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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This activity details instruction for making butter in a small baby-food sized jar.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pop Bottle Biodiesel
While discussing biodiesel fuel, use this resource as instructions for creating a form of fuel made from vegetable oil. Rudolf Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, marketed the idea to the American farmers for growing their own fuel used in diesel engines. This step by step set of instructions for making biodiesel fuel can be made with inexpensive items from the grocery store.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
'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 'Bee-Friendly' Guide to Help Save the Honey Bees
This printable PDF includes a new Winnie-the-Pooh short story and ten simple activities to support honey bees. Fully illustrated, Winnie-the-Pooh and friends are featured on every page of this family-friendly guide to helping honey bees. Although written for a British audience, the story and activities are sure to captivate American audiences as well.
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 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
An introduction to seeds and plants that uses simple sentences and beautiful illustrations. There are watercolor pictures and charts depicting a seed's growth into a plant.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Beef Cattle in the Story of Agriculture
This book teaches about the production of beef from the beginning to the end. You will learn common terminology, breeds of beef cattle, about the life cycle of beef cattle, what they eat, how they grow, and much more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Corn in the Story of Agriculture
This book introduces readers to the five stages of corn as it makes its way from farm to table; production, processing, distribution, marketing and consumerism. Each stage is presented in an easy-to ready chapter that includes graphs and colorful pictures. Full of vocabulary, fun facts and corn activity ideas.
Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians
A simple description of how corn was discovered and used by Native Americans and how it came to be an important food throughout the world. Popcorn, corn on the cob, cornbread, tacos, tamales, tortillas, and more are all made from this amazing plant.
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.
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.
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 then 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 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 which produce 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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?
This book teaches the steps of how the food in their lunchbox is produced and processed. Pictures and text illustrate the steps for bread, cheese, tomatoes, apple juice, carrots, chocolate, and a clementine. It also teaches about food groups and making healthy eating choices.
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 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 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.
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 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 sister Charlie has an idea. She 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?
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 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 go in 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'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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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, 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!
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.
Pigs & Pork in the Story of Agriculture
This book introduces elementary students to the five stages of pigs and pork as they make their way from farm to table.
Pigs: An A to Z Book
This easy to read book is best fro Pre-K or Kindergarten. The book introduces students to pigs and pork while they learn their ABCs. Each letter has a word about pigs beginning with that letter. The book also includes pictures and information to help students understand each agriculturally related word.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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?
Soybeans A to Z
Introduces young readers to agriculture by providing basic information on soybeans while teaching them their alphabet. Young readers learn where soybeans come from, how they are used and their relationship to the food, fiber, the environment and renewable fuel made from soybeans.
Soybeans in the Story of Agriculture
This book introduces elementary readers to soybeans, an important agricultural crop. Follow the stages of soybean production, processing, distribution, and marketing.
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.
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! Sophis 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, Potatoes, Corn & 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.
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.
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, 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.
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 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.
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.
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."
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
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!
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. There are enough materials for 35 students.
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.
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 80 seeds, 40 bitter cucumber seeds and 40 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 graduated cylinder, 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 laminated matching cards, 8 laminated 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 grow light, 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 35 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. 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 educational kit, including an educator's guide, activity books, a video, and songs on tape 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 36 students working in groups of two.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com. Dwarf "Space Plant" Seeds
The USU Crop Physiology Laboratory has identified and characterized six varieties of dwarf crop plants. These short, early-flowering plants are ideal for growth on the International Space Station (and also in classrooms!) where there isn't room to grow full-size crops or where light is limiting. Fixtures with compact fluorescent bulbs and/or fluorescent tubes placed directly above the plants will provide adequate light for these cultivars.
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 35 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 35 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.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.
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 35 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.Living Necklace Kits
Grow your own necklace! These kits contains enough materials for 35 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.
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 to make 35 flowers.
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 35 students.
Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.Parent/Offspring Cards
This kit contains full-color, laminated 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 35 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. Each kit weighs four pounds. 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.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 35 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.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.
2012 Census of Agriculture Infographics
This collection of infographics highlights results of the 2012 USDA Census of Agriculture. Featured topics include marketing of farm products, on-farm renewable energy, importance of the census of agriculture, and faces, geography, and practices of US agriculture.
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.
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.
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.Animal Facts
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, pigs, chickens, sheep, and dairy cows. Text may be difficult for young readers but can be used by teachers as a basic resource for descriptive purposes.
Apple Land Use Model
Imagine the Earth as an apple. Use this large, 18"X18"
Apple Land Use Model to demonstrate how the distribution of the Earth's water and land resources affects food production. The model is made up of 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 layers of the apple to reveal the images underneath.
Order this model online at agclassroomstore.com.Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States
A collection of historical maps representing from 1839 until 1930 in the United States. View production maps of specific commodities such as corn, cotton, cattle, and wheat.
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.
Corn and Soybean Processing and Utilization Poster
Corn and soybeans have hundreds of uses. These reproducible posters depict how corn and soybeans are fractionated and converted into food ingredients, biofuels, and biobased products.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Living Science Career Cards (posters or mini-posters)
The Living Science Career Cards feature 50 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 or
order online from agclassroomstore.com.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.
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! The bulletin board is mailed in a reusable storage tube.
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.
Quiz: Can you name a food by looking at where it comes from?
Use these 12 maps as a fun quiz to see if you and your students can identify the crop just by seeing where it is grown. These maps help establish a correlation between climate, geography, and food production.
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. The bulletin board is mailed in a reusable storage tube.
Order this bulletin board online from agclassroomstore.com.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.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.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.
World Hunger Map
With our grocery store shelves overflowing with a seemingly unlimited abundance of food, many Americans do not realize that around the world, in our own nation, and even in our own communities, people may not have enough food for adequate nutrition. This map clearly shows the percentage of undernourished individuals around the globe and is a great tool to teach students about the importance of food and the reality that even with as much food as there is in the world, some people still go hungry.
"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.
'Sorption Virtual Lab
Virtual lab teaching students the difference between absorption and adsorption in relation to soil. Learn how phosphorus adsorbs to soil particles and how various concentrations of phosphate impact the adsorption rate.
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.
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 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 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.
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. Watch
Cotton to 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. See
Cotton to Denim to learn how the fibers produced by cotton plants are transformed into our favorite denim jeans.
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: Nebraska Corn Farm
The road to some creative uses for corn starts here in Nebraska on Alan Tiemann's farm. This video will take you on a half-hour journey following this commodity halfway around the world. Visit Taiwan to learn about corn plastics and China to learn how US corn is used as dairy cattle feed.
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 Harvest
This half-hour video explores wheat harvest in the Palouse region of Washington State. The harvest is the final act in an exciting and unpredictable play. It’s the culmination of months of planning, hard work, sweat, and a few prayers.
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.
Apple as Planet Earth video
This video uses an apple to represent the earth and helps students visualize the amount of land on the earth that is suitable for farming.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.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.
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 Genetic Engineering Simulation
To learn more about a career in genetic engineering and to better understand the process of creating a GMO, use this simulation. Students can create a Cinna-apple (cinnamon flavored apple) or Bt Corn (corn resistant to the European corn borer).
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 & Move O-Matic
Free app teaching students how foods fuel their body to create energy for their favorite activities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Genetically Engineered Crops Report
The report prepared by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examining a range of questions and opinions about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of genetically engineered (GE) crops and food. Claims and research that extol both the benefits and risks of GE crops have created a confusing landscape for the public and for policy makers. This study is intended to provide an independent, objective examination of what has been learned since the introduction of GE crops, based on current evidence.
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?
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.
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.
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 secondary students to food science, cooking, and to increase understanding of the source 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 Reducing Food Waste Could Ease Climate Change
Aside from the social, economic, and moral implications of food waste—in a world where an estimated 805 million people go to bed hungry each night—the environmental cost of producing all that food, for nothing, is staggering. Read how food waste impacts sustainability and the efficient use of the natural resources required to produce our food supply.
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 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.
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.
Into the Outdoors: A-maize-ing Corn
This 5-minute video is all about corn and makes a great way to introduce your students to the impact corn has on our society, how it is farmed in a sustainable way, and some of the science behind how corn grows. A discussion guide is also available on the website.
Into the Outdoors: Beef Farming
Technically, how is beef raised and what’s life like on a beef farm? Discover the answers by watching this four-minute video.
Into the Outdoors: Cattle in the Environment
Cows provide most Americans with food, but it is important to remember that beef production has the potential to really affect the environment. Fortunately, the majority of beef producers are committed to being good stewards of the environment. Learn how cattle are raised in a humane and environmentally-friendly way by viewing this four-minute video.
Into the Outdoors: Meet the Meat
Most of us agree that beef tastes really good. But how do we ensure that the beef we eat is safe? Why do some people prefer different kinds of beef, and what are those different kinds? Find out by watching the four parts to this video series, which will take you onto a cattle farm to see beef production in action and meet some of its friendly inhabitants.
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.
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.
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.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.
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.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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Study: People Opposed to GMOs Don't Know As Much About Science As They Think
Use this article and the results of a peer-reviewed research paper to evaluate reasons why consumers might reject the science of transgenics.
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.
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 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 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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
#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.
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.
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.
Biotechnology Ag Mag
The Biotechnology Ag Mag is an agricultural magazine written for upper elementary or Jr high students. In this issue, students will learn how biotechnology works both within the cell and in the environment, how farmers utilize it to grow crops worldwide, and read about two different career options. The publication is available for students and teachers to view online, either at a personal computer or as a class on a projection system.
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.
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.
FAO Statistical Pocketbook: World Food and Agriculture
This is a pocketbook summarization of data presented in the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Statistical Yearbook publications. It includes thematic spreads with data visualizations (graphs, charts, and maps) and basic text. The second part has country-level tables for a selected number of indicators. Topics covered include global demographics, undernourishment, food availability, crop production, agricultural trade, water, energy, and climate change.
Food and Farm Facts Booklet
The 2019 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. Students can view it on personal computers or it can be used by teachers with a SmartBoard for classroom instruction.
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.
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.
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 in this
Free PDF booklet (24MB) and
video.
Order the DVD video online from agclassroomstore.com.
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.
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 publication is available for students and teachers to view online, either at a personal computer or as a class on a projection system or can be ordered as a classroom set.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
10 Global Gleanings
Supplement a secondary lesson on global food production and markets using these facts about global agriculture. Which country exports the most soybeans? Which country imports and consumes the most soybeans? Which countries consume the most beef or pork? What is the most consumed meat across the globe? Find the answers to these questions and more.
23andMe
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.
Ag Census Web Maps
The Census of Agriculture provides a detailed picture every five years of US farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the 2012 Census of Agriculture collected more than six million data items directly from farmers. The Ag Census Web Maps application makes this information available at the county level through a few clicks. The maps and accompanying data help users visualize, download, and analyze Census of Agriculture data in a geospatial context.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Breeding Better Cotton
Read this research article to see how scientists are trying to breed cotton plants to meet the needs of farmers and consumers. Consumers want durable, comfortable fabrics. Farmers want hardy, thriving plants. How can selective breeding help accomplish these goals?
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.
Choose 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 Choose MyPlate website.
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.
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.
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.
Digesting the Global Food System
The global food system is balanced between the supply and demand of food. The balance of these two factors is quantified by geography and politics. Use this
website to understand and explain the global food system. Refer to the
high resolution PDFs for classroom use.
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.
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.
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
This website is published by the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. These briefings report on the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world today. Find answers to questions such as, Is climate change a risk to global grazing lands? Does food security depend on livestock? Where is livestock grazing most important?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Heredity (UEN Sci-Ber Text for 5th Grade)
This is an online textbook provided by the Utah Education Network (UEN) and based on Utah science curriculum. This particular section addresses the passing of traits from parent to offspring and offers a variety of interesting activities.
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.
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.
Into the Outdoors: Farm Science
Into the Outdoors is a science website that has a section devoted to farm science. Visit the website to find activities and video clips about aquaculture science, beef cattle, soybean farming, dairy science, and corn. Each subject area has supplemental content for all grade levels K-12.
Is it Living... Or Is It Not? (UEN Sci-ber Text for 3rd Grade)
This is an online textbook provided by the Utah Education Network (UEN) and based on Utah science curriculum. This particular section addresses the differences between living and nonliving things.
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.
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.
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.
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.).
National FFA Ag Explorer
Through this website users can learn about 235 unique careers in agriculture, search for careers, match career interests, access educational requirements and link to current job openings. The website also features videos that highlight how each of the eight agricultural pathways and agricultural education are part of the global solutions to feeding the world.
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.
Nepris: Connecting Industry Professionals to Every Classroom!
Nepris provides teachers the tools to connect curriculum with the real world by virtually inviting industry professionals into the classroom to engage and inspire students in STEAM!
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.
Phenomenon
Find a master list of phenomenon 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.
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.
Rocks and Soils (UEN Sci-ber Text for 4th Grade)
This is an online textbook provided by the Utah Education Network (UEN) and based on Utah science curriculum. This particular section deals with rocks, minerals, and soils and offers a variety of interesting activities.
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 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.
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.
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 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 Agricultural Facts
A nationwide interactive map geared for elementary students which displays state agricultural facts.
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 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 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 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.
Unlock the Secrets in the Soil
The resources on this site are designed to help visitors understand the basics and benefits of soil health—and to learn about Soil Health Management Systems from farmers who are using those systems. Educators can find helpful video clips in their
Soil Health Theater, soil fact sheets and handouts from the
Dig a Little, Learn a Lot page, as well as info-graphics, soil health photos, and public service announcements from their
Media, Get the Dirt page.
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.
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.
Water Cycle (UEN Sci-Ber Text for 4th Grade)
This is an online textbook provided by the Utah Education Network (UEN) and based on Utah science curriculum. This particular section covers the water cycle, providing background information, discussion questions, and a variety of hands-on activities.
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.
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.
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.
Wool Biopolishing Process Scratches the Itch Factor
As a textile wool has many benefits including breathability, water absorption, heat regulation, and more. However, wool is often know to be an itchy fabric. Read about the research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service to develop a method of biopolishing to make scratchy wool feel silky smooth.
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.
