Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! Here at Utah Agriculture in the Classroom, we want you to know we're still working to provide teachers with standards-based curriculum, hands-on activities, and professional development opportunities. Utah AITC stayed busy this summer attending national conferences and presenting at various professional development workshops for Utah teachers.
In June, our team attended the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. We attended various hands-on workshops presented by teachers from all over the United States. Our own Teresa Hislop, who teaches at Ogden Preparatory Academy, was recognized as Utah's Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award recipient. Mark your calendars and join us next year in Saratoga Springs, New York, June 28-July 1, 2022.
In August, our education specialist, Bekka, and a team of agricultural educators including Kris Thompson (Box Elder Middle and High School), Courtney Henderson (Fremont High School), Cassie Joiner (Fremont High School), and Nicole Hopkins (Viewpoint Middle School) attended the On the Farm STEM Immersive Experience in Nashville, Tennessee. This year's On the Farm (OTF) program brought together teams of high school educators together with experts in science education, agricultural science, and beef production to envision a model for high school science learning that will inspire today’s students—our next generation of scientists and citizens—to take action and feel empowered to use agriculture to improve society.
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Utah AITC finished the summer by hosting a two-day institute for K-12 Utah teachers. Our Summer Agriculture Institute provided teachers with hands-on experiences and inservice training. We enjoyed touring various agricultural businesses and industries including the Jordan Valley Conservation Garden Park, Schmidt's Farm & Greenhouse, and Utah Natural Meat and Milk. Teachers found numerous ways to infuse their existing curriculum with the depth and real-world relevance that agriculture can bring to classroom learning experiences.
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This school year, we encourage you to get involved by attending conferences and workshops, applying for grants, scholarships, and awards, and finding new ways to integrate agriculture into your existing curriculum. We hope you have a fun, safe year!
~ Denise, Bekka, and Carrie
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Utah Agriculture in the Classroom
$500 Awards
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Utah Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is awarding ten $500 awards to Utah pre-kindergarten through 12th grade core education teachers whose innovative classroom projects use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, healthy lifestyles, science, or social studies. The deadline for award applications is October 8, 2021, at midnight. All applicants will be notified of award status by email on or before October 15, 2021. The purpose of the Utah AITC Classroom Award is to encourage teachers to use agricultural concepts to teach core subject areas. This award is designed to fund projects that will educate Utah Pre-K-12 students about the importance of agriculture. Only fully completed applications will be considered.
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CHS Foundation Classroom Grant |
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CHS Foundation provides $500 grants each year to pre-kindergarten-12th grade teachers who have classroom projects that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and more. Eligible projects include classroom and schoolyard gardens, embryology projects, aquaculture projects and agricultural literacy reading programs to name a few. The CHS Classroom Grant application is now available and the deadline for applications is September 15, 2021. Teachers have until June 1 the following year to complete the project and submit a final report. Only state-certified classroom teachers employed by a school district or private school teachers are eligible to apply. |
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Peaches: What's All the Fuzz About?
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Did you know? Peaches are best picked when the fruit easily separates from the tree. If it is difficult to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe.
In this 3-5 lesson, students explore peach production in various regions of the United States, describe how peaches are produced and processed from farm to table, and explain how internal and external structures of peaches support survival and growth.
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State Standards
for Utah
Grade 3: SEEd Strand 3.2
Grade 4: SEEd Strand 4.1
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Cheesemaking: A Science, an Art, and a Craft |
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Did you know? It takes approximately 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese.
In this 6-8 lesson, students make fresh mozzarella cheese and explore a career as an artisan cheesemaker as they discover the science, art, and craft involved in the development of specialty cheeses.
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State Standards
for Utah
Grade 7: CCA Strand 1
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A Tale of Two Burgers: Beef and
Plant-based Protein
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Did you know? Americans eat an estimated 50 billion hamburgers each year.
In this 9-12 lesson, students will compare the components of beef and plant-based burgers by determining the production and processing methods of each product; evaluate the ingredients and nutritional differences between beef and plant-based products; and discuss different points of view in the agricultural industry concerning plant-based proteins and traditional beef.
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State Standards
for Utah
High School Food & Nutrition I: Strand 4
High School Food & Nutrition II: Strand 5
Foundations of Nutrition: Strand 7
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Help us continue providing programs and materials that promote awareness and understanding of agriculture among Utah's educators and students. |
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