New York Agriculture in the Classroom | March 2022

New York Agriculture in the Classroom

Conference Scholarships Available

New York Agriculture in the Classroom is proud to be the state host for the 2022 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Saratoga Springs. It is an honor to welcome teachers from across the country to our beautiful state, showcasing the beauty and diversity of New York’s agriculture.

New York Agriculture in the Classroom wants to support your professional development at the premier conference about teaching through a lens of food and agriculture. Teachers from across the state will be selected and supported by New York Agriculture in the Classroom for a full conference scholarship.

The scholarship also includes double occupancy hotel accommodations, up to 28 hours of CTLE professional development credit, additional teacher and classroom resources from New York Agriculture in the Classroom, and more!

The National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference will be held June 28-July 1, 2022 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Learn More and Apply Now

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. It is suggested to submit your application early. Applications will not be accepted after 11:59pm on Friday, April 15, 2022.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

FEB. 21

Registration Deadline to be a Hunger Hero

MAR. 21-25

Agricultural Literacy Week

MAR. 31

Applications Due for the School Seedling Program

APRIL 15

Conference Scholarship Applications Close

JUNE 28

National

Agriculture in the

Classroom

Conference

We're Hiring! Agricultural Outreach and Education Team Positions Announcement

New York Agriculture in the Classroom is hiring an educator located in New York City who can aid in the creation of strong new professional development and community develop for teachers in grades Pre-K through 12. This candidate will assist with statewide programs to expand the reach of New York Agriculture in the Classroom through facilitation of educator workshops and program implementation. The Urban Agriculture in the Classroom Educator will also work to build networks in the New York City metro for educator collaboration and access to resources.

Please reach out to Katie Carpenter with questions about this position at [email protected].

New York FFA is also welcoming applications for an Urban Agricultural Education and FFA Specialist who will be responsible for growing agriculture programs and FFA Chapters in underserved NYC boroughs. Please reach out to Shari Lighthall with questions about this position at [email protected].

Learn more about both of the positions, view the full job descriptions, and learn about employment with Cornell University.

Learn More and Apply

Get Involved

Agricultural Literacy Week

Agricultural Literacy Week is almost here! The week of March 21-25, in celebration of New York agriculture, volunteers throughout the state will read a book with an agricultural theme to second graders. Students and teachers will also benefit from hands-on lessons and receive follow up activities. A copy of Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table will be donated to the school or classroom library with a bookplate recognizing the donor and New York Agricultural Literacy Week. Over 2,500 books were donated last year while thousands of second graders participated in fun and educational activities.

Be a Hunger Hero- World Food Prize’s 2022 New York Youth Institute at Cornell University

The New York Youth Institute (NYYI) is a career development experience hosted at Cornell University for New York high school students to spend a day engaging with leading experts on critical global challenges, join in educational activities, and explore exciting ways to make a difference in New York and around the world.

Screen Shot 2022-02-08 at 1.02.59 PM.png

Check Them Out

NEW! Themes for Learning

National Agriculture in the Classroom has some exciting new pages in the Teacher Center on their website! These new resources are useful in helping elementary, middle, and high school teachers use thematic standards-based content to provide immersive multi-day experiences.

The Themes for Learning organize lessons, activities, books, and other resources by topic for a streamlined experience. Topics include pollinators, school gardens, diversity focused literature, and more!

The School Seedling Program

Looking to meet Next Generation Science Standards in creative and engaging ways? New York schools and youth organizations can apply to receive 30-50 free tree or shrub seedlings to plant with their students, offering young people an up-close opportunity to participate in conservation while learning about trees and their ecosystem functions!

Each school or organization may receive one order per year. Apply online by March 31.

Learn More and Apply

Screen Shot 2022-03-01 at 10.13.07 AM.png

Extension Disaster Education Network

HPAI Resources

Be on the Lookout for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza is a highly contagious poultry virus that has the potential to cause large financial losses to the U.S. poultry industry. A highly pathogenic strain (HPAI), H5N1, last hit the U.S. in 2014-2015 and was considered the nation’s largest animal health emergency. Over 200 cases of the disease were found in commercial flocks, backyard flocks, and wild birds. More than 50 million birds were affected and subsequently died or were euthanized on more than 200 farms in 15 states.

Two laboratory-confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, one in a pheasant flock in Dutchess County and one in a backyard flock in Ulster County, were identified in NYS on Friday, February 25th. These follow the case identified in a backyard flock in Suffolk County on February 19th. These flocks have been euthanized to help control the spread of the virus.

Featured Lessons

Grades K-2

From Sap to Syrup

Students recognize how geography and climate allow for the growth of maple trees and the process of making syrup, identify the characteristics of maple trees that produce the best sap for making maple syrup, and name the steps in the process of creating syrup from sap.

If you are participating in the Schoolyard Sugaring contest, consider using this lesson as an interest approach to the contest.

Lesson

Grades 3-5

Farmer George: The Seeds of a Presidency

Students pursue a process of inquiry to profile George Washington, evaluating the personal characteristics that made him a great leader while also exploring historical and modern food systems.

This lesson can also be paired with Lincoln Clears a Path: Abraham Lincoln's Agricultural Legacy and American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America for a lesson about presidents and their impact on agriculture.

Lesson

Grades 6-8 and 9-12

Mastering Mindful Eating

Students will explore hunger, satiety, and mindful eating to discover how our eating habits are impacted by our awareness to physiological signals of hunger or fullness. Students will also practice mindful eating practices and explore portion sizes as they sort foods, create meals using portion-size food models, and track their food using mindful eating practices.

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

March Book Nook

Tomatoes for Neela

Neela loves cooking with her Amma and writing down the recipes in her notebook. It makes her feel closer to her Paati who lives far away in India. On Saturdays, Neela and Amma go to the green market and today they are buying tomatoes to make Paati's famous sauce. But first, Neela needs to learn about all the different kinds of tomatoes they can pick from. And as Neela and Amma cook together, they find a way for Paati to share in both the love and the flavors of the day.

Read this Book

EIEIO: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm

Once upon a time, Old MacDonald didn't have a farm. He just had a yard—a yard he didn't want to mow. But under the direction of the wise Little Red Hen, Mac learns to look at the environment in a very different way, and whole new worlds start to bloom with the help of some mud, garbage, horse poop, and worms!

Read this Book

Stay Up To Date!

Want to stay up to date with NYAITC? Follow us on social media and never miss out on exciting news and opportunities!

﻿Be a Hunger Hero- World Food Prize’s 2022 New York Youth Institute at Cornell University

NEW! Themes for Learning

The School Seedling Program

Be on the Lookout for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Be a Hunger Hero- World Food Prize’s 2022 New York Youth Institute at Cornell University