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New York Agriculture in the Classroom | February 2016
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Stay Up To Date!
Want to stay up to date with NYAITC? Follow us on social media and never miss out on exciting news and opportunities!
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We want to hear from you!
Are you incorporating agriculture into your classroom? We want to see, tag us on social media @NewYorkAITC on Twitter and NYAITC on Facebook.
If you have any questions, comments, or things you would like to see let us know, we want to help you in anyway possible.
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Important Dates:
Feb 29 - Due: CHS Scholarship Application
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Registration is Live!
Registration is now open for those interested in attending the 2016 National AITC Conference: Agriculture Blooming in the Desert!
Workshops will share new resources and techniques to enhance classroom instruction, and opportunities to connect with educators and volunteers with the same passion for agricultural literacy.
Pre and Post Conference tour options are coming soon and will include tours to the Grand Canyon and other great options. Take advantage of this great opportunity and register today
here
!
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Win a Scholarship to the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference!
Join teachers from across the country with a passion for integrating agriculture, food, and school gardens in their curriculum. The National AITC Conference is the premier professional development event to gather new resources, books, programs, and lessons. This year the conference is is Phoenix, Arizona from June 21-24, 2016.
The CHS Foundation has a scholarship available to teachers and covers the entire registration cost of the conference. Scholarship applications are
due Monday, February 29th! Apply today, or
learn more about the scholarship here.
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How about them apples? Agricultural Literacy Week is around the corner!
Agricultural Literacy Week will be celebrated across the state next month,
March 14th-18th, 2016
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The selected book for 2016 is The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. This fun and exciting story shares the journey of Mr. Tiffin's class on a field trip to an apple orchard.
If you would like to volunteer as a reader for Ag Literacy Week,
sign up here.
Teachers, if you would like a volunteer to read and conduct an activity in your classroom during Ag Literacy Week you can
register here.
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Two NYS Teachers Attend 'Author Experience'
Authors from around the country were selected to participate in an on the farm experience, two of those teachers were from New York, Peggy Thomas and Lela Nargi.
Peggy Thomas used the experience to hear the stories and concerns of those who produce our food. She wants to make young readers aware of these important ideas through her work. Check out some of Peggy's work at
her blog.
Lela Nargi attended the conference to gain a better understanding of the agricultural industry and the personal relationships within that appeal to children.
Read more about Peggy and Lela's Experience as well as all the other authors
here!
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Livestock Life Cycle Lesson Plan
Looking for a lesson to teach students about life cycles? Is the frog life cycle getting old? If so, this lesson is for you! Follow the life cycle of six major livestock species from babies to adults.
This lesson will allow students to learn the terms that are used to describe these animals.
The needs of livestock animals will be compared to the needs of the students and the life cycles that these animals complete will also be investigated.
Farm animals or livestock are an important part of our nation's agricultural industry and also an important part of our survival. Not only do these animals serve as a food source high in protein, vitamins and minerals; they also provide many by-products (leather, wool, medical products, etc.) which we could not live without. View the lesson here.
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Raise up to $5,000 for Your School in Minutes!
It's almost that easy when you take advantage of
Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant
program. If you have an idea for your classroom or parent group to complete, apply for funds from this program. The Spring 2016 application cycle is active and will accept applications until February 12th or upon receiving 1,500 applications. Be sure to apply soon!
For more information or to apply, visit the program website here.
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Not Sure What to Plant?
Are you thinking about starting or continuing your school garden this spring? You may be wondering what plants will actually do well. If so, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) has created a guide of suitable Vegetable Varieties for New York State Gardeners, available
here.
CCE would also like your help; if you try any of their selected varieties or ones that you come up with, they would like to hear how it did in your garden. Feedback can be submitted through their
website
.
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2016 USDA AgDiscovery Program
Do you know a high school student who is interested in an agricultural career? If so, encourage them to apply for the 2016 USDA AgDiscovery Program. This two-week residential program will be held July 17-30 at Iowa State University. The only cost to attend is transportation to and from the University.
All costs for the room, meals, tuition, course materials, field trips and transportation during the program are being paid for by USDA.
This is a great opportunity for students to experience college dorm life and meet other students from around the country who are interested in agriculture, animal science or veterinary medicine.
Applications are due March 7,2016. For more information and application materials, please visit the
program website.
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February Book Nook
Looking for a good book to read to your class or have students read during down time? Look no further than 'Farm Animals' by Katie Daynes. The
book is filled with facts to learn about many types of farms and the animals that live there. The book includes real-life pictures and color illustrations. In addition to the text, each page includes a fun fact. Readers will learn why traditional farm animals such as beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs are kept on farms. They will also learn why specialty farms raise ducks, geese, fish, and ostriches.
This book would make an excellent supplement to the Livestock Life Cycle Lesson Plan featured above!
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