Thursday, June 24, 2:20-3:10 pm

Select your workshop when you register! This year participants will have the opportunity to select their first choice and an alternate for each workshop session time slot when registering. Every effort will be made to provide you with your top choices. Admittance tickets for each session will be in your registration packet. The earlier you register, the better your chances of getting your desired workshop sessions. 

Presenters have designated grade levels for their workshop sessions.  Frequently, the ideas and lessons shared can be adjusted up or down depending on the age of the group you are educating.  The grade levels are merely suggestions and you are welcome to attend any session.  Please understand that the program may change due to circumstances beyond our control which may necessitate session changes.     

#1  Eat Better and Moove More

Grades K-5

Mary Concannon, M.A., University of Maryland Extension

Are you and your students making healthy food choices?  Are low-fat foods always a better option?  Join your peers and learn some surprising facts about the rising U.S. prevalence of overweight and obesity. Participate in hands-on fat detective activities that will make you and your students re-think everyday food choices.  Learn some simple classroom policies and environmental changes you can make to help your students eat better and mooove more!

#2  The Garden - A Living Laboratory

  Grades K-8 

Judy Culbertson, CA Foundation for AITC 

California Agriculture in the Classroom partnered with the First Lady of California’s Office to install an edible garden (“WE Garden”) on the capitol grounds. Part of the project was developing 10 garden-related lesson plans to encourage schools to begin their own gardens. Learn how gardens, whether located at your state capitol or in your schoolyard, can inspire students to explore every curricular area—from math and science to nutrition and social studies! Discover how to form partnerships with state agencies and community members to make your vision become a reality. Participants will receive copies of garden lesson plans and additional resources for garden education.

#3  The Scrambled States of Agriculture 
         (also offered in Session 1)

    Grades 3-8 

Kevin Daugherty, Illinois AITC   

Join us as we explore the USA with agriculture, literature and unique interest approaches.   This literature unit offers something from each geographic region (Blueberries for Sal (Maine), Apples to Oregon,…and now Miguel (New Mexico) , The Life and Times of a Peanut (North Carolina) and Wheat (Kansas) along with many others!  This unit will explore the link between great literature, geography and agriculture based activities with a focus on Literacy Work Stations.  Practical take away materials ready to infuse into classrooms across the nation are provided!

#4  George Washington Pioneer Farmer

Grades 3-5

Leanne Meisinger & Lynda Hampshire, Calvert County Public Schools, MD

#5  The "Write" MOO-ves; Agriculture through
     Language Arts  (also offered in Session 1)

 Grades K-5

Lynn Stadelmeier, Virginia AITC 

Join the staff from Virginia AITC in a highly interactive session full of hands-on lesson ideas designed to integrate agriculture into your daily curriculum.  Explore the connection between agriculture and language arts through engaging activities, developed to grow great minds.  Workshop participants will leave with practical ideas and samples ready for immediate use in the classroom.  

#6  Cows, Calcium and Cheese  (also offered in Session 1)

Grades K-8

Marie Frohlich, Cabot Creamery, Montpelier, Vermont 

Goal is to share information about Cabot’s nutrition and agricultural activities from our Cows Calcium and Cheese Kit.  Kits are free to participants.  I will also go over the other resources Cabot offers for free, including our grant program. All participants will receive a free kit.

#7  Assembly Line Antics (also offered in Session 1)

  Grades 3-6 

Tonya Wible, PA Friends of Ag Foundation & Sharon Fox, Maryland Ag Ed Foundation

Students are far removed from the processes that take food from the farm to their tables.  This interactive session traces the myriad of farmers and workers necessary to complete this process.  Active engagement in a mock assembly line simulation provides excitement, enthusiasm, and real-life learning for all participants.  From this session, take back to your classroom all materials—including job badges & recipes—to replicate this fun-filled learning experience with your students. (Based on lesson originally developed by Alison Billman) 

#8  Farming for Numbers

  Grades 3-8 

Kate Tummino, Allegany County Public Schools, Maryland

This interactive presentation includes intermediate math lesson plans that integrate agricultural content.  Lesson plans focus on decimals, graphing, measurement, geometry, and even some genetics.  Participants will take part in their own “farming” game experience utilizing number cubes.  Be ready to move around. 

#9  Making Food Taste Great  (also offered in Session 1)

  All Levels 

John Ellingsworth, McCormick & Co. Inc.

Mc Cormick’s Research and Development division is constantly refining and developing “taste” sensations. This session will explore the flavor perceptions around aroma, taste, appearance and mouthfeel of different foods.  You will go on a taste excursion to learn how you use your senses to evaluate the aroma and flavor of products.  Lots of “tasty” ideas to take back to your classroom.

#10  McCormick & Company  (also offered in Session 1)

Grades 3-12

Kitty Lentz, McCormick & Co. Inc.

McCormick & Co. Inc has been in business since 1889, and wouldn’t exist without agriculture.  Let’s learn a little about McCormick history, and then take a journey to distant lands to learn about the agriculture of two of our favorite products; vanilla and cinnamon.  First, we’ll learn about the agronomy of vanilla and cinnamon, where these are grown, how they are processed, and then learn how to use our senses to evaluate the aroma and flavor (or quality) of these favorite products.