Preparation: Prior to class, review the Background information, and slide deck associated with the lesson. Review the Teacher's Guide: Getting Started document for further information to prepare for class.

Activity 1: Careers in Agriculture

1. Display slide 3 of the Career slide deck on the board.
2. Ask students the following series of questions.
   • What is the primary ingredient of cheese? (milk)
   • What kind of farm is milk produced on? (dairy farm)
   • Beginning on a dairy farm where the milk is produced and ending at your home where cheese is consumed, how many careers played a role in providing cheese for our diet? (allow students time to begin thinking about the answer to this question.)
3. Slide 3: Display the cheese career web. Explain that there is an interconnected web of careers that depend upon each other to produce the food we eat. Using the notes below, briefly describe how these careers are connected to the dairy farm and are necessary to produce the milk that is used to make cheese. Be sure to also explain that the web could be much larger. This is only a small sample.
   • Dairy Farmers: Raise and care for cattle on farms where milk is produced.
   • Veterinarians: Assist farmers in maintaining the health and well-being of animals.
   • Animal Geneticists: Research how genetic traits impact the health and productivity of animals and help farmers make the best decisions regarding the genetics and breeding of their animals.
   • Animal Nutritionists: Formulate the diets of animals to meet their nutritional needs. Nutritionists help dairy farmers provide a healthy diet for their cattle at each stage of their life.
   • Inspectors: Monitor the transportation of livestock animals and verify livestock ownership.
   • Salesmen: Help in many areas of agriculture by providing the right kinds of tools and equipment to accomplish a variety of jobs.
   • Crop Farmers: Produce feed for dairy farmers, such as corn, alfalfa, soybeans, etc.
   • Soil Scientists/Agronomists: Analyze the quality of soil and help farmers balance the nutrients to enable the growth of healthy crops.
   • Plant Geneticists: Study the genetic traits of plants and use methods of crossbreeding and hybridization to perpetuate desirable traits in plants.
   • Feed or Seed Store Managers: Provide farmers with access to the feed, seeds and other farm supplies necessary to their farms.
   • Truck Drivers: Transport agricultural goods from production to processing and then to be distributed to consumers.
   • Engineers: Design new technology to improve productivity and sustainability (for example, automated sprinkler systems, robotic milking equipment, etc.).
   • Food Scientists: Study the science of food preparation and formulate recipes (for example, developing different types of cheese making methods).
   • Mechanics: Repair and maintain equipment such as trucks, tractors and farming implements.

4. Slide 4: Open the Career Game Level 6 on each student’s computer or device. Explain the following:
   • In this level, you will create an avatar and answer questions based on your personal interests, favorite subjects in school, work environment preferences, etc.
   • Once the information is entered, the program will generate an agricultural career that relates to your interests. This career is just one example of many options that you may be interested in.
   • Once you are given a career, open the career profile and read about it. Keep in mind that all the people profiled in the game are real people who work in agriculture. Next, write your own response within the game to describe what your career involves and how it helps feed the world.
5. After students have finished the game, have them tell you about the different careers they chose. Be sure to ask them how their careers relate to agriculture, sustainability and feeding the world. Continue asking about different careers until no more are left, or as time permits.
6. Slide 5: Ask students, “Did you know that less than two percent of North American’s farm?” (To give a frame of reference, explain that in the early 1900s it was 38 percent.¹) Yet, in developing countries like Kenya the majority of the population (75% work in agriculture) works directly in producing Explain, “Even though less than two percent of North Americans farm, 9.3 percent² (1 in 11) of Americans and 12.5 percent (1 in 8) of Canadians work in a field related to agriculture. Careers in agriculture spread from farm to fork and beyond.

Throughout the Journey 2050 lessons students have begun to understand the impact and environmental strain of a growing population. It's important for students to understand the need for skilled agricultural professionals to discover and use best practices to reach optimum human sustainability.