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New York Agriculture in the Classroom | October 2017
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Important Dates:

Oct. 6- NAITC Conference Workshop Proposals Due

Nov. 1- Purple Plow Challenge Entries Due

Nov. 3- NY Women of  Agriculture  Conference

Nov. 15- Teacher of the Year Applications Due

Nov. 15- NYS Agricultural Society Scholarship Applications Due

Nov. 16- NYFB Scholarship Applications Due

Jan. 12- Top Cut Beef  Contest Submissions Due

News
NEW! Top Cut: Beef Contest

New York Agriculture in the Classroom and the New York Beef Council have partnered to offer a new, exciting program for middle and high school students to engage with beef production and nutrition. The cross-curricular program entails students to creatively develop a marketing strategy for a product or recipe of their choice.

Each division will be vying for the chance to win $250 for their classroom and a BBQ catered by the New York Beef Council. Prize money will also be awarded to second and third place classrooms. Visit the  contest page to learn more!

NYAITC Teacher of the Year Applications
N ominate yourself or an amazing educator who integrates agriculture regularly in their curriculum. This top honor is awarded each year to a teacher, or a team of teachers, who are committed to ensuring that their students are agriculturally literate. The winning nomination will earn an expense-paid trip to the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Portland, Maine. All nominations are due Wednesday, November 15, 2017. 

Visit the New York Agriculture in the Classroom website  for the more information and to read about the past winners. 

Complete an application today!
Apps in the Classroom
Technology can be a great resource and teaching tool when integrated into the classroom. 
  • Download iNaturalist and your students become citizen scientists through identification of plants and insects and the sharing of their findings. 
  • Install Garden Compass to find horticultural specialists and Master Gardeners to help with your school garden questions.  
Explore these apps, and many more, by visiting our brand new resource page. 

New York State Agricultural Society Ambassador Scholarship
Do you know an a young adult ages 18-25 who has in interest in a career in food, agriculture, or natural resources? 

Ambassador Scholarship recipients have a front row seat at the NYS Agricultural Society Forum, the largest and oldest agricultural meeting in NYS where all sectors of the food system gather to explore topics critical to the future of NY agriculture and our world food supply. 
 
Visit the New York State Agricultural Society website  for more information and the application. 
Teacher Resources
The Case of the Missing Pumpkin
Use an investigative approach that connects with the season to introduce your students to the concept of life cycles. 

Students will use the pumpkin as a planter, use literary connections to map the life cycle pf the pumpkin, and engage the scientific principles to hypothesize what the decomposition of a pumpkin would look like. 

The lesson also contains titles for companion books and activity extensions. 
The Real Reason Leaves Change Color in the Fall
Use this  video for an advanced explanation as to why leaves change color in the fall. This short video gives you a good base for introducing a lesson. You can focus on the vocabulary to create your own materials or use some of the recommended lesson plans, like  Luscious Leaves. 
How Much is Dirt Worth?

Students will understand that topsoil is a limited resource with economic value. Activities include slicing up an apple to demonstrate the distribution of Earth's soil resources and exploring scenarios involving the dollar valuation of soil. This  lesson plan  is for students in grades 9-12, but versions for grades 3-5 and 6-8 are also available on the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix. 
October Book Nook
Pumpkin Jack
Join Tim in his voyage of discovery as he experiences death, decomposition and rebirth as his jack-o-lantern fades, rots and new plants grow from a seed left inside the pumpkin shell. That seed sprouts and the growth leads to a new crop of pumpkins. 

Author and illustrator Will Hubbell takes readers on journey of the life cycle with this story. 
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?
Learn all about pumpkins, science, and math as Mr Tiffin's class explores pumpkins of all sizes. This is an adorable picture book for curious kids that explores skip counting and estimation in a fun pumpkin-themed classroom experiment all while asking the question, "How many seeds are in a pumpkin?".

This book makes a wonderful read-aloud companion to any math or science curriculum, and it's a fun way to reinforce counting skills at home. 
Life in a Bucket of Soil
This fascinating 96-page book can be used to introduce older grade school
students   to  industrious ants, tunnel-building earthworms, snails and slugs, beetles, and many other creatures inhabiting the world beneath our feet. The book provides vivid descriptions of how soil organisms  live, breed and interact; their methods of locomotion, feeding and defense; and the effect they have on the soil in which they live. 

This book is best paired with the "How Much is Dirt Worth?" lesson or others available on the Matrix. 
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