Agricultural Literacy Projects
Do your students know?
- That gelatin, leather, medicine, buttons and glues are byproducts of farm animals?
- Which farm animal can give birth to 10 or more offspring in one litter?
- Which farm animals provides skin to help burn victims heal?
- What “rumination” means?
- Why some pigs are called barrows?
- Why cracking open a supermarket egg will never yield a baby chick?
If you are looking for ways to introduce young people to the world of agriculture and life sciences, then check out these kid-tested, fun-filled science activities that are keyed to national science education standards in the areas of agriculture, plants and insects. Agricultural Literacy projects show kids the source of the foods we consume and are an excellent resource to prepare students for a trip to the 4-H Farm.
Exploring Farm Animals is designed to help kindergarten through third grade youth develop life skills through active learning activities related to animal agriculture. Youth will learn about how animals provide us with food, clothing, medicines and many other products important to our daily lives. Several camera-ready handouts provide hands on activities to supplement your teaching plan. Check the Academic Standards met by this project.
Using Acres of Adventures, kids in 3rd through 5th grades can make ice cream in a bag, homemade play dough, bread in a bag, paper from recycled products and more. Or, they can explore the power of starch in potatoes by creating a potato battery that runs a clock or grow plants from seeds. There are over 80 hands-on science activities.
An excellent follow-up to these programs is a field trip to the 4-H Farm in Newtown Square, where your students can feel the oily lanolin in sheep’s wool, feed the chickens and enjoy the pigs’ antics. They’ll also see horses, cows and barn swallows. This is truly an interactive, hands-on learning experience. Students may come for a half day. They can bring a bag lunch and enjoy the sights and sounds of a working farm where 4-H youth care for the animals. You can also bring a ball for kickball or other games.
Please see registration form for details and reservation information.