Thursday, June 24, 10:30-11:50 am

#1  Ode to the Western Corn Rootworm
     (Integrated Pest Management)

Grades K-8

Staci Disney-Walker, Vermilion County Farm Bureau (Illinois AITC)

Every state and every crop has an infamous pest. In Illinois, the Western Corn Rootworm is a serious problem for farmers. The poem “Ode to the Western Corn Rootworm” will teach students the biological process of an insect life cycle, what portions of the corn plant the insect feeds upon and how farmers try to use environmentally safe control measures to protect their crops. Along the way, participants will make a Rootworm with craft stems, google eyes and craft poms. This is a great interest approach to a lesson on Integrated Pest Management.

#2  Some April Foolishness

  Grades K-5 

Carrie Schreiber, Illinois AITC

Don't be a fool!  Come to this session and explore April Foolishness by Teresa Bateman.  This book is a great story choice for April Fool's Day or farm-themed unit.  The session will showcase hands-on activities that can be easily implemented into centers or learning stations.  No joking about it, these activities will be a great way to introduce your students to agriculture while meeting the learning standards.  

#3  No Time for Agriculture? 10 Minutes a Day

    Grades K-8 

Tiona Kimble, Peoria County Farm Bureau, IL

With so many requirements in the daily curriculum, some teachers don’t feel they have the time to incorporate agriculture into their day.  During this round table session, you will learn how to make educational tools/games that will get you through the door.  The concept of each of these relates to today’s reading requirements while encouraging daily repetition and use of the materials.  The success of using AITC materials daily will lead to more in-depth comprehension of agriculture and an increase in participation on the part of educators.  Daily Ag Facts-Game materials included.

#4  Construct a Tree Card Game

 Grades PreK-3

Judith Leith, Delaware Dept. of Agriculture

Using inexpensive/free materials,(toilet paper roll, pipe cleaners, brown bag, tissue paper) students construct a tree and learn the parts by drawing cards which list and picture individual tree parts.  As each card is drawn (for example, roots) students get the part to construct the tree- here pipe cleaners.  Since it takes multiple turns to get all the parts, students see and repeat each tree part as the card is drawn.  This results in seeing and learning about the four parts of the tree- trunk, roots, bark, and leaves.

#5  Growing Edibles with Salad Tables & Boxes

 All Levels

Jon Traunfeld, University of Maryland Extension

Looking for a novel way to get kids growing some food without tilling up soil for a garden? The University of Maryland Salad Table and Box may be good options for your program or school. Learn the basics for how to build these inexpensive, portable container gardens and how to use them for growing salad greens and herbs.

#6  Multiple Modes of Agriculture

Grades K-5 

Tonya Wible, PA Friends of Ag Foundation

When teaching about agriculture, often there are processes with sequential steps that students need to learn (photosynthesis, metamorphosis, water cycle, etc).  This session shares how you can create and incorporate plays, songs, and art to assist students in learning these complex processes.  Come learn how you can take any process and teach it, review it, and test it through all modes of learning (kinesthetic, visual and auditory). 

#7  Forest & Me

  Grades 2-5 

Sharon Fox, Maryland Ag Ed Foundation

When teaching about agriculture, sometimes tree farmers are not included.  Attending this session will heighten your awareness of the many ways trees impact our daily lives.  The session shares a story and uses colorful question and answer cards to discover the many times each day we use products from the forest.  The lesson concludes with making a “forest bracelet” and getting a “forest” bookmark to help students remember important connections between trees and their lives.  The question and answer card technique and bracelet idea can be adapted to many other lessons.

#8  Growing the Three Sisters

   Grades K-5 

Tammy Maxley, Virginia AITC

Make the connection between history and science and leave with a fun new germination activity.  Participants will explore plant needs as they learn about the “Three Sisters” – corn, beans and squash – their unique relationship and importance to Native Americans.

#9  Which Came First?

  Grades K-5

JLouise Lamm & Ellen Gould, North Carolina AITC

The age old question is addressed by the newest derivative of the paper plate life cycle chain. This new, hands-on, strategy allows students to assemble and manipulate their own “visual manipulative” illustrating all the stages of the life cycle of a hen. It’s still a dilemma as to where the whole thing starts, but you and your students can learn the sequence and have lots of fun in the process.