Middle School

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Students will explore the many careers in agriculture by playing the agriculture version of the popular game, Pictionary.

This lesson provides students with a direct connection between our local agriculture (bee farming) and creating crafts for our homes (natural beeswax candles) in our visual arts classes.

Students will compare and contrast hunting and gathering to farming, and will be able to explain this revolution.

Not all challenges in agriculture are obvious. Some of them come from below. In this activity, students will explore a real-world challenge engineers are trying to tackle and will design their own solutions.

Students will explore the process of biofuel production and how it relates to food chains.

Students will learn about cooperatives. They will discuss the pros and cons to forming a cooperative based on experience and will evaluate how economic decisions affect the wellbeing of individuals, business, and society.

Students will practice math skills, learn common agriculture measurements, and learn about the production of corn in Iowa and the U.S.

Students will be able to understand how heredity affects agricultural decisions regarding wanted traits in animals and will understand that DNA contains genes that carry traits from generation to generation.

Students will learn and review common facts about Iowa agriculture, including historical figures, scientific facts, and agriculture related careers.

During the sexual reproduction unit, students learn about the egg as being the female gamete, and the sperm as being the male gamete. Each having half the number of chromosomes needed for an embryo. Today, students will learn about chicken eggs. A happy hen is one who has long days, nutritious food, clean water, and a perch away from predators. Six billion eggs are consumed in the United States each year! Students will learn how to care for hens and know what each part of the egg is for.

Students will understand what entrepreneurship is and how to potentially develop business ideas and solutions to real-world problems.

Students will learn how Iowa farmers can produce income by growing specialty crops like lavender and can benefit using economic diversity. Students will also learn about the economic decisions entrepreneurs make to earn income through their operation. Students will also explore different types of products that can be made with lavender.

This lesson will expose students to the history and social studies aspects of the Green Revolution and its founder while helping students gain reading and writing skills.

Students will explore food groups and healthy food choices

Students will learn how human development changed throughout the Stone Age and how agriculture started the change that allowed humans to stay in one place. Students will also design a village that incorporates environmental attributes (freshwater and vegetation) that are needed to support a community.

Students will understand the impact railroads had on the settlement and agricultural practices of Iowa.

Students will understand how cooperatives have played an important part in innovation in driving the market economy.

Introduce students to biodiesel, ethanol, and biomass in terms of agricultural and societal importance, while strengthening students’ research and technical writing skills.

Middle school social studies students will understand the need for global food security and some of the historical events that have showcased Iowa’s role in providing that food security.

Students will be able to connect their knowledge of pH to real life agricultural applications, and understand the importance of pH requirements for Iowa crops.

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