AgMag Jr Winter 2015-2016 Lesson and Activity Ideas
Lesson Ideas
Students are introduced to the six major livestock species raised in Minnesota. Students will learn terms for mothers, fathers, and young and explore the life cycle of a typical farm animal.
Students see how a seed sprouts and the conditions necessary for this germination process to happen.
The soybean seed and its growth are used to demonstrate the life cycle of a plant.
Students will describe the major parts of plants –roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds. Students will also discover that we eat many of these plant parts every day
Students will explore the processing involved in taking a raw agricultural product –milk and converting it into ice cream.
Activity Ideas
- Investigate your school lunch menu for a specific day or week. Challenge students to identify the foods and ingredients that are from plants and the foods and ingredients that are from animals. Discuss which plants and animals would be grown in Minnesota and which items might be grown in another part of the United States or world.
- Have a Dairy Product Party! Sample various dairy products (milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc.) and have students use their senses to describe the taste, texture, smell, appearance, etc. of all the products.
Additional MAITC Resources
- Minnesota School Garden Guide
- Food for Thought Geography Resource and Interactive Maps
- Minnesota Commodity Card Set
- Farm Animal Bookmark
