By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Agriculture can come to life in classrooms across the state thanks to Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) interactive lesson plans.
“The lesson plans are like a roadmap of Texas agriculture. They detail crops, livestock and the people who grow them,” Whit Weems, TFB director of Organization, said.
There are 10 lessons, which are aligned with Texas teaching standards. They are available online at no cost to teachers.
The Very Hungry Texas Caterpillar lesson plan is a Texas twist on Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It takes students on a journey of crops grown in Texas, and students create their own book.
In the Oh Say Can You Seed unit, students learn how all plants start as a seed and the process of growing healthy plants. Through the lesson, students learn about seed parts, germination, plant and flower parts, pollination and seed dispersal for regrowth.
A Nutrition unit explores two avenues of healthy eating. The activities dive into food groups and take students on an adventure to meet farmers who grow vegetables for soup.
The Farmland unit is based on an award-winning documentary that takes viewers into six young farmers’ and ranchers’ lives, including one who lives in Texas. The innovative, multi-modal unit brings to life critical issues impacting agriculture.
Farmers value soil and water, working to conserve the natural resources. Through a Water and Soil unit, students will understand the importance of water to agriculture, the water cycle, the amount of available water on Earth, conservation, the movement of water through the soil and the impact of floods and droughts, among other topics.
Through the Texas Top Ten lesson plan, students will rank the top 10 agricultural commodities—both crops and livestock—by cash receipts. They’ll learn about the diversity of Texas agriculture through the activity.
One in seven jobs in Texas is related to agriculture. In the Careers lesson, students can explore the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career field and dive deeper into specific clusters.
A Look at Texas Agriculture details the state symbols, climate, soil, crops, animals and general agricultural facts to connect students with agriculture right here in the Lone Star State.
A packet of fun, interactive, small activities are available to bring agriculture and science to life in the Exploring Agriculture Through Science lesson plan.
“The lessons plans explore concepts like sustainability, technology and science. They also aim to stimulate thoughtful conversation about innovation on farms and ranches, challenges that agriculture faces and supply and demand,” Weems said. “The lessons can help teachers engage students on agricultural concepts, while also meeting the state’s teaching requirements.”
Click here to download your copy of TFB’s lesson plans.
More lesson plans will be uploaded throughout the year.
In addition to the lesson plans, Texas teachers can apply for garden grants through TFB’s Learning from the Ground Up program or schedule a visit through TFB’s school visit program.
Also available to teachers and schools is TFB’s Mobile Learning Barn. It is an educational trailer that includes agricultural videos and facts on crops and livestock grown in Texas. To learn more or to book a unit, contact your local county Farm Bureau office, email MLB@txfb.org or call 254.751.2273.