Students will use the Engineering Design Process to plan and construct a greenhouse prototype for growing microgreens. Students will apply an understanding of plant needs for growth and determine growing options for communities with climatic challenges.

Gyotaku (pronounced GEE–OH–TAH–KOO) is the traditional Japanese art of fish printing on rice paper. The word gyotaku comes from gyo = fish and taku = stone monument rubbing. Gyotaku dates back to the mid-1800s. The fish prints were a way fishermen could record the size and type of their catches. In this lesson students make their own fish prints.

Here’s a quick, tasty, and nutritious spread. It’s just like Nutella, but homemade.

Students will explore nutritional habits of families from different countries. In this activity, students will recognize agriculture’s influence on food systems across the globe.

Students will discover that plants, like humans, need an adequate amount of nutrients to grow and stay healthy. Plants require 16 chemical elements for growth and development. Some nutrients come from the air while others are taken from the soil. It’s important to test soil regularly to determine if there are enough nutrients to support plant growth. The soil test kit will help students identify whether the soil sample is fertile or deficient in nutrients. Keep in mind that all plants need nutrients, but requirements vary depending on the type of crop, shrub, tree, etc.

Check out our Testing Soil Nutrients N-P-K Lesson for math applications associated with this topic!

This lesson is a fun and tasty way to introduce students to dichotomous keys and how to create their own keys using snack packs of nuts, dried fruit, or chips. Non-food items like pens/pencils work well, and avoid allergens.

Use this virtual version featuring mint candies to learn about dichotomous keys.

Using agriculture as a contextual theme in literature circles allows students to choose publications on a variety of different subjects and encourages classroom discussion on common connections between the texts. The Agricultural Reading Recommendations offer diverse perspectives on stewardship of the land and the effects on a character’s lifestyle, values and identity. Literature circles provide students the opportunity to explore texts of their interest engaging them in effective student-centered learning. This reinforces comprehension, analysis and evaluation.

This hands-on lesson teaches students about the physical and social geography of Oregon’s 36 counties. Students learn to interpret a variety of maps, glean information to answer worksheet questions and finally create a map that communicates physical and social facts about an Oregon county. As an extension to the lessons, students work cooperatively to create the questions and answers for an Oregon Geography Pursuit game.

Google Slide version of student worksheets available for elearning purposes.

Students explore the role of a Ingredient Development Specialist calculating the cost analysis of ingredients in Orville’s Choco-Popcorn recipe and participating in a triangle test tasting panel to make product improvement recommendations to Orville.

Students will sharpen their observation, listening and vocabulary skills with this poetry writing exercise that
features items with an agriculture connection. For higher grades, have students create a haiku, acrositc, mirrored
refrain or cinquain poems.

Find our Google Slides version of the activity for elearning purposes!