Ag Day is Every Day with Ag in the Classroom
Author
Published
2/21/2024
National Ag Day, celebrated March 19th, is a day about recognizing and celebrating the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives. A mission the Arizona Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom (AZFB AITC) program works to accomplish every day through its educational programming!
In this, our 15th year of programming, we are more excited than ever to bring Ag into Arizona classrooms. Our youth must know where their food comes from and can interact with the people who produce it. “Our goal is to provide resources, materials, and opportunities that allow students to connect with their food and farmers”, says Katie Aikins AZFB Director of Education.
Check out some of the programming that AZFB AITC provides year-round to keep Ag in the classroom.
Virtual Ag Tours
AZFB AITC provides students of all ages an opportunity to learn and interact with Arizona farmers and ranchers through their Virtual Ag Tour Series. Classrooms can jump on live and ask questions or tune in after the tour to see everything we explored. You can see past tours at https://www.azfb.org/agriculture-in-the-classroom/Virtual-Ag-Tours
Curriculum Kits
This FREE resource allows teachers to bring Ag in their classroom even when AITC staff is not available for a visit. Curriculum Kits provide hands-on engaging lessons and “agtivities” as well as all the materials needed to teach the lessons. Topics include cotton, beef, dairy, plants, Arizona Five Cs, sheep, poultry, apples, pumpkins, equine, and AZ fruits and veggies. https://www.azfb.org/Agriculture-in-the-Classroom/Resources/Teacher-Resources/Curriculum-Kits
Classroom Presentations
If it has to do with agriculture, we have a presentation on it. If we don’t, we will! AZFB AITC provides FREE standards-based presentations to grades K-12 across the state. Our favorite days are those that we get to teach students about their food and fiber! Curious about what presentations we offer? Visit https://www.azfb.org/Agriculture-in-the-Classroom/Resources/Teacher-Resources/Presentations
FIRST Reader Books
Students love to read, and we love to read about agriculture! So, we combined the two and offer several First Reader Books for early readers. The books are available for purchase or in a FREE digital copy. https://www.azfb.org/Agriculture-in-the-Classroom/Resources/Teacher-Resources/FARM-Early-Reader-Books
AgMags
Agricultural Magazines, known as AgMags, introduce students to a variety of agriculture commodities and concepts. These “old time newspaper” style resources bring a little fun to students as they learn new concepts. These FREE resources are available in both print and digital formats as well as in English and Spanish. https://www.azfb.org/Agriculture-in-the-Classroom/Resources/Teacher-Resources/AgMags
Arizona Five Cs Song Contest
Classrooms can participate in bringing Ag into other classrooms by creating an Arizona Five Cs song to share with others. This contest runs each year and is a great opportunity for 3rd-grade students to share what they are learning about Arizona history and agriculture’s role in that history. https://www.azfb.org/Agriculture-in-the-Classroom/Resources/Arizona-Five-Cs-Song-Contest
We continue to work to grow our library of resources and create new opportunities to bring agriculture into Arizona Classrooms. Be sure to follow us on social media @AZFB AITC and visit us online at www.azfbaitc.org