How Important Are Plants?

An #agbyte to read. Wesley suffers rejection from classmates until he puts his school lessons to use and founds his own civilization around a staple crop that blows in on the wind. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. Wesley's innovations make a perfect tie-in for teaching about goods and services in the community and how agriculture creates jobs and influences development. His whimsical garden is also sure to pique students curiosity about growing plants, making this a nice introduction to any plant-related lesson.

See the lesson plans connected to this book on the Matrix!

On This Day in History...

On this day (April 14th) in 1935 the sky turned black on America's high southern plains. Sand-filled winds scoured the paint off houses and cars, trains derailed, and electricity coursed through the air. Sand and dirt fell like snow.

Use this book and the associated lesson plans to teach about America's most catastrophic natural event: the Dust Bowl.

Visit the Matrix for more resources about the Dust Bowl.

Elementary Science, Embryology, and Life Cycles from Zinnia and Dot

An agbyte to read! This the story of two feuding hens who lose all but one egg to a weasel that sneaks in while they're busy squabbling. Now they really have something to fight about. Whose is the egg that's left? Will friendship triumph over vanity?

Use this book to engage young students before a lesson on chickens, eggs, or embryology. See all of the related resources on the Matrix!

Why are chickens raised on farms? (To raise hens that lay eggs and for meat)

Where do chickens (and all birds) begin their life cycle? (in an egg)

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?