What is Ag in the Classroom? New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom is part of a national effort to develop an understanding and appreciation of one of the nation's major industries - AGRICULTURE. We provide support and reinforcement for all educators in the task of helping young people develop an awareness of the diversity of New Hampshire agriculture, its contribution to the state's economy and a basic understanding of food production.
For many reasons we have become an agriculturally illiterate society. With less than 2 percent of the population involved in production agriculture, the general population is far removed from their food source. This trend is having a harmful effect on agriculture. Up-to-date information concerning agriculture will help students understand the food and fiber system. Broader knowledge about agriculture and how it effects their world will help them make intelligent decisions tomorrow.
There is little in our curriculum or text books about the modern food and fiber system. New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom works to provide educators with the necessary material, background information and local resources to integrate agricultural themes into their curriculum.
Why Is Agriculture So Important To NH? The mix of New Hampshire agriculture has changed over the years resulting in a diverse industry that encompasses many crop, livestock and specialty products. New Hampshire agriculture contributes nearly $300 million to our stateÕs economy which would need to be multiplied by the sales and service to farms, processing, transportation, and retailing to fully reflect the impact agriculture has on our state's economy.
In addition, farming provides the fields, pastures and meadows that buffer residential and commercial development and affords the views of hills, valleys and mountains. Without land kept open by farming, there would be no greenbelt around our towns and cities and without farming, there would be no barns, silos or sugarhouses that give our state its special character. Currently there are an estimated 2,700 farms in New Hampshire managing over 460,000 acres.
Why Should Schools Be Involved? New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom materials can be integrated into any curriculum. Multiple concepts and subjects are combined in lessons designed to maximize teacher time. At the same time, a practical approach to learning will bring the information to life for the students. Using agriculture helps students realize that the concepts learned in schools have real life applications.
Our objective is to provide information, training and materials to the educators who in turn educate our youth. So, if you are looking for new materials, methods and activities to make the classroom more exciting, contact New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom!
How To Be Part Of NH Ag In The Classroom Educators may become part of New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom by filling out the form which accompanies this guide. Your name will be added to our list of Educator Members and you will receive the quarterly newsletter, have use of our materials and be kept up to date on current topics and upcoming workshops. There is no fee for being an Educator Member.
Farms, individuals, families, corporations and organizations willing to support New Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom with a tax deductible donation of $25 or more become Sustaining Members. Sustaining Members may borrow materials, receive the quarterly newsletter and are recognized in our Annual Report.
Resource Materials - Two Week Loan Materials are available to New Hampshire educators on loan at no charge and can be reserved by mailing the enclosed order form or by calling (603)224-1934. Materials are listed alphabetically.
NH Apple Packet
The NH Apple Packet includes: All About Apples teaching kit and color poster produced by the NY/New England Apple Institute, A is for Apple activity book by Project S.E.E., Concord, NH, The Life and Times of the Apple by Charles Micucci, apple activities put together by the NH Fruit Growers Assoc. and a listing of apple orchards in NH. Grades Pre-K - 4.
Bees & Pollination
The Bees & Pollination packet is a good compliment to the apple unit or may be used on its own. Included are: What's Buzzin' video and teacher guide put out by the National Honey Board, Reading Rainbow's video and book by Paula Hogan entitled, The Life Cycle of the Honeybee and 2 color posters showing the life cycle of the honeybee and the seasonal work of a beekeeper. Grades 1 - 6.
Caretakers All
Caretakers All, produced by the Education Department of the National Livestock and Meat Board, explores how farmers and ranchers care for their natural resources: water, soil, plants and animals. Study prints, discussion and hands-on activities are used to help students understand the importance of caring for the environment and emphasize practices used by farmers to protect the environment. Grades 3 - 5.
Classroom Gardening
Classroom Gardening resources include: Activities for Growing Minds and A Complete Guide to Gardening in the Classroom published by the National Gardening Association as well as a set of 4 posters from the National Gardening Association which focus on seeds, plant parts, growing a salad and developing a gardening unit. Grades K - 8.
Coming To America
Coming To America is a study kit which offers students a realistic view of the hardships and determination of the Pilgrims through lessons, study prints and hands-on activities. Lessons explore the voyage route, provisions, settlement of New Plymouth, early farming practices, food preservation techniques and the roots of Thanksgiving. Grades 4 - 6.
The Christmas Tree School Kit
Conifers includes a 30 minute video and guide produced by the National Christmas Tree Assoc., The Christmas Tree School Kit published by the Saskatchewan Christmas Tree Growers and a pamphlet from Champion Corp. entitled The Life of the Forest. Grades Pre-K - 4.
All 'Bout Cranberries
Cranberries are covered in the packet produced by the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers entitled, All 'Bout Cranberries. The packet explores the history and seasonal work of growing cranberries through classroom activities and a color poster. Grades 1- 5.
Dairying and Dairy Foods
The Dairying and Dairy Foods packet consists of: a poster and lesson plan that follow milk from production to processing, Let's go To The Farm video with storyteller Mac Parker, A Calf Grows Up: The Story of Dairying, a multi-grade activity and resource guide by Betty Ann Lockhart, The Amazing Milk Book by Catherine Ross and Susan Wallace, Kowz and Co. activity book by Nancy Gray, Extra Cheese Please by Cris Peterson and a brochure on New Hampshire's dairy industry. Grades K - 6.
The Food Equation
The Food Equation is a series of three 25 minute videos and supporting classroom material, where students draw their own conclusions surrounding the issues and facts of feeding a global family. Questions for students to explore include: With a predicted doubling of the world population by the year 2050, will people be able to meet their most basic need: food? Are current food production methods and environmental protection both achievable? Are foods brought home from the supermarket safe? Follow up material ranges from simple exercises for middle school science and social studies classes to advanced projects in high school biology and chemistry. Grades 8 and up.
Maple Sugaring
The Maple Sugaring packet includes The Maple Sugaring Story video and guide for teaching produced by Perceptions, Inc., Sugaring Season by Diane Burns, Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky, The Sugar Maple by Rosamund Metcalf, a reproducible pamphlet entitled My Visit to a Sugar House and a list of sugar houses which welcome visitors. Grades 1 and up.
The Milk Makers
The Milk Makers book by Gail Gibbons and video of the same title produced by Reading Rainbow give students a chance to see a cow being milked and a book which traces milk from the cow to the table. Along with the book and video is a packet entitled, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cows which is reprinted from a 1975 Country Kids article. This book and video may be used alone or along with other dairy materials. Grades K - 6
New Hampshire Agricultural History
New Hampshire Agricultural History materials are designed to help teachers who are working on a NH history unit. Included is a 30 minute video, Growing Up in New England produced by Old Sturbridge Village, and classroom activities which focus on seasonal work, weather, farm products and a family tree with which students can research their own agricultural roots. The video explores the daily work and decisions facing children growing up on a New England Farm in the 1800s. Grade 3 - 6.
New Hampshire Agricultural Industry
The New Hampshire Agricultural Industry Slide Show explains the wide variety of agricultural products produced in New Hampshire. A script accompanies the slides. The slide show can be used in conjunction with the study of New Hampshire history. Grades 2 and up.
Nutrition Education Materials Catalog
The Nutrition Education Materials Catalog produced by New England Dairy and Food Council. This catalog lists the materials available through Dairy and Food Council to help educate all groups about nutrition.
Pigs and Pork
Pigs and Pork are covered in the unit from the Indiana Farm Bureau entitled, Where Pork Comes From. The unit includes a 9 minute video and supporting classroom activities. Grades K - 4.
Poultry and Eggs
The poultry and eggs unit includes The Amazing Egg Book by Margaret Griffin and Deborah Seed, From Egg to Chick: A 4-H Manual of Embryology and Incubation, The Incredible Journey from Hen to Home produced by the American Egg Board and a set of slides showing the development of a chick inside the egg. Grades 1 - 4.
The Pumpkin Unit
The pumpkin unit includes the book, In A Pumpkin Shell by Jennifer Gillis, a pumpkin bibliography, pumpkin recipes and a thematic pumpkin study unit developed by Linda Nienhouse, a teacher at the Good Shepherd School in Barrington, NH. Grades Pre-K -5.
Sheep and Wool
The sheep and wool resource packet contains background information and student activities which focus on the history and characteristics of sheep and wool. Included with the packet are instructions for simple spinning, dyeing and weaving of wool, samples of wool, a small poster showing different sheep breeds, a 10 minute video entitled Wool: From Farm to Fabric Naturally and an interdisciplinary kit produced by the National Farm -City Council entitled It's A Puzzlement which explores different types of fibers. Grades K and up.
S.L.I.C.E.
The S.L.I.C.E. resource packet produced by the National Farm-City Council explores the sources of foods we eat every day and focuses especially on pizza. It includes activities in science, math and language arts. Grades 2 -5.
Soils Packet
The soils packet contains: The Amazing Dirt Book by Paulette Bourgeois, Beyond Mudpies produced by Hillsborough County Conservation District and an activity entitled Where Did Your Thanksgiving Dinner Come From? Grades 2 - 5.
Visiting A Farm?
Visiting A Farm? Safe and Sound Says Safety Hound is a book and video designed by Perceptions, Inc. for preschool and first grade students which covers some basic farm facts that help insure a safer field trip. Grades Pre-K - 2.
Barn Boxes - For Sale The Barn Box is designed to look like a red barn with white trim. It
contains a selection of resources which enable educators to study different
agricultural themes each month, September through May. Price for the box
is $140.00 Listed below are the contents of the box, topics which are covered
and suggested month in which the unit might be studied.
September: Apples - All About Apples packet and poster.
October: Pumpkins - Pumpkin study unit; In A Pumpkin Shell by Jennifer Gillis
November: Thanksgiving - Where Did Your Thanksgiving Dinner Come From?; S.L.I.C.E. activity packet which explores where our food comes from.
December: Conifers - Life of The Forest; Conifer study packet
January: Dairy - A Calf Grows Up activity guide; Let's Go To The Farm video; From Cow to You poster and lesson plan.
February: Maple Sugaring - The Maple Sugaring Story activity guide and video; My Visit to a Sugar House - reproducible booklet.
March: Soils - Beyond Mudpies; Embryology - From Egg to Chick: A 4-H Manual of Embryology and Incubation.
April: Sheep and Wool - Resource packet including background information and activities on history and characteristics of sheep and wool. Instructions for simple spinning, dyeing and weaving, wool samples and a small poster showing different breeds of sheep.
May: Bees and Pollination - What's Buzzin' teaching packet and video 2 posters: The Beekeepers Year and Life Cycle of the Honeybee.
General Reference: New Hampshire's Fields of Colors (a coloring book), Resource Guides, Safe and Sound Says Safety Hound (booklet) and Project Seasons , a tremendous collection of seasonal classroom activities.