Farmers 2050... Some Friday Fun!

It's time for some Friday fun! Who wants a game that is educational, free, fun, and doesn't have in-app advertisements or purchases? 💁‍♀️💁‍♂️

"Farmers 2050" has all of that! Grow crops, raise livestock, craft and sell goods, and engage with global partners as you practice sustainable agriculture!

It's free and available on the App Store or Google Play. Share how this game can provide engaging context for online learning!

Potatoes... Where Do They Grow?

Potatoes! We like them baked, mashed, and deep fried as french fries or potato chips!

Digging into the geography and science will make you a more savvy consumer and "spud-smart." Time to begin the investigation!

Where do potatoes grow? Above ground or below? What type of climate?

Why do farmers grow potatoes from sections of potato instead of from the seed produced by the flower?

• K-2nd Grade: Use the Plant Tops and Bottoms lesson to discover that fruits and vegetables come from plants. Janet Steven's book, Tops and Bottoms would also be an excellent addition!

Do potatoes come from the top or the bottom of a plant?

• 3rd-5th Grade: Use the Powerful Potato lesson to explore life science and observe a potato growing with and without soil! The book, No Small Potatoes is also a great addition.

How does geography impact the growth of potatoes?

• 6th-12th Grade: Take a look at Geography and Climate for Agricultural Landscapes. Discuss how climate, geography, and food are connected.

If you could only consume locally grown foods, would potatoes be part of your diet?

• 9th-12th Grade: Think about genetics in relation to the potato. Farmers grow potatoes from sections of the potato. Is this a form of sexual or asexual plant propagation? Potato plants do produce a flower, containing seeds... why don't farmers plant these seeds? (The answer is in the video!)

What form of plant propagation produces a crop genetically identical to the parent crop?

Visit the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix for hundreds of free K-12 lesson plans aligned to National education standards. Visit the eLearning site for resources adapted specifically for online learning.

Makin' it Monday! .... Bread

Bread in a Bag

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread. Bread in a Bag is an activity perfect for learning at home. Make the following connections to curriculum:

• K-2nd Grade: Pair this activity with the lesson The Little Red Hen to explore wheat production and bread making. 

Flour is made by grinding up wheat... where does wheat come from?

• 3rd-5th Grade: Make 2 loaves of bread. Do a science experiment and change one variable to see how it impacts the end result. For example, compare regular vs. quick-rising yeast or allow one loaf to rise in an extra warm place and the other in a cooler place.

Why is science important to the production of our food?

• 6th-8th Grade: Research careers in the area of food science. How are science and the production of food related? Watch videos from IFT's (Institute of Food Technologists) Day in the Life of a Food Scientist playlist.

What are examples of careers in food science and why are they important to our food supply?

• 9-12th Grade: Explore the phenomenon of what makes bread dough rise. Research alcoholic fermentation and its connection to cellular respiration using the Food Science: Bread Dough Challenge lesson. You can also read about the History of Yeast.

How does the processing of food (making flour into bread) add value to agricultural goods?

To find more resources adapted to online learning, visit our eLearning website.

Something to Read... Proof That You Can Change the World

An agbyte to read! There is no better time than now to inspire kids with proof that they can change the world! See what the author, Andy Andrews has to say in this video about the book!

This book tells the story of Nobel Laureate, Norman Borlaug. Norman grew up as an average farm boy in Iowa, but later his work as a plant scientist reached far and wide to help improve the growth of wheat, rice, and corn all over the world. This book highlights the benefits of emerging science, but also has an underlying message to teach kids that, "Every choice you make, good or bad, can make a difference."

See the lessons on the Matrix this book can be paired with to meet specific education standards.

How are science and agriculture connected?

How do plant scientists help improve food crops to feed the world?

What food products come from wheat?