WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – April 5, 2018– Two-day professional development workshops for teachers will be offered throughout the summer and around the state by the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and partner organizations.

The workshops will help teachers apply Iowa Core standards including social studies, and science in the context of agriculture. The workshops will also use agriculture to teach other core concepts and skills like language arts and math. The workshops will be hands on and interactive with one day of site visits and tours and one day of practical classroom application. Many STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts will be integrated throughout.

“The tour day was one of the best professional development days I have experienced in 23 years," said Gary McEldowney, a workshop participant in 2017.

The dates of the workshops are June 7-8 in Manning, IA; June 11-12 in Central City, IA; June 12-13 in Ventura, IA; June 13-14 in Sigourney, IA; June 14-15 in Sioux Center, IA; June 19-20 in Nashua, IA; July 17-18 in Eldridge, IA; August 1-2 in Spencer, IA; and August 7-8 in Sioux City, IA. The workshops will include lesson demonstration, hands on implementation of concepts, tours of farms and agribusinesses, and technical skills in agriculture. The workshops will be available for teacher recertification credit and graduate level credit.

“It was ALL good. Probably the best workshop I've ever been to. I loved speaking with area farmers. They were amazing to listen too, I also loved the tours!” said 2017 workshop teacher participant Julie Christensen. 

Workshops are made possible by supporters of the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation including the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Alliant Energy Foundation, REAP Conservation Education Program, and BNSF Railway Foundation with additional support from Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, DuPont Pioneer, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. To find out more about workshops in your area visit  www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, email  info@iowaagliteracy.org or call 515-331-4182.

Date:  June 7-8, 2018
Location:  Manning, Iowa
Title:  Science, Social Studies, and Agriculture: Real-World Connections for Learning

Description: This fast-paced professional development will give teachers and others who educate youth the skills they need to use agriculture topics to meet Iowa Core social studies and science standards. By using agriculture as the context to teach life science, STEM, economics, geography, and history content, course participants will integrate agriculture into lessons to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. Student engagement and impact will be high and with hands-on learning. Students will venture out of the classroom both days to go behind-the scenes at farms and business in the community.  Tours include a row-crop and cattle farm, John Deere dealership, veterinary clinic, and specialty equipment business. Producers and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. During the in-class time participants will dive into the science and social studies standards, explore resources, and work with collaboratively to translate what they learned from the tours into lessons for their students.

Register to attend:  https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22045799991901INV&True*

Date:  June 11-12, 2018
Location:  Central City, Iowa
Title:  Innovative Teaching Strategies Using Agriculture

Description:   This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see technology in modern agricultural practices by touring test plots, feedlots, an ethanol plant, and an agricultural cooperative. Participants will learn about the production, transportation and use of agricultural plant and animal commodities. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to social studies, and making them relevant to student learners.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22044899991901INV&True*

Date:  June 12-13, 2018
Location:  Ventura, Iowa
Title:  Making the Connection: Using Agriculture to Strengthen Core Learning

Description:   This fast-pasted professional development will explore the diversity of agriculture from livestock and honeybees to grapes and shrimp!  Using agriculture as the context to teach social studies and science, course participants will integrate agriculture into lessons to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. Student engagement and impact will be high and will include hands-on learning. Students will venture out of the classroom both days to learn about the diverse agriculture industry first-hand while visiting a grain bin manufacturer, vineyard, grain and livestock farm, shrimp farm, and a brewery.  Producers and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability.  During the in-class time participants will dive into the new social studies standards, explore resources, and work with staff from the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, Nutrients for Life, The Iowa Historical Society and North Central Iowa Ag in the Classroom to translate what they learned from the tours into lessons for their students

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22045299991901INV&True*

Date:  June 13-14, 2018
Location:  Sigourney, Iowa
Title:  Growing Minds in Science with Agriculture

Description:   This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see how crops like black beans and livestock like chickens are raised. They will compare practices to specialty crops like aronia berries. They will see specialty livestock facilities that diversify Iowa's agricultural landscape with an indoor shrimp farm. Participants will see the science producing electricity especially with wind turbines and solar panels. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22044699991901INV&True*

Date:  June 14-15, 2018
Location:  Sioux Center, Iowa
Title:  Agriculture, Real-World Connections to Social Studies and Science

Description:   Agriculture connections in the new social studies standards are abundant!  This fast-pasted professional development will explore agriculture as it relates to communities, culture, Iowa history, technology, natural resources, geography and economics. Using agriculture as the context to teach these concepts, course participants will integrate agriculture into lessons to make learning real and relevant for students. Science, English language arts, and math connections will also be addressed. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. Student engagement and impact will be high and will include hands-on learning. During the first day of the workshop participants will learn about the economics, geography, and history of agriculture as they tour an energy cooperative, dairy farm, and milk producers? cooperative. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology and lessons from the past to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. During the second day we will dive into the new social studies standards, explore resources, and work collaboratively to develop lesson ideas.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22045199991901INV&True*

Date:   June 19-20, 2018
Location:  Nashua, Iowa
Title:  The Fertile Land: Connecting Agriculture and Social Studies

Description:   This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see agriculture shaped the lives of prominent historical figures like Carrie Lane Chapman Catt as well as a century farm that is helping build a culture of conservation. Participants see the economic considerations of raising livestock under roof and diversifying business with wind turbines and solar panels. Producers, historians, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology and lessons from the past to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to social studies, and making them relevant to student learners.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22044599991901INV&True*

Date:  July 17-18, 2018
Location:  Eldridge, Iowa
Title:  Following Food from Farm to Fork

Description:   This fast-paced professional development will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills they need to implement many of the new Iowa Core social studies standards. Using agriculture as the context to teach science and social studies standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see how technology is integrated into the dairy industry and other robotics in agriculture. Participants will seed the science and technology behind developing seed varieties and how grain is inspected for quality. They will see grain transportation systems and learn about the engineering and logistics involved in shipping grain by barge. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned, connecting learning to science and social studies, and making it relevant to student learners.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22044799991901INV&True*

Date:  August 1-2, 2018
Location:  Spencer, Iowa
Title:  Agriculture, STEM & the Iowa Core

Description:   This fast-paced professional development will give teachers and others who educate youth the skills they need to use agriculture topics to meet Iowa Core social studies and science standards. By using agriculture as the context to teach life science, STEM, economics, geography, and history content, course participants will integrate agriculture into lessons to make learning real and relevant for students. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. Student engagement and impact will be high and with hands-on learning. On day one of the workshop participants will see technology in modern agricultural practices while visiting a dairy farm, sheep farm, and a veterinary and animal nutrition business. Producers and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. During the in-class time participants will dive into the science and social studies standards, explore resources, and work with collaboratively to translate what they learned from the tours into lessons for their students.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22045699991901INV&True*

Date:  August 7-8, 2018
Location:  Sioux City, Iowa
Title:  Agriculture & STEM through the Century

Description:   This fast-paced professional development will give teachers and others who educate youth the skills they need to use STEM & agriculture topics to meet Iowa Core social studies and science standards. This workshop will explore automation and technology in the agriculture industry, connecting each topic to STEM, history, economics, and geography learning. By using agriculture as the context to teach these concepts, course participants will integrate agriculture into lessons to make learning real and relevant for students. Science, English language arts and math connections will also be addressed. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom. Student engagement and impact will be high and will include hands-on learning. During the first day of the workshop participants will see science, technology, engineering, math, and social studies applied through automation and the impact of technology over time as they tour a food production company, modern farm, and seed treatment facility. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and technology to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on translating what they learned the first day into relevant lessons for their students.

Register to attend:   https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22045399991901INV&True*

 

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About the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
IALF serves as a central resource for educators and volunteers who want to teach Iowa’s students about agriculture. The mission is to educate Iowans, with a focus on youth, regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture. Iowa is a leading producer of agricultural products that are essential to feed a growing world population, estimated to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. IALF believes it is important for all Iowans to understand the essential role agriculture has in their lives. IALF will support existing agriculture education efforts such as FFA, 4-H and Ag in the Classroom. IALF was created through a joint effort of agricultural stakeholders, including the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Silos and Smokestacks Foundation, DuPont Pioneer, GROWMARK, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council. For more information visit IALF online at IowaAgLiteracy.org, on Facebook, and Twitter.

Source:
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation

Contact:
Will Fett, Executive Director
Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation
WFett@IowaAgLiteracy.org
515-331-4182