AAW Resources: At Home Education Resources
COVID-19 has closed schools across a majority of the nation, some possibly opening back up in the month of May. With this in mind, many parents and guardians are looking for some additional educational material to keep the kids busy. Why not fit in some agriculture education? Be sure to check out the Education Tab on AAW’s website but I have also done some research and compiled a list of websites who have resources, tours, and other tools related to the agriculture industry.
Additional Educational Online Resources for Students, Parents, and Educators:
4-H: Positive youth development programs engage youth within their communities, schools, organizations, peer groups, and families in a manner that is productive and constructive; recognizes, utilizes, and enhances youth’s strengths; and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships and furnishing the support needed to build on their leadership strengths. 4-H uses experiential learning—learning by doing—as a primary teaching approach to learning life skills such as leadership, citizenship, community service, STEM education, and public speaking. Membership is open to all youth beginning at age 8 or 4th grade. Land-grant university extension 4-H offices deliver local programs. Additionally, military 4-H clubs offer quality educational experiences that allow youth to continue their 4-H work wherever they move when their parents are deployed. Join or start a 4 H club by contacting your local 4-H office (https://4-h.org/find/)
4-H Afterschool Agriculture: Promotes agriculture literacy among young people typically during an out-of-school time while developing their understanding, appreciation, and application for science through a variety of hands-on agriculturally based activities. (https://4-h.org/parents/curriculum/afterschool-agriculture)
Discover the Forest: This campaign aims to inspire teens (aged 8-12) and their parents to re-connect with nature, experiencing it first-hand. The campaign brings to life the joy and excitement kids have when they discover the wonders of nature, helping create interest in their environment and a lifelong relationship with it. (https://discovertheforest.org/)
Every Kid Outdoors: A federal public lands youth initiative to get all 4th graders and their families to experience the places that are home to our country’s natural treasures, rich history, and vibrant culture. (https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/campaigns-initiatives/every-kid-outdoors)
Forest Service – Conservation Education: Conservation education helps people of all ages understand and appreciate our country’s natural resources — and learn how to conserve those resources for future generations. Through structured educational experiences and activities for varying age groups and populations, conservation education helps people realize how natural resources and ecosystems affect each other and how resources can be used wisely. Learn more about formal and non-formal educational opportunities provided by the Forest Service. (https://www.fs.usda.gov/conservationeducation)
Forest Service – Various Youth Education Resources: The Forest Service offers a range of resources to engage young people. The Junior Forest Ranger program helps children ages 7-13 enjoy and appreciate nature. (https://www.fs.usda.gov/learn/kids)
FSNatureLIVE: The USDA Forest Service, Prince William Network and other partners offer a collection of virtual field trips on topics such as rainforests, climate change, pollinators, wetlands, shorebird migration, and more. Each distance learning adventure website offers resources including lesson plans, topic videos, webinars, and citizen science projects. (https://fsnaturelive.org)
Hungry Pests: The USDA fights invasive pests on three fronts—abroad, at the border, and across the U.S. and its territories. Hungry Pests is USDA’s signature outreach initiative to raise awareness of the issue of invasive pest threats and provide the public with tools to help protect America’s natural beauty and agricultural bounty. Educator resources and youth activities help raise awareness of invasive species and the damage they cause. (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/USDA-Efforts/Educator-Tools)
Kansas Corn STEM: Kansas Corn STEM’s Continuous Learning resources provide at-home learning resources to be used by teachers and students while schools are closed due to COVID-19. These resources will be housed on the lesson library at https://kscorn.com/kansas-corn-stem for online learning and can be printed for use in packets for off-line learning. Going forward, these resources will continue to enhance current on-line educational lessons and labs and will have continued value both in conventional classrooms as well as home-school settings. (https://kscorn.com/topic/continuous-learning/)
Library of Congress Student Discovery Sets: The new Library of Congress Student Discovery Sets brings together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents on a wide range of topics, from history to science to literature. Interactive tools let students zoom in, draw to highlight details, and conduct open-ended primary source analysis. Full teaching resources are available for each set. (https://www.loc.gov/teachers/student-discovery-sets/)
Library of Congress Classic Children’s Books: Turn the pages to explore bygone eras, time-honored tales, and historical narratives. Adventure awaits in these classic books online. (http://read.gov/books/index.html#kids)
My American Farm: My American Farm, a place for young learners to explore and discover our food, fiber, and energy. (http://www.myamericanfarm.org/classroom/games)
MyPlate: MyPlate is a reminder to find your healthy eating style and build it throughout your lifetime. Parents and teachers are invited to use the MyPlate Kids’ Place Resources for Parents and Educators for teachable moments that will influence children’s choices at home and at school. (https://www.choosemyplate.gov/browse-by-audience/view-all-audiences/professionals/teachers)
NASA Kids’ Club: (https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html)
National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix: The National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix is an online, searchable, and standards-based curriculum map for K-12 teachers. The Matrix contextualizes national education standards in science, social studies, and nutrition education with relevant instructional resources linked to Common Core Standards. Search the instructional, classroom-ready resources now! After you find what you need, consider storing them in your personal binder — MyBinder! (https://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix)
National Ag in the Classroom: National Ag in the Classroom (NAITC) helps improve agricultural literacy, awareness, knowledge, and appreciation among pre-K through 12th-grade teachers and their students. NAITC serves nearly 5 million students and 60,000 teachers annually through workshops, conferences, field trips, farm tours, and other activities. Visit the AITC’s curriculum website (https://www.agclassroom.org/) for K-12 standards-based lesson plans and companion resources in science, social studies, health and nutrition, and career and technical education.
NAITC offers a number of virtual tours at https://www.agclassroom.org/student/tours.cfm. The tours run the gamut of agriculture, with crops, vegetables, and various livestock represented.
At https://www.agclassroom.org/360/index.cfm NAITC has a few other agriculture features, along with directions on how students can create their own virtual farm tours.
At https://www.agclassroom.org/student, NAITC offers resources for students, including career explorations, games, and more.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Education Resources: Education resources are distributed across many websites and program offices at NOAA and partner websites. This portal is designed to help you access these resources from one location. (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections)
NatureWatch, Interpretation, and Conservation Education (NICE): The NICE database is a searchable clearinghouse of Forest Service education and outreach programs across the U.S. (https://apps.fs.usda.gov/nice/f/welcome)
Smithsonian Distance Learning: The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access created the Smithsonian Learning Lab to inspire the discovery and creative use of its rich digital materials—more than a million images, recordings, and texts. The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a major rethinking of how the digital resources from across the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, 9 major research centers, the National Zoo, and more, can be used together, for learning. (https://learninglab.si.edu/distancelearning)
USDA Future Scientist Program: The USDA Future Scientist Program engages communities and schools (grades K-12) with hands-on, inquiry-based activities with USDA researchers at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). ARS scientists at ARS labs around the country open their doors to teachers, students, and parents with presentations on current research, hands-on demonstrations, career days, and inspiration for future careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). (https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/services/introduction/archive/june-2014/arsandyou-index/#FutureScientists)
USDA Curricula and Learning Resources: https://www.usda.gov/youth/curricula
