Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix
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Lesson Plans (4)
A Search for the Source (Grades 9-12)
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 9-12
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
Journey 2050 Lesson 6: Careers (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
Planet Zorcon (Grades 9-12)
Explore the use of natural resources and how humans impact the environment. Discover the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources and identify careers related to natural resource management by playing a futuristic simulation game in which teams have to collect limited resources from "Planet Zorcon." Grades 9-12
Companion Resources (20)
Activity
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.
Book
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.
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.
Booklet/Reader
Careers Ag Mag
The Careers Ag Mag was written for elementary, middle, and high school students. In this issue, students will learn about agricultural careers as they pertain to specific pathways: Agricultural Business, Agricultural Production and Mechanics, Animal Science, Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, Food Science, Plant Science, and Education. Students will discover the relationships between all agricultural careers and farmers and ranchers. The reader can be viewed by students electronically, as a class with a SMARTboard, or printed.
Kit
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.
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.
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.
Movie/Video
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.
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.
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.
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.
Poster/Infographic
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.
Website
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seed Your Future
Seed Your Future is the movement to promote horticulture and inspire people to pursue careers working with plants. The website has a database of horticulture career profiles, as well as a YouTube playlist of videos describing horticulture career areas in "BLOOM!" categories. Students unlock their plant power as they explore careers in horticulture.