National Agriculture in the Classroom
The National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization (NAITCO) and its member programs in most of the 50 states including the District of Columbia implement Agriculture in the Classroom programming by providing educational resources and other state-operated programs that use agricultural concepts to teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and other subject areas. The mission of Agriculture in the Classroom is to “increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education. By encouraging teachers to embed agriculture into their classroom, AITC cultivates an understanding and appreciation of the food and fiber system that we all rely on every day
AITC achieves these goals by:
- Contextualizing science, social studies and nutrition concepts through agricultural content that provides meaning for students.
- Elevating engagement with 5E model lessons for increased achievement.
- Increasing agricultural literacy among students who will have a better understanding and be able to make decisions about the resources, science and technology used to meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.
As you browse the AITC website, we encourage you to access the following resources:
- Lesson plans and fun quizzes for teachers and students
- An online, searchable, and standards-based curriculum map for K-12 teachers
- State agricultural facts
- Project/Problem-Based Learning Plans
- Virtual tours
- Agricultural Games & WebQuests
Get these lessons now:
Source Search (Grades K-2) – In this lesson, students will learn that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its “source.”
Grades 3-5
Caring for the Land – Students will explain why people have different opinions regarding soil management and identify cause and effect relationships relating to agriculture and the environment.
Learn, Protect, and Promote Water! – In this lesson students learn about water sources, water pollution, and water protection. Students participate in an activity where they demonstrate the water cycle and see the potential for our water supply to become contaminated.
Conserving Bumble Bees – This lesson introduces the importance of bumble bees and other pollinators. Using a case study approach, students will examine bumble bee population surveys and use the scientific method to discuss possible causes for the decline of pollinators. Students will then determine which land management conservation strategies in agricultural ecosystems are most successful in attracting and supporting bumble bee populations.
Access the entire curriculum
All lesson plans (the entire collection) are free and available on National Agriculture in the Classroom website.
Nutrients for Life
The Nutrients for Life Foundation is a global organization consisting of members and collaborative partners that develops and distributes science-based materials to improve plant nutrient literacy and soil health knowledge, as well as promotes fertilizer’s role in sustaining a growing population. All information developed by the Foundation is science-based and supported by agronomists, including those at the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Supplemental educational materials are based on their curriculum, which has been reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex and research organization.
Nutrients for Life curriculum includes STEM activities and lessons that show how the challenge to feed our world’s growing population can be solved with science. Educators can meet key science standards required in their classroom and search standards by grade and location on the website. All the Nutrients for Life lessons and materials are available for free download at www.nutrientsforlife.org.
Below you can download some of the curricula and resources for use in your classroom:
- Nourishing the Planet in the 21st Century (high school)
- 4R Reader (middle, high school)
- H2Know Interactive Digital Case Study (high school)
- Feeding the World & Protecting the Environment (high school)