Free Curriculum Brings Ag to Schoolchildren
A.G Kawamura CA Farmer Transparency
Whether you’re a parent, educator or homeschooler, you’re likely looking for education to help support school-aged kids this year. The Farm Journal Foundation recently launched a new collection of multi-media e-learning resources that provide a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Agriculture System that are designed to support educators and homeschooling families as they plan curriculum for the fall semester.
“Over the course of the pandemic, the importance of an affordable, dependable and accessible food supply became top-of-mind for consumers around the world,” said Tricia Beal, Farm Journal Foundation CEO. “As a result, we believe these modules are perfectly timed to provide an interesting way for students and adults to learn not only about how their food is grown, but also the culture, philosophy and values of the people who grow it.”
The learning modules provide an authentic and wide-ranging view of agricultural food production through first-hand video accounts shared by a diverse group of farmers and ranchers from across the United States. In those videos, farmers describe how sustainable management practices preserve natural resources and nurture animal development. They also relate how their way of life and business practices have evolved through the generations. Watch some short clips featuring South Dakota rancher Zach Ducheneaux, Mississippi corn and soybean farmer Danny Murphy and California produce grower A.G. Kawamura here:
In addition to video resources, the modules offer high-quality graphics and virtual reality technology designed to appeal to middle and high school grade levels. They are suitable for agricultural education classrooms, 4-H youth development and adult extension or consumer education programs. Highlights include:
- Overview of the U.S. Agriculture System: Four e-learning modules averaging four chapters per module (15-20 minutes per chapter)
- Business and Culture of U.S. Agriculture: Short e-learning segments (4 thematic sections/2-3 minutes each)
- Virtual Reality Tour: A 3D visit to a swine farm and corn field (Single use goggles are available upon request from the Foundation.)
All resources are accompanied by a five-minute teacher overview video; a usage guide, which provides examples of how to incorporate the e-learning materials into a classroom or learning program; and questions to encourage discussion and assess student comprehension of the material.
The e-learning tools are available to educators and families at no cost, and are made possible through the Foundation by the generous support of its foundational partners including Farm Journal Trust in Food – America’s Conservation Ag Movement, National Corn Growers Association and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service in conjunction with American Farmland Trust, Corteva, Ducks Unlimited, National Pork Board, The Nature Conservancy, Sanderson Farms, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Valent.
E-learning tools are available at farmjournalfoundation.org/resources.
