Welcome Back to School!

We hope that your school year is off to a wonderful start! We know you are super busy, so we are going to make this short and sweet. Here is our list of resources, programs and curriculum you may want to try the first few weeks of school:



Visit the Kentucky State Fair for Learning - Via Bus or Video

K-12: The Kentucky State Fair is an excellent place to catch a glimpse of all the food and farm products our farmers raise. If you are looking for an early field trip, the State Fair has a wonderful educational field trip program, and this year they are trying a Passport Program where classes will make scheduled stops for standards-aligned learning. We will be participating with a lesson on Kentucky geography, natural resources and food production in South Wing B, and it is suitable for all ages. Learn more about the State Fair Field Trips Program here



If you won't be able to make it to Louisville, check out our virtual Kentucky State Fair field trip. Once your students watch this short video, there are several companion lessons and activities linked on the page for your students. The activities now align to standards for grades K-5, but we have learned that they are used by our middle and high school teachers as well for program review (Practical Living and Vocational Studies) and general agriculture knowledge. 



4th Grade, MS, HS: Kentucky Geography, Physical Features & Natural Resources

My Kentucky Home Provides What I Need This lesson has a strong focus on geography, land surfaces, our natural resources, and how those determine where farms are located. We developed this comprehensive, Power Point-based lesson plan for 4th grade social studies (it also includes 4th grade science), but this will also be a great lesson for our Middle and High School agriculture and environmental enrichment classes. All the worksheets you will need are linked inside the Power Point Files (link above). 

August is Peach Month!

Primary/Intermediate: The American Farm Bureau Foundation has recommended Scholastic's "From Pit to Peach Tree"  by Ellen Weiss as an accurate agriculture book. This would make a great addition to your elementary classroom library. Learn more

August is also Water Quality Month!

We have found several lessons and resources about the water cycle.

Primary:

Intermediate:

MS/HS:
Water Cycle Dominoes (Terminology)
Conservation on Kentucky Farms - Reading Comprehension Activity


Next week we will provide several Honey Bee/Pollinator Lessons and Activities for National Honey Bee Day - August 20. 

Be sure to check out more Kentucky lessons and agriculture literacy programs at www.teachkyag.org. 

 

Jennifer Elwell
Executive Director
502-921-2625  
Growing Agricultural and Environmental Literacy in the Bluegrass

You are receiving this newsletter because you have been identified by one of our partners as an educator interested in including agricultural and environmental themed lessons in your classrooms. It is our goal to provide you with the latest information on programs and resources available to you that will help you bring the science, math, social studies, practical living and vocational aspects of food and natural resource production to your students. And, If you know of any other teachers who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, we encourage you to forward to your colleagues.