Companion Resources

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.

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.

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.

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.

It took over 30 years to create the perfect apple. Find out how scientists designed the Honeycrisp to be the best.

A web toolkit designed to help teachers and students advance in their knowledge and stewardship of fresh water.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?