, farming stereotypes, and the steps involved in producing an abundant supply of safe and nutritious food for a growing population. This film can be used to supplement secondary lessons.

FDR's Fireside Chat: Dust Bowl

On September 6, 1936, in one of his famous fireside chat radio broadcasts, President Franklin Roosevelt describes the conditions he observed firsthand on a tour of the many states devastated by drought.

Field Robots of the Future

How could robots impact agriculture? Use this video to engage students in discussion about how robots could change food production as we know it. Discuss topics such as efficiency, food production, sustainability, and farm labor.

Field to Film Career Snapshots

Explore more than 20 agriculture-related careers with these "snapshot" videos. The video playlist features careers on the farm as well as many others in sales, technology, education, and more.

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 Doesn't Grow in the Supermarket!

This DVD, narrated by children, follows "The City Guy," an adult who thinks he knows where food comes from (the grocery store), as he visits three different farms to learn where food really comes from and what it takes to produce it. Interesting even for those who have experience in farming and food production! This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

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?

Food Machine

This video is the first episode of the PBS series, "America Revealed." Show host Yul Kwon explores how the "Food Machine" (agriculture) feeds nearly 300 million Americans every day. The video highlights farm practices, machines which make the production of our food easier and more productive, and the requirements of nature and our natural resources in order to produce our food. This secondary resource addresses topics such as sustainability, GMOs, pests and pesticides, global food trade, and food marketing.

From Fiber to Fabric... Wool's a Natural

This 15-minute, 1977 video narrated by Orson Wells provides a historical look at fiber, following the history of wool from before Egyptian times to the present day. This movie ties easily to social studies curriculum, as it discusses how England withheld sheep from the early colonists to control the economics of the colony. Old and new spinning techniques and looms in operation are shown. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

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.

From the Field to the Farmers Market

Travel with nine-year-old Mason as he shows what it's like to be a part of a farm family and bring produce to the Farmers Market! Mason and his family are part of the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA), and they have been selling at the farmers market for over 20 years. See how their produce is grown and sold at the farmers market.

Frontier House

In this PBS production three families traveled back in time to the days of the Wild West, living as settlers did on the frontier in the 1880s. Each family took over their own 160-acre plot of homestead land in a remote region of Montana. They were then filmed as they built their homes, tended livestock, and planted crops, all without the assistance of modern technology. Their triumphs and frustrations provide a unique account of an important period of American history and a unique perspective on the practice and importance of agriculture.

George the Farmer

Join George the Farmer from Australia in his YouTube video series to discover the paddock to plate or paddock to product journey of some of your favorite products, including apples, wool, dairy, chickpeas, potatoes, chickens, and wheat.

Give it a Minute: Organic & Conventional Farming

Do you know the difference between organic and conventional (non-organic) foods? In one minute this video explains the differences and similarities in how these foods are produced on the farm.

Growing Today for Tomorrow

Farmers have the biggest job on earth. The population is increasing — yet farmland isn't — so farmers have taken on the responsibility of producing more high-quality crops with fewer resources. This 3.5-minute video illustrates the remarkable improvements that have been made in agricultural efficiency and productivity while bringing home the challenges that the future holds. The attention-grabbing message makes for a great introduction to any lesson on agricultural production or careers in agriculture.

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Both a book and a movie, Guns, Germs and Steel lays a foundation for understanding human history. Enter a 10,000 year journey through history and across every continent of the world to learn how and why human civilizations evolved from hunter-gatherers to a growing civilization and why some civilizations progressed faster than others. Learn how farming and the domestication of plants and animals impacted this evolution.

Hatching Science: 21 Days of Discovery Video

The perfect accompaniment to a classroom hatching project, this video helps students envision what is going on inside a fertilized, developing egg even though the egg doesn't appear to change from the outside. Detailed images of a chick's development along with a summary of milestones that the chick has achieved on or around each day provide an in-depth look at the 21-day hatching cycle.

Have We Engineered the Perfect Apple? video

It took over 30 years to create the perfect apple. Find out how scientists designed the Honeycrisp to be the best.

Hilmar Cheese Company Virtual Video Tour

10-minute video for elementary students to learn about the dairy industry. They visit the dairy farm and the processing plant where they learn about pasteurization and cheese making.

Home Composting - Turning Your Spoils to Soil

This 17-minute basic how-to video is available for free download. Learn what makes compost happen, what items you should and shouldn't compost, how to build your own compost bin, the "recipe" for great compost, and how to use your compost.

Hookin' Up and How it Works on the Farm

The farm is a rich environment to learn about wheels, levers, pulleys and wedges. This DVD will take you splitting wood, plowing, and using levers and pulleys to make work easier. Let the farm help your class to understand the application of simple and complex machines.

How Are GMOs Created?

Use this 5-minute video to illustrate the complete process for developing a GMO through the scientific method and research. The Hawaiian papaya story is used as an example for resolving the papaya ring spot virus that had devastated the crop until a GMO variety was developed. Researchers and farmers turned to the development of GMOs as early as 1985 to improve the quality of plants to resist insects and disease while battling problems in production.

How CRISPR Lets You Edit DNA

Explore the science of the groundbreaking technology for editing genes, called CRISPR- Cas9. Discover how the tool could be used to cure diseases.

How Can CRISPR Improve Food?

Learn how CRISPR gene editing is being studied and implemented to improve food. This form of gene editing holds promising applications to cure diseases and improve food. Can allergenic proteins in foods be removed? Can cassava be engineered to remove the cyanide responsible for growth stunting in malnourished children?

How Chocolate Is Made

This 3-minute video follows how the Hershey Plant in West Hershey, PA produces a variety of chocolate products. Show your students how chocolate goes from the cocoa plantation and through the chocolate plant to produce chocolate candies.

How Do Farmers Make Seedless Fruit?

Explore how seedless fruits are made and how trees are reproduced without seeds in this 4-minute video.

How Do You Grow a Fish Sandwich? Video

Have you heard of hydroponics or aquaculture? In this video from the Gee Whiz in Agriculture series, you get a fish-eye view of fish and lettuce production in an ecologically-closed system. We look at plant and fish life cycles, showing how each is dependent upon the other for nourishment. Concepts of symbiotic life systems, chemical and nutrient cycling, and integrated food production are highlighted. A "model ecosystem" can be used to demonstrate concepts, both in the program and the classroom. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this video online from agclassroomstore.com.

How Does it Grow? Video Series

This video series follows food from farm to fork. Learn more about potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms, cranberries, garlic, cauliflower, spinach, oranges and more. These videos are a great way to introduce students to food science and cooking, and to increase understanding of the sources of our food.

How Drones are Helping to Plant Trees - A Cleaner Future

See how drones can plant tree seeds to help reforestation be more affordable and efficient with the goal of lowering overall carbon emissions.

How Farming Planted Seeds for the Internet

Use this TedEd video to support reasons why early civilizations moved from hunting-gathering to farming as a major innovation for the current world we live in today. All the essential advancements are depicted throughout this video stemming from agriculture to include the development of cities, division of labor, governing institutions, and advanced technologies - without agriculture none of these advancements would have occurred.

How It's Made Documentary Series

Although this television series is no longer being aired, the YouTube videos provide invaluable footage of factory production. A wide variety of foods and other products created from raw agricultural materials are explored in five-minute segments. Browse the "Food Collections" playlist to learn about a variety of foods from farm-to-fork.

How It's Made: Corn Tortillas

This five-minute video shows how corn tortillas are mass produced in factories, starting with Grade A corn that is de-husked, removed from the cob, and stored in huge steel silos and ending with tortillas ready to package.

How It's Made: Cotton Yarn

In just under five minutes, this video shows how cotton is processed in modern factories. See cotton cleaned, carded, coiled, drawn, stretched, spun, and wound onto giant spools—all by machines. In 48 hours raw cotton is transformed into cotton yarn.

How It's Made: Honey

This five-minute video travels from field to hive to factory, illustrating all the steps involved in making honey. Get a close-up look at a beekeeper opening a hive and a queen bee in the midst of her hive, and watch frames of honeycomb go through a factory to yield a number of products.

How It's Made: Wool

In five minutes this video covers the history of wool production, the qualities of wool fabric, and everything that goes into producing wool fabric. See a sheep being sheared, and watch as the wool travels through a factory where it is cleaned, blended with other fibers, carded, and spun into yarn. The yarn is then woven into fabric and finished.

How Mendel's Pea Plants Helped Us Understand Genetics

This three-minute video does a great job of quickly explaining several key concepts. Cleverly animated peas illustrate the difference between dominant and recessive traits and how these traits can be diagrammed using Punnett squares. The difference between genotype and phenotype is also covered, and the importance of Mendel's discoveries is nicely put into a modern-day context.

How Stuff Works: Corn Plastic

This 3-minute video clip from HowStuffWorks on the Discovery Channel illustrates how corn can be used to make plastic. Students can discuss and compare the use of a renewable resource, such as corn, to make plastic in comparison to petroleum, a non-renewable resource.

How Stuff Works: Popcorn

From Discovery Channel's How Stuff Works, watch how our favorite movie snack explodes from kernel to white fluffy treat. The shell of a corn kernel can withstand an internal temperature of 450 degrees. After that threshold, the kernel explodes. Find out what it takes to create the perfect popping kernel in this three-minute video.

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 Food Labels, From Free-range to Fair Trade

Listen to a 22-minute podcast describing food labels related to agricultural production practices.

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.

Hugh Hammond Bennett: The Story of America's Private Lands Conservation video

This comprehensive 21-minute video highlights the endeavors of one man who changed farming practices through science and policy. Hugh Hammond Bennet was a pioneer in soil conservation teaching farmers about soil erosion and other farming practices needing reform at this time in history.

Introduction to Pollination video

This 2-minute video provides an animated illustration of the pollination of a flower. It also teaches flower anatomy to fully understand the role each part of the flower plays in pollination.

Learn GMO

Join director and writer, Nick Saik on his skeptical adventure to understand GMOs. Videos address specific questions such as Why are there two kinds of farming? Is the glass half empty or half full? or Why are there two kinds of food?

Learning by Leaps: Agriculture and You

The stars of this DVD are 10-year-old girlfriends who are given an assignment to report on "where things we use every day come from." The students discover, with the help of a friendly farmer who magically "leaps" with the girls from the mall to farms, that the answer is agriculture. Agriculture is the source of products we eat, wear, use, and need every day. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Living Soil Film

Our soils support 95 percent of all food production, and by 2060, our soils will be asked to give us as much food as we have consumed in the last 500 years. They filter our water, sequester carbon, are our foundation for biodiversity, and are vibrantly alive with 10,000 pounds of biological life in every acre. This 60-minute documentary features innovative farmers and soil health experts from throughout the U.S.

Make Mine Milk

This 27-minute DVD teaches students where milk comes from, how milk is transported and processed, and how milk contributes to a nutritious diet. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Modern Marvels: Harvesting

Modern Marvels: Harvesting traces the development of the massive machines that have transformed a season's labor into the work of mere hours. Cutting, digging, picking, stripping, shaking and raking--whatever the crop, there's a custom machine to harvest it. It all began with hand picking, but today it's often one man and one machine harvesting hundreds of acres in a matter of hours. Harvesting 2 explores the efficient and sometimes bizarre harvesting methods that have arisen from the constant struggle between hand labor and mechanization in America's orchards and farm fields.

Modern Marvels: World's Largest Combine

The Lexion 590R is the largest farm combine of its kind. Harvesting exponentially more and faster than hundreds of human laborers, see why this machine is at the top of its class. Use this three-minute video to give students an example of the importance of technology in agriculture.

Moo 2 You DVD

What happens when the substitute teacher, Ms. Moo, leads the class for a day? Join Ms. Moo in a fun, fast mooving learning experience for grade school students. Through zany games of "Moo-nopoly" & "Pyramid of Power" Ms. Moo and her class discover life on a farm, where milk comes from, how cheese is made, and how milk group foods keep bones and teeth healthy and strong. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.org.

NMSU Field Trip! Video Series

Field Trip! is a series of video field trips you can take right in your classroom. Video field trips include: Beef, Cheese, Cotton, Honey, Milk, Onion, Peanuts, Pecans, Pistachios, Red Chile Spice, Salsa, Turf, and Wine!

NMSU Field Trip: Beef

Take a Field Trip! from the farm to the grill to find out how that sizzling steak got to the grocery store. Nutritious and delicious, beef is a staple on our tables.

NMSU Field Trip: Honey

It's common knowledge that honey comes from bees. But many people don't know how bees make it and why. Honey making is a collective effort between nature and man. It's a process that's involves bee colonies, native plant life, agricultural crops, and of course beekeepers. This Field Trip! explores historical uses of honey, the basics of honey bee behavior, the process through which honey is made, factors that affect honey flavor, the process of removing honey from the hive, and more.

NMSU Field Trip: Milk

Take a Field Trip! through the dairy to discover how milk gets in the carton. Whether you're dipping or pouring, milk is an essential part of our diet.

Oyster Farm Tour

Visit an oyster farm in Maine to learn about how oysters are grown and harvested.

Phosphate Mining Video

Phosphate is the "P" in N-P-K; one of three macronutrients that plants need to thrive. The Phosphate Mining video shows students the process of mining phosphate in the Southeastern region of the U.S. Take a close up look at where this element is found in the earth, how it is obtained, and how it is used as fertilizer to add nutrients to the soil to grow our food supply.

Photosynthesis video

This 12-minute video clip describes and illustrates photosynthesis. It also addresses the Calvin Cycle and photorespiration.

Planet Money Makes a T-shirt

This link highlights the growth and production of the cotton plant. Begin with a short video clip about the growth of cotton including its history with slaves. Continue by learning about the modern use of genetic engineering in the cotton industry today. Following the video you can learn where cotton is grown across the world and what technology is used to plant, harvest, and process it into fabric.

Plant and Animal Cell Overview video

This 9-minute video clip teaches and reviews the function of each organelle within a cell.

Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn

View this 17-minute video to learn about the origins of corn. Discover how the domestication of corn impacted society and what plant domestic corn originates from. This video supports lessons on the domestication of plants and genetic evolution.

Population, Sustainability, and Malthus: Crash Course World History video

How many people can reasonably live on the Earth? Thomas Malthus got it totally wrong in the 19th century, but for some reason, he keeps coming up when we talk about population. In 1800, the human population of the Earth passed 1 billion, and Thomas Malthus posited that growth had hit its ceiling, and the population would level off and stop growing. He was totally wrong! There are 7 billion people on the planet now! John will teach a little about how Malthus made his calculations, and explain how Malthus came up with the wrong answer by not understanding the technological advances in agriculture that were improving population sustainability by providing a steady food supply.

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.

Potash Mining Video

Potassium is the "K" in N-P-K; one of three macronutrients that plants need to thrive. The Potash Mining video shows students the process of mining potassium (potash). Take a close up look at where this element is found in the earth, how it it was formed anciently, and how it is mined and then used as fertilizer to add nutrients to the soil to grow our food supply.

Preserving Heirloom Crops with Wozupi Farms

See and hear how groups such as the Wozupi Tribal Garden are working to preserve indigenous and heirloom crops. The crop varieties are preserved for taste, texture, and cultural relevance. These heirloom plants come from seeds that have been passed down for generations in a particular region or area. They are hand-selected by gardeners for a special trait.

Pumpkin: How Does it Grow?

You've been duped: that "pumpkin" puree in the can isn't pumpkin at all — at least not the kind you think! We bust the great American pumpkin myth and discover why we grow 500 million pounds of the stuff each year — without eating any of it.

Rice Farming TV

Your students might be surprised to know that rice grows in the USA. Rice Farming TV is educational and dynamic. The episodes are presented in chronological order throughout the growing season. Learn how rice is planted, harvested, and more.

Robotic Farming of the Future

The University of Sydney's Australian Centre for Field Robotics are pioneers when it comes to robotic farming. Having developed a series of driverless tractors, they give us a sneak peek of how future farms and orchards will operate in the era of mass automation.

Science: What is Gluten? Here's How to see and Feel Gluten

What is gluten? All wheat flours contain two important proteins, glutenin and gliadin. These proteins bond together to create gluten. It allows breads to rise and cakes to have structure. Can you see gluten? Can you feel gluten. This 4-minute video has these answers and more.

Sheep - Utah's Agricultural Cornerstone

During the first decades of the 20th century, sheep were the most important livestock in Utah in both numbers and value. In the 1920s there were over 2.5 million sheep in Utah worth $23 million dollars! Utah, with its millions of acres of desert land, was an ideal region for raising sheep. This DVD explores the history, life cycle, and environmental issues associated with raising sheep in Utah. Learn from Utah wool growers about the hardships and future of this adaptable dual-purpose animal. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Sheep Crossing

This factual video was made to teach children about sheep. You will meet a new baby lamb, watch sheep dogs in action, and see wool made into yarn. The highlight is watching children prepare a lamb to be shown at the fair. This is a great educational video that kids will love. View Sheep Crossing on YouTube.

Soil Science Videos

To celebrate the International Year of Soils in 2015, the Soil Science Society of America created monthly videos teaching about various soil topics. These videos are a great supplement to soil science lessons.

Soil, Not Dirt

Follow Rebecca Lybrand on a digital journey to connect soils, plants, and climate. Rebecca, a soil scientist explains some of her daily job tasks and teaches about soils in different climates and ecosystems.

Some Like it Hot: Climate Change and Agricultural Pests

Scientists and farmers are starting to notice that as California's winters warm up, the state is becoming more hospitable to agricultural pests resulting in crop destruction and undesirable traits in food. Secondary students can explore the impact of this phenomenon in this video.

SupraSensor Could be Super Tool for Precision Agriculture

Preserving the environment and developing agricultural products that do not harm unintended targets are top priorities for many scientists, farmers, and environmentalists. See how new sensors aid with precision agricultural practices—maximizing productivity while minimizing energy use and environmental impacts.

T. Marzetti Virtual Field Trip

1-hour recorded field trip to the Marzetti Innovation Center in Columbus Ohio. Learn how soybean oil is used to create dressings, dips, sauces and bakery items for the T. Marzetti Company. The field trip highlights the science used to develop these products and introduces students to numerous careers in the food science industry.

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.

Taking Care of Business (DVD)

Help your students understand the difference between a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and cooperative with this video from the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. This 10-minute DVD highlights the distinguishing details of each type of business structure and gives examples that students can relate to. A great video for Business CTE or basic economics courses. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

TedTalk- How to Fight Desertification and Reverse Climate Change

Secondary students can learn from scientist Allan Savory how and why fertile grasslands are changing into desert. It is a common belief that livestock grazing is causing or increasing this loss of rangelands. Discover a different cause and solution to this worldwide problem and how livestock can help.

TedTalk- The First 21 Days of a Bees Life

Photographer Anand Varma raised bees in his backyard and in front of a camera to get an up close view. This National Geographic project gives a lyrical glimpse into a beehive and reveals one of the biggest threats to its health, a mite that preys on baby bees in their first 21 days of life. The footage is set to music from Rob Moose and the Magik*Magik Orchestra. (This talk was part of a session at TED2015).

That's So Sweet! – A Look at Honey Production in the Twin Cities

Follow along on the fascinating journey of honey from the hive to your home. Kristy Lynn Allen, head beekeeper at the Beez Kneez introduces the process of honey collection, extraction, and delivery. Learn the important role honey bees play in honey production and the pollination of some of our favorite fruits and vegetables!

The Chloroplast video

In this YouTube video, Paul Anderson gives a detailed explanation in addition to visuals for explaining the purpose of chloroplasts during photosynthesis in plants. He explains how chloroplast will use the energy from the sun to form the chemical compound called glucose. The video also displays the structure of chloroplast, a description of light reaction, and the Calvin Cycle.

The Facts and Knowledge of BT Corn

A 13-minute video to answer questions about genetically modified BT corn. Understand questions such as Why is it safe to consume BT corn? What is BT (bacillus thuringiensis) and where does it come from? How is BT corn (and other GMO plants) regulated?

The Farming Robots of Tomorrow are Here Today

If we told you traditional agriculture was on the brink of a massive shift towards autonomy with machines doing the bulk of all the harvesting, would you believe it? Discover how robot farming machines are already doing the dirty work in more fields than people may realize.

The Future of Farming & Agriculture video

Farming is being revolutionized by a technological wave. This 12-minute video highlights technological advancements in both animal and plant agriculture. Learn how drones, robots, GPS systems, hydroponics, vertical farming systems, and more can help grow and harvest crops more efficiently. You can also see tools used in livestock production such as activity monitors, thermal imaging tools, and 3-D imaging which assist farmers in keeping their animals healthy.

The Honey Files

This 16-minute video by The National Honey Board explores all aspects of honey production and includes fun facts like how much honey a single worker bee will make in her entire life (1/12 tsp). This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

The Importance of Pollinators

Pollinators are vitally important to agriculture, as well as our food system and ecosystems. They help thousands of flowering plants reproduce, from flowers to fruits and even some crops. Pollinator habitat can also provide benefits on the farm, such as preventing soil erosion and improving biodiversity. This video collection discusses the importance of pollinators and provides examples of the successful implementation of pollinator habitats on farmland.

The Journey of Milk

Watch this 4-minute video clip to teach about the dairy farm. Students will learn about what dairy cows eat and how they are cared for to produce the milk we drink and the dairy products we consume.

The Life of a Seed- Jake, a GMO Seed

The Life of a Seed is a 3-minute video clip which explores the basics of biotechnology. Learn about the history of plant breeding and how genetically modified crops are created.

The Man Who Tried to Feed the World

The Man Who Tried to Feed the World recounts the story of the man who would not only solve India’s famine problem, but would go on to lead a “Green Revolution” of worldwide agriculture programs, saving countless lives. He was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work but spent the rest of his life watching his methods and achievements come under increasing fire. This documentary provides context for discussions about the Green Revolution, plant breeding methods, accomplishments in selective breeding, conserving natural resources, responding to political pressures, protecting the environment, and providing food to a growing population.

The Price of Climate Audio Series

Listen to the Wall Street Journal's "Future of Everything" three-part audio series on the price of climate. These podcasts will cause students to critically think about the implications of climate change related to their food, clothing, and shelter.

The Real Reason Leaves Change Color in the Fall

Use this video for an advanced explanation for why leaves change color.

The Story of Bottled Water video

This video highlights the story and history of bottled water. Discover when and why water first began being bottled and marketed for individual sale. This video can supplement lessons on water systems, pollution, water safety, and use. It can also be used as part of a business or marketing lesson discussing how markets and demand are created.

Third-Grader Explains Nature's Role in Providing Clean Water

Conservancy freshwater scientist Jeff Opperman and his eight-year-old son Luca give a tour of their homemade science project that demonstrates the connection between healthy natural lands and a reliable supply of clean water for people.

This High-Tech Farm Grows Kale in a Factory

Visit a vertical farm, Bowery Farming. The farm is a piece of proprietary software that makes most of the critical decisions -- like when to harvest and how much to water each plant. It still takes humans to carry out many tasks around the farm. Will robots change the need for farm laborers?

Those Amazing Kernels of Corn!

This fast-paced 8-minute DVD will hold the attention of your students as they learn about corn planting and harvesting processes and find out that corn is used to make biodegradable plastics, sweetener, chewing gum, and more. As fewer children live on farms or have relatives who are farmers, it is important that they have the opportunity to learn about America's corn industry. Included with this DVD are two fact sheets on corn. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Timelapse: Photosynthesis Seen from Space

Witness the influence of the sun on the seasonal abundance of plant matter produced on land and in our oceans. Use this video as a catalyst to discuss questions about which areas of our planet are most productive and why, how plants respond to seasonal changes in sunlight, and about carbon absorption.

Top 10 Foods That Originally Looked Totally Different

Everyday foods, fruit and veggies used to look totally different before we started cultivating them. But did you know they haven’t always looked like they currently do? Here are 10 fruits and veggies that looked very different before we started cultivating them!

True Food TV's Home Gardening Video Series

True Food TV's Home Gardening video series provides useful gardening tips. The instructional videos include information about how to start seeds, what to grow when, container growing for small spaces, and more.

Up Close Experience: Bees

Have you ever seen the inside of a beehive? Honey bees play an important role in agriculture and our daily lives. Explore a beehive up close in this 360 video.

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.

Vascular Plants video

Supplement a plant anatomy lesson with this video which breaks down the anatomy and physiology of vascular plants. Learn the difference between herbaceous and woody plants and examples of each, the parts of the plant and the function it performs, and how water is absorbed through the roots and circulated through the plant through the xylem.

Vertical Farming video

Use this 4-minute video to explore the benefits and challenges to vertical farming systems which utilize hydroponics to grow plants. Can the land and water conservation advantages outweigh the cost of creating artificial light?

Vertical Farming video and activities

This 2-minute video explores a potential innovation in agriculture, vertical farming. Watch the video and use the discussion questions and accompanying activities to help students think critically as they weigh the pros and cons of this method of farming.

Virtual Chicken

Watch the virtual animation of the step-by-step process of a hen producing an egg. Students will learn the parts of an egg as it is developed. This is an excellent way for students to gain a greater understanding of egg science.

Virtual Egg Farm Field Trips

Take a virtual tour of three different egg farms. Learn why each farmer chose their career, how their farm manages their ecological footprint and how they conserve natural resources all while raising the laying hens that produce eggs for our food supply.

Visit an Iowa Turkey Farm

In this virtual farm tour, go inside a modern brooder barn to see two-week-old turkey poults and a grow out barn with 10-week-old turkeys. Learn how farmers use technology every day to regulate barn temperature, air flow, feed and water use, and monitor turkey health.

What Can We Learn from Cuba's Organic Farms? video

This 6-minute video highlights the success of Cuban farmers in growing their food using organic agriculture practices. This method was adopted incidentally in the 90s when the country lost its access to fertilizers, fuel, and food. Out of necessity, they began producing their own food without fertilizers, pesticides, or fuel for tractors. See the successes, benefits, and challenges of organic agriculture practices.

What Happens When Farming Goes High-Tech?

Soil maps, GPS guidance, and even drones are becoming critical tools for modern farmers. These methods of precision agriculture can help increase yields and save farmers a surprising sum along the way.

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is an effective way to restore biodiversity and stabilize the climate, but what exactly is it? This video explores three different regenerative practices that have great potential both in food production and in healing the land.

What is Sustainable Agriculture?

A video series highlighting common practices farmers and ranchers use to improve profitability, qualify of life, and environmental stewardship.

Wheat

In this 30-minute video, students are guided through farming’s seasonal activities by children who live on a wheat farm. Follow the activities of wheat seed cleaning, planting, and harvesting; visit a modern flour mill and pasta plant; and journey to a pioneer village to see wheat flailing, winnowing, and milling at a grist mill.

Who Grew My Soup Song

The song "Who Grew My Soup?" was co-written by Story Laurie and a group of students from Delhi Elementary School in Delhi, NY. Inspired by the picture book of the same title, the song celebrates the school garden and Farm-to-School efforts underway at Delhi Elementary and an ever-growing number of schools across the nation.

Who Grew My Soup? Movies

In a 3-minute video author Tom Darbyshire, as he tells his story of growing up in agriculture and explains all of the jobs that a farmer has on a daily basis. In this 7-minute video Tom Darbyshire reads the book Who Grew My Soup?. Play this 7 minute video to allow your students to virtually meet the author, and hear him read the book through his own voice.

Why Can a Cow Eat Grass? Video

Beef and dairy cattle provide us with hundreds of different products, and all they need is an ample supply of grass and other plants. Most of these plants people can't even eat, so why can cows eat them? This Gee Whiz in Agriculture video provides an in-depth look at the digestive system of cattle, focusing on differences between cattle and humans. Take a journey into a cow’s stomach and microscopically view the stomach contents. Ten-year old “experts” will share their “MOO-ving” experiences with you. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Why are GMOs Bad?

This video clip provides a brief, but comprehensive introduction to GMOs. The video defines what a GMO is, the history of genetic engineering, how GMOs are created, what traits genetically modified crops exhibit, how traditional plant breeding differs from genetic engineering and how all methods of plant breeding have been used to improve crops through the years.

Will the Last Farmer in America Please Turn Out the Light? video

Immigration policy affects how we eat... what we eat... and how much it costs. Discover the necessity farmers have for skilled labor in order to plant, grow, and harvest the food on our tables. When did immigrant farm labor begin and what challenges would occur if this work force was lost?

Wings of Life

One-third of the world’s food supply depends on pollinators. This full-length movie uses stunning imagery to explore the interactions of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and bats with flowers. Use this DVD as a companion resource to any lesson on pollinators.

Wool Ewe Keep Me Warm? Video

What is wool and where does it come from? How does it get from the sheep to the sweater? Why do shepherds use dogs to herd sheep? These questions and many more are answered for "ewe" in this 30-minute video about wool production and processing from the Gee Whiz in Agriculture series. Journey through the creative industrial process that brings us wool clothing, blankets, and other products, and take a trip to the state fair to see many different breeds of sheep and learn how to shear. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

World Population History

Our population is expected to grow to over 9 billion by 2050, yet the ability of our environment to provide space, food, and energy are limited. Explore population growth from 1 CE to 2050 with this video, see how our numbers impact the environment, and learn about the key advances and events allowing our numbers to grow.

Worm Farm

This four-minute video tells the story of Kevin, who's been fascinated with garbage since he was really little. He wanted to put an end to landfills and make it easier for people to recycle. How? Worms decompose organic waste! Learn how can worms help us with our garbage in this engaging video.

Poster/Infographic

Anatomy of a Worker Bee

Honey bees are extremely important to humans. Bees pollinate 95 different crops, helping to create nearly one-third of the world’s food supply. Use this 38" x 25" laminated poster to identify each bee body part. Available for purchase from Utah Agriculture in the Classroom. Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.

Chew It Twice Poster

Did you know that a cow spends six hours eating and eight hours chewing its cud each day? Use this 25" x 32" activity poster to follow the path food takes on its way through the cow. Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.

Compliments of Cattle Poster

Meat isn't the only product that comes from beef cattle. The by-products of beef production are used to make numerous everyday items like lipstick, perfume, paint, crayons, leather balls, and more. This black line coloring sheet depicts cattle using items that come to us “compliments of cattle.” Students can color cattle doing things like playing basketball, repairing cars, and putting on lipstick. As they are coloring, students can check off the list of everyday items that are made from beef cattle by-products. Download the lesson plan "Beef Basics" for great classroom activities and a shopping list to create your own beef by-products kit.

Creative Solutions to Ending School Food Waste

Americans waste enough food every day to fill a 90,000 seat football stadium. Approximately one-third of all food is wasted at the retail and consumer levels. While research has shown that food wasted by children is similar to the rest of the U.S. population, there are many ways schools can reduce food waste and teach students about the impact it has on the environment and in their community.

Crop Modification Techniques

To help educate people about the many methods that are used to generate new traits in plants, Biology Fortified has created an infographic on six different crop modification techniques, with examples of crops generated with each method. The webpage has detailed explanations of each modification technique, helpful to both teachers and students to recognize all the ways plants can be selectively bred to obtain desired characteristics.

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.

GMO Infographics

Find numerous infographics teaching fact from fiction about GMOs. These can be used to discuss and dispel common myths, illustrate the timeline of crop breeding and genetic modification, and discuss factors and solutions to agricultural sustainability.

Honey Bee Study Prints

Twelve 13" x 18" color enlargements from Dadant & Sons depict various behavioral characteristics of honey bees and scenes of beekeeping. Instructional material printed on the back of each color photograph tells what can be observed and learned from the picture, asks questions, gives additional information on the subject, and suggests other sources of information.

Living Science Career Cards (posters or mini-posters)

The Living Science Career Cards feature 32 science careers associated with our nation's food, agricultural, and natural resource system. This is a great resource to help your students better understand the exciting and diverse array of employment opportunities for scientists working to generate new knowledge and to advance technology. These cards are available for free download.

Meat Cut Posters and Fact Cards

Purchase these colorful posters and fact cards to illustrate the wholesale and retail cuts of meat found in beef, lamb, pork, and chicken or print a black and white copy for use as a coloring page or an interactive notebook.

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.

Parts of a Flower Poster

Introduce students to the processes of pollination and how traits are inherited from parents to offspring in plants with this interactive poster. The cross-section diagram clearly shows the petals, sepal, anther, pollen grains, filament, stigma, style, and ovary of a flower. Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.

Parts of a Strawberry Plant Poster

The fruits and vegetables we eat come from parts of a plant. Flowering plants have six main parts. Use this 28" x 24" laminated poster of a strawberry plant to label and discuss the functions of the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds. Order this poster online 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.

Plant Part Chart

The fruits and vegetables we eat come from parts of a plant. Identify examples of roots, stems, leaves, flower, fruit, and seeds from every letter of the alphabet using this colorful 25" x 30" poster. Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.

Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set

With the Stop the Invasion Fact Sheet Set, students will read about six different invasive species, the damage they cause and how to stop their spread. Download the entire set.

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.

What Is Agriculture?

How would you define agriculture? Not with Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. That just doesn't fully capture the importance of agriculture or how it touches all of our lives. Learn how to define agriculture with five words by using this 22" x 34" poster, which engagingly displays the 5-F's of agriculture—farming, food, fabric, forestry, and flowers. Order this poster online from agclassroomstore.com.

What is a Fruit? What is a Vegetable? Bulletin Boards

This set of bulletin boards teaches students about the differences between fruits and vegetables and offers many examples of each. The set also includes 36 fruit and vegetable cards along with instructions for how they can be used in your classroom. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Where Does Your Cheeseburger Come From?

Do you know the source of the burger, bun and toppings that make a delicious cheeseburger? This 11" x 17" student poster breaks down the cheeseburger ingredients to help students correlate the farm-to-fork path. These are available to educators free of charge from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom.

Where Does Your Pizza Come From?

Farmers Make Great Pizza! Use this 11" x 17" student poster to discover the connections between your favorite pizza ingredients and toppings, and agriculture. These are available to educators free of charge from Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom.

Who Makes the Best Burger?

This 42" x 25" bulletin board teaches students about the production of the ingredients in hamburgers. A large picture of a hamburger is featured in the middle of the bulletin board and pictures of the ingredients and their descriptions are in each corner. An envelope asking students to vote for "Who makes the best burger?" is included. The envelope can be removed after the voting to display the words "FARMERS and RANCHERS." The bulletin board is mailed in a reusable storage tube. Order this bulletin board online from agclassroomstore.com.

Teacher Reference

Agricultural Biotechnology Questions and Answers

What is Agricultural Biotechnology and how is it used? This informative text breaks down the questions surrounding biotechnology and how it is used for agricultural production. The article breaks down four topics: Genetically Engineered (GE) Crops, How Other Countries Gain Access to GE Technology, How Crops and Foods are Assessed for Safety, and Developing a Biosafety System.

Antimicrobial Wash for Fresh Produce

This article supplements lessons regarding food safety and food processing from the farm to the grocery store. Learn about an antimicrobial formulation, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, that has been formulated to reduce the risk of food-borne pathogens that could contaminate fresh produce. The antimicrobial wash is a combination of lactic acid, fruit acids, and hydrogen peroxide proven to reduce pathogens up to 99.99 percent.

Are consumers ready to embrace and eat lab-grown meat?

Public attitudes about cultured "meat" vary widely. Use this article to introduce students to the possibility. Discuss the pros and cons and develop a name for this alternative meat.

Backyard Composting

This book provides an easy, step-by-step guide to successful composting. Learn how easy it is to start composting, maintain an active, healthy compost, and use the compost you produce.

Better Paper, Plastics with Starch

USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists developed a new starch-based film, or coating, that can make paper and other materials more water resistant and biodegradable. The film can potentially be used in food packaging, plastic bags, and other products, reducing the amount of synthetic products clogging landfills.

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.

Bottle Biology

Learn how to explore science and the environment using soda bottles and other recyclable materials. Model a rain forest and grow different plants, create a spider habitat, observe the life cycle of a slime mold, explore an ecosystem or make Korean kimchee. Pursue these and other scientific investigations with over 20 bottle constructions. Each chapter contains background information, activities and teaching tips. This is a great book for those interested in exploring gardening in the classroom before committing to something more expensive.

Build Your Own GrowLite

This grow light is easy and affordable to build, allowing teachers to garden in their classroom year round or start plants early for outdoor transplanting. The detailed instructions in this PDF will take you step by step through the process of building this light and includes guidelines for using it in your classroom.

Creamed, Canned and Frozen: How the Great Depression Revamped U.S. Diets

During the Depression, cheap, nutritious and filling food was prioritized — often at the expense of taste. Although today the trend is "fresh," food preservation has been historically important. This article can help students see the impact of the Great Depression on American diets.

Crop Cards

Double-sided cards representing ten agricultural crops. Each card shows the plant in each stage of growth, explains how and when it is planted and harvested and describes its use as feed for animals or food for humans. The cards can be printed from the attached PDF or prints can be ordered from the Nebraska Foundation for Agricultural Awareness.

Dig In: Hands-On Soil Investigations

Give students the dirt on soil with a practical book that brings new meaning to the term "hands-on." Using these 12 activities and two original stories as guides, kids will soon be up to their elbows in the study of soil formation, habitats and land use, animals that depend on soil, plants that grow in soil, soil science, and soil conservation. Each teacher-tested lesson plan offers helpful background, assessment methods, and suggestions for further exploration.

Edible Gardening: Growing Your Own Vegetables, Fruits, and More

This gardening guide provides fun and creative ideas for growing vegetables, fruits, and more. It lists of everything you need and easy, step-by-step instructions accompany each project. Grow a pepper plant in an upside-down planter or plant a spaghetti garden. Teachers will be inspired to create edible class gardens with their students.

Encyclopedia of Gardening Techniques

The definitive guide to the best gardening techniques from pruning and propagation and planting to harvesting by the American Horticultural Society. This step-by-step guide contains a vast amount of expert information clearly demonstrating the tried-and-tested techniques honed by the world's leading garden authority. The book covers every aspect of gardening from pruning to sowing, watering to feeding, and propagating to planting. Covering all plants including trees, flowers, shrubs, climbers, lawns, vegetables, fruit and herb, it shows how to create water features and patios, and add lighting. It also includes organic techniques, recycling, and how to treat pests and diseases.

Farm to Table & Beyond

This curriculum unit is designed to teach science through study of the food system. It investigates two questions—what is the system that gets food from farm to table, and how does this system affect the environment? Students will learn about our complex and highly technological global food system and how the parts of this system interact and influence each other. Lesson plans include a number of hands-on investigations, helpful background information, practical teaching tips, and tools for assessment.

Feeding the World and Protecting the Environment

This supplemental resource was developed to provide content and labs about fertilizer’s role in federal regulations, such as the Clean Water Act. Additionally the supplement provides an overview of sustainability and 4R nutrient stewardship providing a lot of information as well as places for students to keep notes. This free, downloadable PDF can be requested from the Nutrients for Life Foundation.

Fighting Weeds: Can we reduce, or even eliminate herbicides by utilizing robotics and AI?

Take a quick look at some of the technical strategies being pursued in farming, robotics, and AI. Which of these robots do you think you'll see in the future? Could robotics revolutionize farming practices for weed control?

Food Chemistry Experiments

This free, downloadable 60-page booklet contains seven basic food science experiments designed for middle and high school students. Includes teacher/student activity guides.

Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide

A treasure trove of scientific and comprehensive food safety information in one user-friendly, alphabetical format. Use this guide as a research tool for reinforcing the science concepts in the video, performing the activities and labs, and to further enhance your knowledge of food safety.

Garden Genetics: Teaching With Edible Plants

Tired of teaching genetic concepts with the same old pink petunias and Mendel’s peas? With Garden Genetics, you can present core content in ways that are fun for students and fresh for you. This two-part set—a teacher edition and companion student edition—is adaptable to biology students at all levels, including AP. It uses a series of activities and inquiry-based experiments with familiar foods to teach genetics while helping students make connections to ecology, evolution, and plant biology.

Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States Report

Despite the rapid increase in the adoption of genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybean, and cotton varieties by US farmers, questions persist regarding their economic and environmental impacts, the evolution of weed resistance, and consumer acceptance. This report examines issues related to three major stakeholders in agricultural biotechnology: GE seed suppliers and technology providers (biotech firms), farmers, and consumers.

Genetically Modified Food: Good, Bad, Ugly

Review this article to hear multiple perspectives on the issue of GMOs. Why do some fear the technology while others believe it is a solution to many challenges in food production?

Glidden's Patent Application for Barbed Wire

Life in the American West was reshaped by a series of patents for a simple tool that helped ranchers tame the land: barbed wire. Learn why this tool was important and impactful in the history of the United States as well as in cattle ranching.

Gourmet Lab: The Scientific Principles Behind Your Favorite Foods

Hands-on, inquiry-based, and relevant to every student’s life, Gourmet Lab serves up a full menu of activities for science teachers of grades 6-12. This collection of 15 hands-on experiments, each of which includes a full set of both student and teacher pages, challenges students to take on the role of scientist and chef as they boil, bake, and toast their way to better understanding of science concepts from chemistry, biology, and physics. By cooking edible items such as pancakes and butterscotch, students have the opportunity to learn about physical changes in states of matter, acids and bases, biochemistry, and molecular structure. What better topic than food to engage students to explore science in the natural world?

Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning

Drawing on the expertise of over 100 North American educators, this book represents some of the finest thinking about how best to design and to maximize the learning in revitalized schoolyards. In this anthology from Green Teacher magazine, readers will find step-by-step instructions for numerous projects, from tree nurseries to school composting along with ideas for enhancing learning by addressing the diverse needs of students. Among more than a dozen schoolyard options presented, the guide includes detailed articles on rooftop gardens, multicultural gardens, far-north gardens, desert gardens, butterfly gardens, ponds and prairie restorations. For project planners, there are practical tips on minimizing vandalism, maximizing participation and raising funds. And for teachers, there are dozens of outdoor classroom activities and curriculum links.

Grow it Again

This resource will help you find creative solutions to growing affordable plants in the classroom. You may find it hard to believe, but the makings of a fantastic growing experience are probably in your kitchen right now. Don't put those carrot tops in the compost or throw out the seeds in that apple core—try growing them instead. Turn a peanut into an unusual flower or a beet top into a leafy plant. The step-by-step illustrated instructions in this book make it easy!

GrowLab: A Complete Guide to Gardening in the Classroom

This manual was developed by the National Gardening Association to lead teachers through the basics of successful indoor gardening. Step-by-step instructions will guide you through setting up an indoor garden, planning and planting, choosing vegetables, herbs, and flowers to grow indoors, maintaining a healthy growing environment, tackling pests and other problems, and conducting special gardening projects.

GrowLab: Classroom Activities for Indoor Gardens and Grow Lights

This curriculum uses fun, illustrated activities to explore life cycles, examine plant diversity, and investigate the interdependence between plants and humans. Whether you're growing plants in a greenhouse, under grow lights or on a windowsill, this comprehensive book provides you with all the information you need to use plants as a teaching tool in your classroom to engage young minds. Grades K-8. Meets National Science Standards.

Hatching Classroom Projects

This 49-page 4-H guide to embryology provides background information and experiential life science activities for use in the elementary classroom. Students learn the parts of an egg, classification of chickens by breed, how to use an incubator, candle an egg, build a brooder, and more. Each activity is correlated to national science standards and follows the five steps in the experiential learning model: experience, share, process, generalize, and apply.

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 Safe is Your Salad?

Learn about the safety system and protocols farmers and farm workers must follow while growing and harvesting lettuce and other leafy greens grown in Arizona. After an E. coli outbreak in 2006 the leafy green industry began approaching food safety in a new way. Learn the steps taken to protect your salad from foodborne illness.

How a New Evolutionary Map Could Help Farmers Eliminate Fertilizer

Many key food crops require nitrogen fertilizer, which can have negative effects on the environment if not managed correctly. Other crops, such as those from the legume family have special nitrogen fixing characteristics which return nitrogen to the soil. Read this article to discover how scientists are trying to transfer the nitrogen fixing trait to other plants.

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.

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

This TIME magazine article highlights the work and photography of Peter Menzel as he traveled the world documenting the food average families throughout the globe consumed in a typical week. Discover how culture, climate, economic status, food costs, and other factors impact the food a family consumes.

Illustrated Accounts of Moments in Agricultural History

Modern Farmer magazine offers a number of illustrated accounts by Lucas Adams that depict interesting and important moments in agricultural history. The Illustrated Account of 'The Great Die-Up' of the 1880s tells the story of the winter of 1886-7, which was so harsh that only about one out of ten cattle survived, and the era of the open range came to an end soon after. Other accounts address topics such as the Pleasant Valley Sheep War, mulberry and silk production in 1830s Connecticut, a maple syrup heist, and dairy farming in the 1940s. These graphic novel style articles are sure to engage students from upper elementary to high school and older.

In The Three Sisters Garden

In this Common Roots Guidebook, Sister Corn, Sister Squash, and Sister Bean introduce children to gardening in two distinct year-long adventures that explore the ancient wisdoms of the land. Each is a unique journey through the four seasons, rich with earth-friendly gardening methods, history, hands-on activities, stories, and provocative ideas. The lessons incorporate social studies, literature, and science. Plants can be grown in the garden or classroom to supplement this unit. An easy resource to utilize when teaching early American traditions.

Junior Master Gardener Handbook

The Junior Master Gardener (JMG) Program is an innovative youth gardening project. This JMG Handbook is designed for children in grades 3-5. Each of the eight exciting chapters contains fun activities and interesting facts to help children experience the joy of making things grow. At the end of each chapter are suggested Leadership/Community Service Projects. These projects help Junior Master Gardeners share with their family, friends and community all that they have learned.

Junior Master Gardener Literature in the Garden

The Junior Master Gardener Literature in the Garden curriculum engages children through garden- and ecology-themed children's books. (Books include Plantzilla; Miss Rumphius; Brother Eagle, Sister Sky; The Gardener; Tops & Bottoms; and Weslandia.) This curriculum contains dozens of hands-on activities for youth in grades 3-5. Learning is inspired through outdoor activities, creative expression and open exploration.

Junior Master Gardener Teacher & Leader Guide

Ever suck a bug to study insects or make mud pies to evaluate soil texture? The 2016 revised JMG Teacher & Leader Guide provides elementary teachers with the tools to teach the world of gardening with eight chapters of novel, hands-on and proven lessons. The curriculum also helps develops life skills, includes career exploration and provides opportunities for students to culminate the JMG experience with service-learning projects. As students complete areas of study, they can earn different recognition certifications including designation as Certified Junior Master Gardeners.

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.

Livestock Cards

Double-sided cards representing four livestock species. These cards can add a reading supplement activity to lesson plans to help teach the basic principles about beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. The cards can be printed from the attached PDF or ordered from the Nebraska Foundation for Agricultural Awareness.

Livestock Flowchart

This three-page informational sheet describes the processes of how an animal grows, how it gets from the farm to the store, and what products are produced from that animal. Words and simple graphics are used to portray this information for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. Text may be difficult for young readers but can be used by teachers as a basic resource for descriptive purposes.

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.

Mandarin Oranges: Protecting the Flavor of This Popular Fruit

This article can enrich a lesson on food safety, transportation, food packaging, or food science with a real-life example. Illustrate how food scientists are researching the mandarin orange to protect the flavor of the fruit after it is harvested.

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.

Meadowscaping Makes it Better Activity Guide

With a bit of knowledge and creative thinking, meadowscaping allows us to transform lawns, playgrounds, empty lots, unused paved spaces, and patios into havens for plants and animals. This guide provides information and inspiration for creating meadow plantings anywhere—even in containers—and features six fun, hands-on projects to delight and inform your young gardeners.

Meadowscaping with Kids

With a bit of knowledge and creative thinking, meadowscaping allows us to transform lawns, playgrounds, empty lots, unused paved spaces, and patios into havens for plants and animals. This guide for caregivers and educators lifts up the benefits of meadows, meadowscaping, and ways to incorporate kids in meadowscaping. The guide also includes key tips for the success of your meadowscape.

Mobile System Removes Phosphorus From Manure

Read about the research for a mobile system designed to remove phosphorus from cow manure. This technology may offer dairy farmers greater flexibility in where, when, and how they use the nutrient to fertilize crops.

NASA Shows U.S. Corn Belt Literally Glowing with Productivity

Help students identify the "Corn Belt" region of the United States with an image taken from space which shows the agricultural productivity of the region.

Native American Gardening

This book provides stories, projects, and recipes that can easily be adapted for use in the classroom. Native American Gardening brings the magical world of stories together with the nurturing experience of gardening. Native stories lay the groundwork for understanding, while hands-on activities show readers how to continue the work of generations of Native farmers.

Natural GMO? Sweet Potato Genetically Modified 8,000 Years Ago

Genetically modified crops have specific genes transferred from one genome to another. Typically it is believed that this could not happen naturally without human assistance. However, this article reports on the evidence that the sweet potato has a gene originally found in a bacterium.

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.

Precision Agriculture Technologies and Factors Affecting Their Adoption

Precision agriculture technologies are playing an increasing role in farm production. Examples include GPS tractor guidance systems and GPS soil and yield mapping for variable-rate applications. This USDA report discusses adoption rates for using these technologies and factors impacting adoption of use.

Programming Sun and Rain

On the cramped urban campus of Boston Latin School, students grow an acre’s worth of vegetables in an old shipping container that’s been transformed into a computer-controlled hydroponic farm. Using a wall-mounted keyboard or a mobile app, the student farmers can monitor their crops, tweak the climate, make it rain and schedule sunrise. Use this article to illustrate an example of hydroponics, the use of technology in agriculture, and/or urban farming.

Pulp as Biodegradable Plastic in Disposable Food Containers

Use this article when talking about alternative sources for creating a biodegradable plastic. Scientists working at the United States Department of Agriculture have created a type of plastic safer for the environment which is made from sugar beet pulp that is added to a biodegradable polymer.

School Gardens: A Guide for Gardening and Plant Science

This free guide can serve as a tool for teachers who are implementing a school garden program. There are 31 activities that can support and supplement hands-on experience in the school garden. Each activity is aligned to education standards. The guide was compiled for Minnesota, but can be adapted to other areas.

Smarter Food: Does Big Farming Mean Bad Farming?

A common misconception in agriculture is that large scale farming is "bad." This article discusses farm size, conventional vs organic food production, sustainability, and various cultivation practices designed to protect and preserve the environment.

Smartphones Enlisted to Battle Crop Disease

Is a smartphone really that smart? In this article a research scientists from Penn State and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology are joining together in an effort to develop a smartphone app that will diagnose a crop disease from an image. Healthy crops can become infected by thousands of pests and the first line of defense is the farmer. This is a good article for illustrating the use of modern technology to increase and encourage crop health.

Steps to a Bountiful Kids' Garden

This how-to guide by the National Gardening Association covers all you need to know to launch a school or kids' gardening program, from rallying support and site development to making curriculum connections. A must-have resource!

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.

The Question of the Production of Genetically Modified Foods

This 2015 report from the Model United Nations School of the Hague provides a thorough overview and history of the controversy surrounding the development and use of genetically modified foods.

The Ultimate Guide to Gardening: Grow Your Own Indoor, Vegetable, Fairy, and Other Great Gardens

Full of how-to projects for any level of gardener, this book includes step-by-step instructions with accompanying full-color photographs. Whether you’re planting flowers outdoors, or indoor vegetables, you’ll find a range of unique gardens you can grow yourself at home or in a classroom. Tips and techniques are included, as well as variations to make each project your own.

Using Technology to Save Water

Use this resource when discussing the future use and demand of fresh water. Sixty percent of the world's fresh water is used by farmers which has a large impact upon its availability in meeting the challenge of producing food for a growing population. This article explains how scientists in the southwest are developing tools for saving water with the help of satellites, computer models, remote sensors, and other types of technologies.

Weather-Tracking Tool Helps Track Migrating Insects

Farmers are faced with the potential of crop damage each year that stems from migrating insects such as the corn earworm. However, signals taken from the National Weather Service Doppler radar network has the potential for tracking insects that move through the night such as the corn earworm. This resource supports reasons why farmers are concerned with productivity in crops that can be completely devastated by migrating insects.

Wiki Watershed

A web toolkit designed to help teachers and students advance in their knowledge and stewardship of fresh water.

Worms Eat My Garbage

The book that started a backyard worm revolution over three decades ago continues to be the definitive guide to vermicomposting—the process of using worms to recycle human food and other organic waste into a nutrient-rich fertilizer for plants. This book provides complete illustrated instructions on setting up and maintaining a small-scale worm composting system. The topics covered include worm species, anatomy of the red worm, the worm bin ecosystem, the care and feeding of worms, setting up a worm bin, harvesting worm castings, and the benefits of castings to plants.

Yum! Fruit and Vegetable Wraps

Food scientists have a career in developing foods that are appealing to the eye and taste bud as well as being nutritious. Use this research article about fruit and vegetable wraps to highlight what a career in food science would entail.

Website

23andMe

This website contains information and flash videos to supplement lessons on genetics, DNA, and heredity. You will find informative videos answering questions such as What are Genes? What are SNPs? Where do your Genes Come From? and What are Phenotypes?

A World of Cotton

This natural plant fiber is a globally important crop with many uses. But cotton growers are continually dealing with environmental challenges like drought and pests. Explore the content of this website to learn more about cotton, its wild ancestors, and some of the approaches scientists are using to study and improve cotton plants.

Ag & Food Careers

This website, put together by a partnership of agricultural organizations in Pennsylvania, has agricultural career resources that are applicable to all states. See over 50 careers in agriculture through videos, and infographics on the Ag & Food Careers List. Additionally, there is an Educator Resource section that includes 4 web scavenger hunts to guide students through the videos.

Agricultural News

This searchable site explores the Library of Congress Chronicling America database for information on the farming organizations, technologies, and practices of America’s past. These photos and articles provide a rich resource of primary and secondary sources for discussing the events that change how we live today.

Agricultural Stats and Facts

A nationwide interactive map geared for elementary students which displays state agricultural facts.

All About Corn: e-learning modules for educators and students

This website includes a series of interactive online modules with nearly five hours of programming on everything about corn, targeted to high school students.

Before the Plate Website

The Before the Plate website contains information about the Before the Plate documentary and videos and explanations for each step of the farm-to-fork process for beef, potatoes, honey, milk, and sunflowers.

Buried Seeds, Buried Treasure

Over 100 years ago, a scientist named William J. Beal had a question: how long do seeds survive underground? To find out, he started an experiment. In 1879 he filled 20 bottles with sand and seeds from local plants. William buried these bottles and created a map to document their location, hoping that future scientists would continue to dig them up to test whether the seeds would still grow long after his death. Supplement a seed lesson with this fascinating story and science experiment.

Careers for Green Thumbs

Students interested in a plant science career can use this website to find information on specialized career paths in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Discover the demand for nursery and greenhouse workers, horticulturists, florists, flower specialists, and more.

Corteva Grows Science: Outreach Career Paths

Explore science-related career paths such as those available at Corteva Agriscience. Explore career-path PDFs and career videos.

Cotton Campus

The Cotton Campus is a digital simulation of a college university all about cotton. Begin with how cotton is grown and harvested and then continue your "education" to learn how the fibers are processed into fabric, how to wash and care for cotton fabric, and other fun facts.

Cotton Counts Educational Resources

This website provides a variety of publications for teaching about cotton, including printable handouts on cotton and the consumer, what can be made with a bale of cotton, and the history of cotton from its first planting in the United States until today. An online presentation provides images and text to show your students how cotton goes from field to fabric.

Crop Science Career Profiles

The Crop Science Society of America promotes and encourages career opportunities in the agronomic, crop, soil and environmental sciences. The Career Placement webpage contains career profiles, salary survey reports, and career brochures for teachers and students who are interested in learning more about available jobs in these areas.

DNA Learning Center

The DNA Learning Center (DNALC) is the world's first science center devoted entirely to genetics education and is an operating unit of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an important center for molecular genetics research. The DNALC website provides links to a family of educational Internet sites that cover broad topics, including basic heredity, genetic disorders, eugenics, the discovery of the structure of DNA, DNA sequencing, cancer, and plant genetics.

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.

Discover Dairy

"Discover Dairy" is an educational website for teachers and students. The website includes elementary level videos about the dairy farm, lesson plans for teachers, and activities.

Eggs in Schools

The Eggs in Schools website has a variety of classroom resources and tools including virtual field trips, activities, games, cooking videos, and lesson plans.

Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Renewable Energy, and the Environment

This report describes projected job opportunities for U.S. college graduates in the food, agricultural, and natural resources system for the years 2020-2025. It highlights areas where graduating students are most likely to find jobs. The publication also describes factors that are driving trends in the job market, as well as characteristics of students graduating from U.S. Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. Visit the website or download the printable PDF.

Esri GIS for Agriculture

This website from the creators of ArcGIS mapping software provides articles, interactive demos, and videos illustrating how GIS technology can be applied to agriculture.

Evolution of Corn

How did we get the familiar large yellow ear of corn today? Through the study of genetics, we know today that corn's wild ancestor is a grass called teosinte. Teosinte doesn't look much like maize, especially when you compare its kernals to those of corn. But at the DNA level, the two are surprisingly alike.

FAOSTAT: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Statistics Division

FAOSTAT provides free access to food and agriculture data for over 245 countries and territories and covers all FAO regional groupings from 1961 to the most recent year available.

Fascinating Farms Around the World

Take an interactive journey around the world to visit 16 farms. These are not your ordinary farms with cattle, sheep, hay, or grain. These farms produce specialty crops such as salmon, tulips, alligators, wind, mussels, coffee, leeches, lavender, yaks, seaweed, ostriches, rice, sunflowers, salt, ostriches, solar power, and alpacas. This journey would be an excellent supplement for elementary geography and agriculture lessons to teach students about less common types of farms.

Fight Bac! Food Safety Education

The Fight Bac website contains many helpful resources for teachers. You will find information about preventing foodborne illness, proper hand washing, kids games, activities, brochures, flyers, and video clips to enhance your lesson plans.

Food Matters

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.

GMO Answers

GMO Answers is an educational website to answer your questions about GMO's, or Genetically Modified Organisms. You will find infographics, images, videos, posters, and handouts to use as learning tools.

Genetic Science Learning Center

The Genetic Science Learning Center provides many teaching tools to supplement lessons on genetics, heredity, cells, cloning, and more. You will find virtual labs and simulations, graphics, and animations.

Growing a Nation Multimedia Timeline

This multimedia timeline pairs with Growing a Nation lesson plans using interactive technology to bring depth and meaning to historical events. The timeline includes stories and is linked to lesson plans that merge seamlessly with existing American history textbooks and high school history curricula. The program covers historical events such as the Dust Bowl, Great Depression, Civil War, and the impact of science and technological growth.

Hatching Science Center

The Hatching Science Center offers practical information about the technical aspects of hatching chicks and provides relevant, hands-on activities for integrating embryology themes into core curriculum. Hatching chicks in the classroom can be an effective way to increase student engagement, investigate how organisms change and develop over time, and study embryology, life cycles, heredity, and animal needs.

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.

Insect Herbivores and Plants

Visit this website to take a deeper look at the connection between herbivorous insects and the plants they eat, explore a gallery of insect herbivores, and discover methods and tools to keep insect herbivores from eating our crops.

Journey 2050

The Journey 2050 website focuses on the year 2050 as a key moment in time when the world's population is estimated to be 9 billion. Answer the question, "How will we sustainably feed 9 billion people by the year 2050?" Find four games and seven videos to learn about sustainable agriculture.

Journey of a Gene

This website engages students in the genetic engineering process in a problem and solution format. The video series describes a plant disease in soybeans and then illustrates the steps in genetic engineering that could be employed to develop seeds that are resistant to the disease.

Kid's Gardening Website

The Kid's Gardening website is full of ideas for implementing a school garden. You will find instruction for container gardening, class activities, growing houseplants, etc.

Labels Unwrapped

The Labels Unwrapped project was launched to address the frustration and confusion caused by food labels. Laws and regulations that govern the labeling of food products are complex and, in some instances, ambiguous. Because everyone eats food every day, the creators of this site wanted to unwrap the law behind the labels on various types of food products and provide an accessible informational resource for anyone who wants to better understand the language and imagery that can both inform and confuse consumers.

Learn How To Compost

Learn How to Compost is a website teaching the basics of composting. You will find facts about composting, graphics outlining items you should and shouldn't compost, and common questions and answers. This website can be used as a resource to start a successful classroom compost pile to accompany lessons on soil, soil fertility, recycling, and more.

My American Farm

This site provides a collection of educational online games exploring agricultural topics. Games are labeled with grade level (preK-K, K-2, and 3-5) and subject (math, health, science, geography, etc.).

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.

National FFA AgExplorer

AgExplorer is a comprehensive career resource to help you explore the broad range of careers within the industry of agriculture. Careers may have you using advanced equipment, creating new hybrid seeds, raising animals, managing people, or designing new products and packaging. The industry of agriculture can open up a world of possibilities, and the demand for professionals in every agricultural area is high. Learn more about which career might be right for you by watching the videos, exploring the career pages, and completing the Career Finder interactive.

National Geographic: What the World Eats

Do you know which country in the world consumes the most daily calories? Which country consumes the most bread or meat? View a series of pie graphs representing countries throughout the globe to answer these questions and more. Each graph displays the typical diet from that country broken down into food groups such as produce, dairy & eggs, meat, sugar & fat, and grains. You can also see how diets have changed from the year 1961 until the present.

Nitrogen & Agriculture

This interactive site explores the importance of nitrogen for plant, animal, and soil health. Students are able to build amino acid and fertilizer molecules and calculate molecular weight in relation to nitrogen content.

Pathful Connect

Pathful Connect matches teachers and students with the right industry professionals virtually, without having to spend much planning time or leaving the classroom, while providing an effective way for companies to extend education outreach and create equity of access.

Phenomenon

Find a master list of phenomena and corresponding resources to implement as episodes in a phenomenon storyline. Resources are categorized by grade level and cover grades K-12.

Producepedia

Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are all considered produce. Producepedia is a website devoted to teaching about these important food crops. Find fun facts about various produce, learn about how and where it is grown, when it is in season, and watch videos from top chefs about how to cook and prepare the produce for eating.

Project WET

Project WET publishes water resource education materials that are appropriate for many different age groups and cultures and offer comprehensive coverage of the broad topic of water. They also provide training workshops to educators at all levels, formal and non-formal, on diverse water topics.

SOW Seeds of Wonder

In Project S.O.W., youth work together to investigate how to grow food, explore their relationship with the land and food system, and practice leadership in their communities. Youth discover the power of food gardening to provide their families and communities with fresh and affordable food, and experience firsthand the resilience, confidence, and connection that this time-honored practice brings. Resources can be paired with school gardening curriculum for ages 13-19.

School Garden Center

This web page offers practical information about gardening with children and provides engaging lesson plans and activities that integrate gardening themes into core curriculum. School gardens provide an opportunity to build understanding about the natural world through active investigation and inquiry. Gardens inspire students to use their senses, exercise their imagination, build communication skills, think critically, problem solve, and explore their questions, while providing a meaningful context for multidisciplinary exploration.

Science in Your Shopping Cart

We pay less for food than citizens of other nations; the United States enjoys the cheapest food in the world. Each year, dozens of improved products and new varieties of fruits, nuts, and vegetables emerge from the laboratories and greenhouses of the Agricultural Research Service. But walking through the grocery store, do we ever consider where such an abundance and variety of food and products come from? Learn about ARS research and how it affects your food using the "Science in Your Shopping Cart" Factsheets and podcast.

Science in Your Watershed

This website can help teachers find scientific information on watersheds in their area. Use a mapping interface to locate your local watershed as well as find various other resources.

Sheep 101

The purpose of the Sheep 101 website is to teach 4-H and FFA members, students, teachers, beginning shepherds, and the general public about sheep, their products, how they are raised, and their contributions to society. The site uses simple language and pictures to illustrate the various topics.

Soil Center

The Soil Center provides a collection of soil science lessons and an accompanying six-segment video program covering topics like soil texturing, living and nonliving components of soil, erosion, and more. These resources were designed specifically for Utah fourth-grade students but can easily be adapted for other grade levels.

Soil Health Education Resources

Soil Life

Soil Life is a website designed to change the way the world looks at soil—digging into what's dirty and calling into question what's clean. This website includes an interactive, graphics-based introduction to soil science, a media hub of soils-related content, and actionable ways to protect and promote soils and life.

Soil Science Society of America

The Soil Science Society of America website hosts dozens of soil resources specifically for educators. Find lessons, activities, maps, and helpful information aligned to NGSS standards.

State Fact Sheets

Visit this website and click on your state to see statistics from the Economic Research Service and United States Department of Agriculture. State fact sheets provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, and top commodities, exports, and counties for each state in the United States.

Successful Container Gardens

Use this website to find instructions and tips for making a container garden successful in your classroom.

Thanksgiving Maps and Posters

Visit this website to see maps and graphs to discover where your Thanksgiving dinner foods such as green beans, carrots, celery, sweet corn, cranberries, onions, pecans, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, turkey, and wheat were produced.

The American Dairy Industry

This online special collections exhibit from the USDA National Agricultural Library includes sections on the early history of the dairy industry, government contributions to dairying, and research in the private sector.

The FOOD Museum On-Line

This website provides a wide array of resources related to food, including videos, articles, and book reviews. The mission of the FOOD Museum is to research, collect, preserve, exhibit, and explain the history and social significance of the world's most important foods, and bring artifacts and programs to audiences of all ages.

The Food Timeline

Ever wonder what foods the Vikings ate when they set off to explore the new world? How Thomas Jefferson made his ice cream? What the pioneers cooked along the Oregon Trail? Who invented the potato chip...and why? Welcome to the Food Timeline! Food history presents a fascinating buffet of popular lore and contradictory facts. Some people will tell you it's impossible to express this topic in exact timeline format. They are correct. Most foods we eat are not invented; they evolve.

The History of the Tractor

How much thought have you given to the great American tractor? If you have food on your table, you have the tractor to thank for it. This website outlines the history and timeline of the tractor and how it has revolutionized farming.

The Science of Cooking

Visit this website for an archive of webcasts, labs, videos, and other teaching resources that connect cooking and science. Candy, bread, eggs, pickles, meat, and seasoning are highlighted.

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.

The USGS Water Science School

This website offers information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge.

Tractor Timeline- A History of Tractors

Use this interactive tractor timeline to learn about the history of tractors. Dive into the history of tractor development and see how the evolution of these farm implements has changed how we farm and made it possible to increase our crop yields.

Utah State University Bee Lab

The website for the USDA Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory at Utah State University provides a glimpse into the world of bee research. This is a great resource to build background knowledge prior to teaching about bees. In addition to many technical articles, the site provides links to popular magazine and USDA Agricultural Research Service news articles on bees. Dig deeper to find pages on how to identify bumble bees of northern Utah and a guide to raising bumble bees at home.

Virtual Food Safety Labs

Food safety and science come together with these virtual labs. Students can see and practice some of the laboratory techniques used by researchers and food scientists. Visit the website to see eight virtual labs including Testing for Corn Mold, Bacteria Sampling, Gram Staining, Using the Microscope, The pH Scale and Meter Calibration, Testing and Adjusting pH, Understanding Water Activity, and Controlling Water Activity in Food.

Virtual Labs: Understanding Water Activity

What is water activity, and how does it affect food spoilage? In this virtual lab, students can explore how microbes and reactions inside food rely on water and calibrate a lab water activity meter. Students will become familiar with food science lab equipment and standard techniques for measuring water activity. The lab guides users through both theory and practice, preparing them for experiences in a real lab.

Water Cycle Animation

The water cycle is the transfer of water around the globe, between the land, oceans, and air. Visit this website to see a digital animation which illustrates the stages of the water cycle.

Web Soil Survey

The Web Soil Survey provides soil data and information for your specific area to help cater your soil lesson to your own community. Visit the website link below for instructions, then click on "Start WSS" to find your soil data.

What's In My Food?

Would you like to learn more about the ingredients in your food? Common questions about our food include: Does it contain GMOs? Does the packaging contain BPA? and What are the ingredients? This website contains detailed information about these topics for common foods such as soups, sauces, juices, pasta, crackers, and cookies.

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Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix

Search Results

Grade Levels

Type of Companion Resource

Content Area Standards

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes

Common Core

Lesson Plans (471)

A "Sour" Subject

A Chilling Investigation

A Closer Look at Fats (Grades 6-8)

A Closer Look at Fats (Grades 9-12)

A Common Thread: The Significance of Wool in Medieval England

A Day Without Agriculture (Grades 3-5)

A Day Without Agriculture (Grades K-2)

A Day Without Dairy

A Garden Plot: The Tale of Peter Rabbit

A Rafter of Turkeys

A Recipe for Genetics: Selective Breeding and Transgenics

A Search for the Source (Grades 3-5)

A Search for the Source (Grades 6-8)

A Search for the Source (Grades 9-12)

A Search for the Source (Grades K-2)

A Tail of Two Sheep

A Tale of Two Burgers: Beef and Plant-based Protein

A Walnut Orchard Through the Seasons

A is for Apples

Abraham Lincoln Clears a Path: His Agricultural Legacy

Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming (Grades 6-8)

Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming (Grades 9-12)

AgVenture: Sourcing Ag Careers

Agricultural Land Use

Agricultural Production Regions in the United States

Agriculture Counts

Agriculture Pays

Agriculture and Me

Agritourism: Extreme Farm Makeover

Algaculture and Biofuel

American Farmers Count! Census 2020

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Animal or Plant? (Grades 3-5)

Animal or Plant? (Grades K-2)

Apple Genetics: A Tasty Phenomena

Apple Science: Comparing Apples and Onions

Apples and the Science of Genetic Selection

Applying Heredity Concepts

At Home on the Range (Grades 3-5)

At Home on the Range (Grades 6-8)

Baa, Ram, Ewe... Sheep Tales

Backpack Garden

Bartering Through the Seasons

Be a DetEGGtive!

Bean Seed Cycle

Beef Basics

Beef: Making the Grade

Before the Plate

Blue's the Clue: Souring Milk for Science (Grades 6-8)

Blue's the Clue: Souring Milk for Science (Grades 9-12)

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu! (Grades 3-5)

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu! (Grades 6-8)

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu! (Grades 9-12)

Build it Better

Build-a-Calf Workshop

By Land, Air, or Sea

Can We Have Too Much of a Good Thing?

Carbon Hoofprints: Cows and Climate Change

Career Gaming

Career Trek

Caring for the Land

Chain of Food (Grades 6-8)

Chain of Food (Grades 9-12)

Charting Agricultural Careers

Cheesemaking: A Science, an Art, and a Craft

Cheesemaking: From Liquid to Solid

Climate Change Phenomena: Bananas in Our Breadbasket?

Clothes on the Grow

Coliform Counts

Color in the Garden

Concentrate on the Solution