Students will learn about agricultural business operation and management. Topics will include accounting, finance, economics, business organization, marketing, and sales. Students will learn about agricultural business operation and management. Topics will include accounting, finance, economics, business organization, marketing, and sales.

The Agriscience/Intro to Agriculture course helps students acquire a broad understanding of a variety of agricultural areas, develop an awareness of the many career opportunities in agriculture, participate in occupationally relevant experiences, and work cooperatively with a group to develop and expand leadership abilities. Students study California agriculture, agricultural business, agricultural technologies, natural resources, and animal, plant, and soil sciences.

In the Animal Science course, students study large, small, and specialty animals. Students explore the necessary elements--such as diet, genetics, habitat, and behavior--to create humane, ecologically and economically sustainable animal production systems.

This curriculum builds upon many years of educating students in the garden and scales up content across grades and lessons for instructional scaffolding. It is designed as an interactive teaching tool to be co-taught with classroom teachers and garden instructors as leads. Each lesson connects directly to standards: Next Generation Science, Common Core State, Physical Education, and Environmental and Health Education. The concise and easy to-follow lessons are a packed 45 minutes for preschool through fifth grade. Flexibility is important, so some lessons include several activities that teachers can choose from to accommodate their lesson plans. Consistency is also important, so lessons follow themes and structures found in the Curriculum Map. 360 pages.

This 7-minute video looks at the introduction of agriculture into human prehistory. [Biology playlist: Lesson 66 of 71]

The lessons in this issue of Smithsonian in Your Classroom introduce the work of botanists and botanical illustrators, specifically their race to make records of endangered plant species around the world. “Very little of the world’s flora has been fully studied,” says one Smithsonian botanist, “and time is running out.” In the first lesson, students gets to know six endangered plants. They examine illustrations, photographs, and dried specimens of the plants as they consider this question: If a scientist can take a picture of a plant, are there advantages in having an illustration? They go on to consider some of the big questions that botanists themselves must ask: Which of these species are most in need of conservation efforts? Are any of these plants more worth saving than others?In the second lesson, the students try their own hands at botanical illustration, following the methods of a Smithsonian staff illustrator. All that is required for the lesson are pencils, markers, tracing paper, and access to a photocopier.

With prior knowledge of food and organic matter decomposition, students will use industry and extension publications to learn the processes of composting, as well as the benefits and challenges of compost production (available nutrient levels, community perceptions, hazardous materials, smell, and storage).

Students pretend they are agricultural engineers during the colonial period and design a miniature plow that cuts through a "field" of soil. They are introduced to the engineering design process and learn of several famous historical figures who contributed to plow design.

Students will conduct a laboratory exercise that will examine the decomposition of organic household wastes from their home, and investigate which waste products can be composted and best utilized by plants.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientists investigate how farming along the Mississippi River impacts floods and what can be done about it.

The Forestry and Natural Resources Course helps students understand the relationships between California's natural resources and the environment. Topics include energy and nutrient cycles, water resources and management, soil conservation, wildlife preservation and management, forest and fire management, lumber production, the outdoor recreation industry and multiple-use management.

Designing the school garden will require Math, ELA, and Science skills with Scientific Method being used as a foundation. Students will create a school garden as a result of the work they preloaded into the activity. Finally, students will decide if the school garden has an improvements needed for future growth or more growth.

In this activity (located on pages 9-14 of PDF), learners visit a cemetery to examine the distinguishing characteristics of rock weathering. After researching stone weathering and acid rain, learners apply their knowledge to collect data related to chemical decomposition and physical disintegration at a cemetery site. This detailed lesson guide includes tips for educators, pre/post activity suggestions, hands-outs, and background information.

Permaculture Design is a method of land planning that can be applied at scales from the home garden to city block to village to farm. It is an ethically based whole-systems design approach that uses concepts, principles, and methods derived from ecosystems, indigenous technologies, and other time-tested practices to create sustainable human settlements and institutions. Although rooted in horticulture and agriculture, Permaculture design is interdisciplinary, touching on a wide range of subjects including regional planning, ecology, animal husbandry, appropriate technology, architecture, social justice, and international development.

This open text book is derived from the content of the Massive Open Online Course “Intro to Permaculture”. The original course also included interactive mapping and design tools that accompanied this content. The course and book provide a general overview of the Permaculture design system. The book can be downloaded as a print version. However, there are many accompanying videos and content pages that are linked to throughout the text, so it is best viewed online where the links can be accessed.

Intro to Ag Mechanics prepares students for careers related to the construction, operation, and maintenance of equipment used by the agriculture industry. Topics will include safety, woodworking, electrical systems, plumbing, cold metal work, concrete, and welding technology.

Career videos show the types of work in which individuals employed in a career field, cluster or pathway are engaged. Nebraska Career Education, in cooperation with the Nebraska Departments of Labor and Economic Development, offers an array of virtual career tours of Nebraska-based businesses and industries. Discussion guides for the teacher and viewing guides for students have been developed for each career tour. These virtual industry tours provide a unique opportunity to get a glimpse inside Nebraska-based industries without leaving the classroom. Interviews, tours of the business environment and “pop-up” information and statistics on job markets, salaries, and educational requirements are part of each career cluster’s videos.

Against the backdrop of the devastating 1930's Dust Bowl, this video segment adapted from Interactive NOVA profiles an organic farmer and the techniques he uses to conserve topsoil.

The Ornamental Horticulture course prepares students for careers in the nursery, landscaping, and floral industries.

Plant and Soil Science covers topics such as plant classification, physiology, reproduction, plant breeding, biotechnology, and pathology. Students will learn about soil management, water, pests, and equipment as well as cultural and harvest practices.

Students will create an inquiry based mini lab given materials in the area of plant science. Students will work together to design protocols, collect data, and analyze results. Lesson 2 out of 4