FARM Science Van Lessons

Lesson Objectives

Each FARM Science Van lesson is taught with the purpose of educating students about agriculture while using science-based methods. There are three main objectives in each lesson:

• A hands-on science experience in each of the lessons taught in the FARM Science Van.
• Exploration of science and agriculture related careers
• Discovery of agriculture's importance to students' daily lives

Lower Elementary Lessons (Grades K-2)

Click on each lesson title for a full outline of student learning objectives and educational standards.

Build – A – Farm

• Grade Recommendation: K-2
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Through a photo matching activity, students will make connections between items raised on a farm and products used in their daily lives. Students will build their own mini-farm, exploring the ways a farmer provides for the needs of plants and animals, including food, water, and shelter.
• NGSS: K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, K-PS3-2, 1-LS3-1, 2-LS4-1, 2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-2

Crawly Critters

• Grade Recommendation: K-2
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Students will learn how to identify if a living thing is an insect or not. They will learn about how insects can be harmful or helpful on a farm. Students will learn how insects communicate and participate in a communication activity. Finally, students will create their own insect.
• NGSS: 1-LS1-1, LS1.A, LS1.D

Upper Elementary Lessons (Grades 3-5)

Click on each lesson title for a full outline of student learning objectives and educational standards.

Field Plastic

• Grade Recommendation: 3-5
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Students will describe how plant-based products are used in daily life. Then, students will make observations, predictions and write a hypothesis while investigating the differences between a biodegradable packing peanut and a petroleum-based packing peanut. In groups, students will make a corn-based plastic to take home.
• NGSS: 3-LS1-1, 4-ESS3-1, 5-ESS3-1, 5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2, 3-5ETS1-1

Parts Per What??

• Grade Recommendation: 3-5
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Students will demonstrate water flow throughout a watershed, identifying landforms and possible sources of water contamination. Then, students will explore ways farmers work to protect the environment, including watersheds, by planting buffers trips, using precision technologies to apply fertilizers or manage water use on their farms. Finally, students will dilute a "contaminant" in a water sample to demonstrate water clarifying practices. Lesson includes division of fractions starting with 1/10 and progressing to 1/1,000,000.
• NGSS: 3-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-4, 3-5ETS1-1, 3-5ETS1-2, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS2-2, 5-ESS3-1

Power of the Potato

• Grade Recommendation: 3-5
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Hot potato! Students will explore the potato harvesting process from seed to fork and the nutritional values of potatoes and how that fits into their daily diet. In the end, students will be asked to investigate how certain potato products are packaged into the delicious foods we eat.
• NGSS: 3-5-ETS1-2, 4-LS1-1, T3.3-5 a, T3.3-5 b, T3.3-5 e

Simply MOOvelous!

• Grade Recommendation: 3-5
• Duration: 50 minutes
• Students will be working together to learn about five common dairy breeds in Michigan. They will learn about breed origins, physical traits and other unique characteristics. Students will learn about the dairy process from cow to container and a variety of products that contain dairy. In conclusion, students will be given an opportunity to create their own dairy cow based off the traits that are related to their favorite type of dairy product.
• NGSS: 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, LS1.C