AgMag Fall 2017-2019 Lesson & Activity Ideas
Lesson Ideas
In this lesson students will learn that product packaging is a balance between function, food safety, and economics by designing a protective package for shipping perishable fruit. Each package will be presented to the class for evaluation, and the best design will be shipped to test the product's durability.
Students will explore careers in the fields of agriculture and natural resources through online research. They will check their understanding by playing Career Trek—a board game that requires students to identify careers in agriculture and natural resources.
In this lesson, students will identify basic animal behaviors and hypothesize what causes them. Students will also discover the responsibilities of an animal physiologist.
Agricultural Regions in Minnesota — AgVenture
Students learn about Minnesota's vegetation, soil and growing patterns and how they influence the crops grown in regions of our state.
Apple Taste Testing — AgVenture
Students will explore the factors that influence consumers' decision with the food they buy and eat.
Students will explore the path food takes along the Farm-to-Table Continuum. They will begin on the farm and investigate food safety issues during processing, transportation, at restaurants and supermarkets, and finally, in their own homes. Teams will identify how food can become contaminated along the continuum and develop and present strategies for preventing contamination at each step
Activity Ideas
- Identify students' favorite foods and research how each food or ingredient moves through the steps of the agricultural cycle (production, processing, distributing, marketing and consuming).
- Give students a list of agricultural career pathways and have them create a poster about a career they might be interested in.
- Students can create their own "state seal" that represents them, using their own favorite agricultural products and items
Additional MAITC Resources
- Agriculture is Everywhere Poster
- Ag Products Poster
- Where Does your Pizza Come From? Poster
- Where Does your Cheeseburger Come From? Poster
- Minnesota Agriculture: Serving Science and Society video stories
- Minnesota Farm Family videos
- Food For Thought