Students use the story of The Empty Pot to explore literature and science, practicing story mapping and examining the needs of plants and the importance of soil and water. Like the characters in the story, students plant and observe the growth of seeds.
Students investigate how the need for wool impacted the American colonists by examining the Wool Act of 1699, determine the importance of wool in colonial America, and compare and contrast the differences between processing wool then and now. Students spin, weave, and dye wool to explore how wool was processed in Colonial times.
Students discover multiple perspectives concerning the reintroduction of gray wolves into the wild by researching pros and cons and participating in a debate. Grades 3-5
Students determine that topsoil is a limited resource with economic value and use an apple to represent how Earth’s land resources are used.
Students explore appropriate serving sizes and learn how to make healthy dietary decisions by understanding the components of nutrition as illustrated by MyPlate.
Students observe a potato grow with and without soil, chart potato geography on a world map, and hold a potato dress up contest.
Students define nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as soil nutrients, explain that plants use soil nutrients as they grow, discover that fertilizer replaces depleted nutrients, and analyze information on seed packets to determine the needs different plants have for growth.
Students use the visual representation of a web to explore the role of agriculture in their daily lives and understand how most of the necessities of life can be traced back to the farm.
Students investigate the cultivation and identify the parts of rice by reading One Grain of Rice by Demi and removing the hull, bran, and germ from grains of rice.
Students examine MyPlate and discover the importance of making half their plate fruits and vegetables.
Students make connections between the six types of simple machines and the complex machinery used to produce food and fiber.
Students define the word "machine," explain how machines are used in agriculture to produce food and fiber, and compare and contrast a variety of machines.