Oregon is the world’s number one producer of cool-season forage and turf grass seed. Much of the state’s grass seed is grown in the Willamette Valley where the mild and moist winters and dry summers provide ideal growing conditions. Farmers have been growing cool season grass seed in the Willamette Valley since the 1920s. Ryegrass, which is especially well adapted to the valley’s wet soils, soon became an important economic crop.
This lesson is an interactive way to bring germination and the stages of plant development to life.
Activity 1: Plant Needs
We use plants daily for many different purposes. Students begin to think about how they use plants in their lives and the needs of plants: light, air, water and nutrients.
Activity 2: Oregon Grass Seed
From flowers to vegetables to grasses, all plants require water, air nutrients and light. Students learn about the Oregon Turf grass industry from Oregon farmer Elle Coon!
Activity 3: Turf Buddies
Students get the opportunity to use Oregon Turf grass seed to create a Turf Buddy. Students gather the materials from their kits provided by Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom. Then, students will make observations and measurements on the growth of their buddy on day 7, 10, 14, and 21.
Curriculum is broken up into small activities that can be done over multiple sittings allowing students to have good breaking spots in between each part.
See this lesson in Modular Delivery through our Google Classroom Example, follow the instructions below.
1. Log in to a google email account, it does not have to be associated with a school.
2. In the menu option, select Classroom.
3. Using the + in the top right hand corner, select join a class.
4. Enter the Class Code: agals5q
5. Select Classwork at the top and you should see the topic “June 2021 – Turf Buddies”
6. Underneath this section the lessons are broken out into assignments.
Teacher Guide for Modular Delivery
June 2021 – Turf Buddies Google Drive Folder
Curriculum is combined into one assignment that students will work through independently at their own pace.
Teacher Guide for Independent Study
June 2021 – Turf Buddies Google Drive Folder
Students complete the whole lesson through 1-hour long lesson in an in-person classroom setting.
The activities below will have the student portions in Spanish but the teacher directions are in English.
