KATE

February 1, 2007

Hatching New Curriculum

Core Connections

By Bill Sampson and Jacob Falwell

With all of the changes in the world of agriculture over the past decades, and even over the past months here in Kentucky, there is an ever increasing need to revise and revisit the curriculum taught in high school agriculture programs. Gone are the days when all boys take agriculture and all of the girls take home economics. The establishment of vocational education in 1917 had that goal in mind. Today, the number of boys who intend to farm after high school is less than 5% of the student body, and only a slight increase of females plan to be the wife of their home. Other changes include the role reversals, since females are now more readily accepted as farmers. These monumental changes along with the changes in farming technology and practices have greatly altered the more traditional education methods. Previous generations enrolled in Ag I, Ag II, Ag III, and Ag IV as they worked their way through the high school. Today classes such as Small Animal Technology, Floral Design, Landscaping, Equine Science, Environmental Technology, and Ag Sales and Marketing compliment the more typical courses such as Farm Management, Animal Science, and Plant and Land Science. The world of agriculture has changed, and so too has the world of agriculture education.

Farming is not what it was 20 years ago. Conservation measures including no-till farming, set-aside acreage, and precision agriculture are some changes in the row crop industry. The animal industry has witnessed the introduction of embryo transfer, genetic research, and post-September 11th animal identification. Recently changes have occurred within the agriculture world as it relates to tobacco farming. Tobacco is still the largest legal cash crop in the state of Kentucky, and no county in the state grows more acres of dark fired tobacco than Calloway County. However, in the fall of 2005, President Bush signed an omnibus bill that completely ended the 70 plus years of the tobacco government program. Thus, tobacco farming is no longer the same. Tobacco farmers are now at the mercy of the tobacco companies, and can not look to the government for price support. These changes, along with the increasing number of individuals and institutions taking a stand against tobacco have altered the way many farmers now make a living. Alternatives to Kentucky's crop have been batted around for decades. Higher education institutions such as Murray State University, Kentucky State University and the University of Kentucky have worked tireless to research the effectiveness of various alternatives. In the end, it has been determined that the Commonwealth will never be able to replace tobacco. Other commodities can be produced to provide an alternative income to Kentucky's oldest crop.

At Calloway County High School, the agriculture department sees over 150 students a day, and over 300 during each school year. While the majority of students have an agriculture background, less than 10% actually come from a family farm. Thus it has been imperative for the department to teach agriculture skills and practices, but not to focus solely on farming. Courses such as Animal Science not only study feeding rations and weight gain expectations on cattle, but also on aquatic animals. The department has a 500 gallon fish tank in which students raise tilapia, an African fish. Outside of the school, the students work in a modern greenhouse and raise bedding plants and vegetables for Calloway County residents. Production methods include traditional growing methods as well as hydroponics production. Plant and Land Science students not only look at fertility requirements and balancing fertilizer ratios, but also the benefits of precision agriculture and global positioning systems.

With the rigorous state program of studies for each of the 12 classes offered by Calloway County's agriculture department, there is a great degree of difficulty in covering all requirements. The freshman agriculture class, Ag-Science Technology allows students to be introduced to the wide world of agriculture. Students are given a taste of Ag Construction with a welding unit. They wet their appetite for Environmental Technology with a water quality unit. Freshmen see the wonders of plant science as a preview of the Horticulture courses. A general overview of the largest student organization is also given in an FFA unit. Finally, students experience the excitement of the Production Livestock courses with a unit in poultry production. In this unit, students encounter cellular division with a 21 day waiting period between fertilization and hatching. Student are able to see the membranes and organs develop when they window eggs at day 7. The study of the poultry industry takes it all the way from conception to the dinner plate. Students even get to act as USDA graders as well as tour the chicken hatchery, growing house, and processing plant.

Courses such as this and units like the ones described offer just one example of how a new curriculum is hatching in agriculture programs around the United States, particularly the agriculture department at Calloway County High School. The days of all boy classes, a majority of students with a farm background and students planning to return to the family farm are gone. Students are now preparing for increasingly technical careers in the agriculture industry. In fact, over 20 students have earned three hours of college credit while enrolled in agriculture courses at Calloway County High School. As of the spring of 2006, four students have earned six hours of college credit as high school agriculture students, and this does not count the 17 Advanced Placement courses offered to all students at Calloway County High School. Agriculture has changed, and agriculture education has had to change as well. The department has met this demand head on. For more information regarding the curriculum at Calloway County High School visit the schools website at http://www.calloway.k12.ky.us/index.htm or contact either agriculture teacher (Bill Sampson or Jacob Falwell) for specific questions about any of the 12 agriculture courses offered at Calloway County High School.

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

February 1, 2007

Making the Connection with Core Content

Instructional Illuminations

Todd Anderson is a science teacher at Benton Middle School. Like many teachers Todd admits that his artistic abilities are somewhat limited. Visitors to his classroom would never guess this fact because his classroom ceiling is covered with tiles created by teams of students. The students used their artistic talents to review core content by creating posters that would fit on ceiling tiles in their classroom. Read more about how Todd implemented this activity designed to improve students’ understanding of science core content.

Click title to read the article written by Todd Anderson, teacher at Benton Middle School.

All of my life I have known that my artistic ability is lacking. This is in part due to ability and mostly due to desire and interest. Unfortunately, for my students this lag in the arts for me carries over in my teaching. The good news is that I am aware of my lack of creativity in my assignments and projects, and this awareness keeps me looking for ideas. One such idea came to me while observing Richard Todd’s classroom this past year.

Several years ago my wife and I had taken a vacation in Florida. One of the restaurants we went to had the entire ceiling covered with work of local kids. Some of the tiles were painted. The most intriguing tile had the game Mouse Trap glued to it. Ever since that time I had thought this would be a great way to decorate my classroom. I could have my students do this same thing on my ceiling tiles. However, I did not want to spend my precious classroom time having the students paint and glue, so the idea never came to fruition.

Then this past year I visited Richard Todd’s room where I noticed he had put student work on his ceiling tiles. He had simply had the students trace a tile on a piece of craft paper and then do work inside the tracing. When the students were finished, he took a tile and wrapped it in the paper like a present and put it back into the ceiling. Seeing his ceiling inspired me to do the same.

Last year I started to make more of a conscious effort to have my students connect the material they were learning to the core content. I started by putting the core content on my bulletin board and marking it when it was covered, so that my students could see what they were learning. I also started having my students put the core content we were covering in their notes as we were covering it. Even though I had implemented these things and was constantly referring to the core content in my classroom my students were still struggling to make the connection between what they were learning and the core content.

Finally, I took Richard’s idea of covering my ceiling tile and combined it with my desire for my students to make a connection to the core content. I put my students into groups. The groups had to then create a poster that would fit on a tile using information they had learned that met a core content bullet. I had more that one group to cover the same core content bullet. The posters that were easiest to read and most creative were hung on my ceiling.

My students loved the integration of art into my classroom. The best part for me was that they were reviewing material they had already learned and were making the connection with the core content. This is now an activity that has been repeated in my classroom as well as in my school.

Any time a visitor comes to my classroom they comment on my colorful ceiling, and want to know what the posters are. I am very proud of my students’ work, but what makes me the most excited is to see the students scanning the ceiling trying to find answers to a question on a test or that I have asked. The students are making connections.

February 1, 2007

The Chinese New Year

Core Connections

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The new year begins on the first day of the Chinese calendar, which usually falls in February, and the festivities continue for 15 days. This year the Chinese new year falls on February 18th and is a great time to introduce your students to holidays around the world. Comparing customs from other countries helps students understand their own holidays and customs as well as expanding their mind.

Check out the following link for more information on the holiday and how and why it is celebrated. http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/new_year/intro.html

In Your Classroom: February 2007 Archive

Hatching New Curriculum

Core Connections

Related Links

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

Making the Connection with Core Content

Instructional Illuminations

The Chinese New Year

Core Connections

Related Links

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

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