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Agriculture Helping you every day

AgMag Ideas Issue 3

Lesson Ideas

Water Cycle

Students complete a series of simulations to see how water changes states as it moves through the water cycle.

Wad-a-Watershed

Students investigate the basic geography of how water flows through a watershed and how people can impact the quality of our water

It All Begins with Soil

Students examine soil samples to identify components and differences between samples.

Earth as an Apple

Students visualize the small fraction of the planet available for growing food and strategies to protect this precious area.

Salad Investigation

Students investigate edible plant parts and the difference between fruits and vegetables while eating a healthy salad.

Simple and Complex Machines Used in Agriculture

This unit developed by California Agriculture in the Classroom incorporates science and math concepts as students learn about farm machinery and the use of machines in agriculture.

Buzzy, Buzzy Bee

Students participate in an active simulation where they are bees and apple trees. They experience the process of plant pollination and the important role of pollinators

The Honey Files

This is a 20-minute video and 96-page teacher guide designed for 4-6 th grade educators form the National Honey Board. The classroom activities align with science, social studies and health standards and give an exciting look into bees, honey and pollination.

Natures Partners: Pollinators, Plants and You

This is an inquiry based learning curriculum for 3rd -6th grade students from the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. Inquiry activities and hands-on investigations allow students to see the important role pollinators play and how they can help create and protect pollinator habitat.

Activity Ideas

  • Take a field trip around your school grounds and/or community. Have students make observations about the natural resources present and how they are being protected as well as polluted.
  • Investigate how farmers and agriculturalists are working to protect and conserve water and soil on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Practices website. Lead students in discussing the benefits and challenges to some of these techniques.
  • Use the data collected through the USDA Farm to School Census to discover how your district, schools in Minnesota, and schools across the U.S. are connecting local farmers to their cafeteria.
  • Look for trends in areas of the state and/or country that have the most farm to school connections. Investigate which farm to school foods (apples, squash, lettuce, etc.) are the most popular.

Additional MAITC Resources 


AgK - Plant Animal or Both
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