Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
From the Ground and
All Around
A Complementary Lesson Booklet for IAITCs
Summer Agriculture Institute
2 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
3 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Table of Contents
Web Presence ............................................................................................................................. 4
Website Information ................................................................................................................... 5
Tagriculture ................................................................................................................................. 6
Earth Day/Energy ....................................................................................................................... 7
Earth Day Bracelet
Soil ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Say It With Soil
Soil Slurry
Soybeans/Corn/Wheat/Cotton ................................................................................................... 14
Beanie Baby
Corn Dissection
Annas Corn
Wheat Milling
Cotton Ginning
Livestock ................................................................................................................................................ 21
What COW Is This?
Milk: The Local Connection
Milk And So Much More
The Work Horse
Nutrition .................................................................................................................................................. 29
What I Eat
Mighty Microbes
Biotechnology ........................................................................................................................................ 35
DNA Bracelet
Cell Booklet
Urban ...................................................................................................................................................... 40
Urban vs. Rural
Pumpkin & Apple ................................................................................................................................... 42
3-D Pumpkin
Apple Chain
Online Resources/Recommended Reading ......................................................................................... 44
4 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
www.agintheclassroom.org
/agintheclassroom @ilagclass
Web Presence
5 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Teacher ResourcesIn this section you will find lesson plans, printable AITC materials and lesson
booklets, and make-n-take activities that are ready for use in your classroom. You will also find grants
and other resources available to you.
Contact Your County Agricultural Literacy CoordinatorHere you will find our County Coordina-
tors listed in alphabetical order by county. These coordinators will help you get your hands on all of
our free resources, including Ag Mags and kits, and they may even be able to set up time to come into
your classroom to do activities with your students.
Teacher WorkshopWe are constantly providing development opportunities for educators, many of
which offer CPDUs. Check back here often to see when we will be visiting your area and how you can
see more of our materials.
IL Farm LifeIn this section, you will find photos, website links and other resources about general
Illinois agriculture.
County SupportThis section is for county coordinators and staff only.
Social Media ButtonsBecome a fan of our Facebook Page or follow us on Twitter by clicking on
this button or by searching for Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom. This is a great place to collaborate
and interact with other teachers with wonderful ideas to share. We also work to provide new videos,
lessons, articles and websites that will help you with lessons in your classroom.
U.S. Department of Agriculture AITCClick here to go to the National AITC website. This is a great
place to go and see lessons from Ag in the Classroom programs around the country. Tons of great
stuff to explore.
LinksFind links to other agricultural organizations.
Support AITCClicking here will take you to the IAA Foundation website. The IAA Foundation raises
funds for the Illinois AITC program in order to provide educators with free or low cost information and
materials.
Contact UsHere you will find contact information for Illinois AITC. However, your first contact
should always be your County Ag Literacy Coordinator, who is your link for free materials, kits and in-
formation.
About AITCLearn about the history of both the National and Illinois Ag in the Classroom Programs.
SearchSearch for lessons, activities and materials that will be useful in your classroom.
TagricultureDiscussion board designed to share best practices of how agriculture can support
bigger causes. This can include classroom lessons, activities, etc. Open discussion with the ability to
communicate with others, ask questions, or share comments.
Website Information
6 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
A Teach Agriculture Initiative
Submission
The Community
7 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Objective: After completing this lesson, students will discover the circles of our Earth and will be better
prepared for Earth Day!
Common Core: Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3; RI.4.4; RI.4.5; RF.4.3a
Next Generation Science Standards:
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: 3-LS2-1; 3-LS4-3; 3-LS4-4
Life Cycles & Traits: 3-LS1-1; 3-LS3-1; 3-LS3-2
Weather & Climate: 3-LESS2-1; 3-ESS3-1
Structure, Function & Information Processing: 4-LS1-1
Earths Systems: 5-ESS3-1
Background Information:
People move in circles. The earth provides us with everything we need to survive. We must take great care
of our valuable resources!
Water is a circle. Water rains down on land. Water collects in oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams. It
evaporates back up into the sky and collects in clouds. The clouds become heavy, and rain falls down to
land again.
Plants and soil are circles. Plants grow from soil. Plants provide food for animals. Animals provide food for
other animals. Animals die and decompose. New soil is made. New plants grow.
Earth is a circle. Earth is spinning through space, rotating on its axis, revolving around the sun. The Earth
and sun give us the circle of the seasons and the circle of night and day.
Air is a circle. Animals breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide, use it to
make food, and give off oxygen. Animals breathe it in again.
The sun is a circle. The sun provides warmth for light for all of the Earths circles. Without the sun, plants
and animals would not survive. The sun binds us together.
Materials Needed:
1 pipe cleaner per student 1 small clear pony bead (people)
1 small blue pony bead (water) 1 small green pony bead (plants)
1 small brown pony bead (soil) 1 small orange pony bead (day)
1 small black pony bead (night) 1 small white pony bead (air)
1 small yellow pony bead (sun) 1 small red pony bead (animals)
Directions:
1. String the colored beads on to the pipe cleaner to represent the circles of the Earth. String opposite end of
the pipe cleaner back through the clear People bead. Now your clear People bead is an adjuster for the
bracelet.
Earth Day Bracelet
8 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Say It With Soil
Objective: Instruction in this lesson should result in students achieving how to demonstrate
through writing and how soil interconnects with all living things.
Common Core: Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3; RI.4.4; RI.4.5; RF.4.3a
Next Generation Science Standards:
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: 3-LS4-4
Life Cycles & Traits: 3-LS3-2
Earths Systems: 5-ESS3-1
Materials Needed:
ELA Lesson 2 Soil Quotes Handout Say It With Soil (from Soil mAGic Kit)
Directions:
1. Using the provided quotes on the ELA Lesson 2 Soil Quotes Handout Say It With Soil,
cut quotes into strips and distribute to students.
2. Students will read the soil quote and write a paragraph about the quote. Some/all of the
following questions should be addressed:
What does the quote mean to me?
What did this quote mean to the author?
Under what circumstances did the author write this quote?
Has this quote withstood the passage of time? Why?
Is this quote appropriate in todays world? Why?
3. Students can share their writing with the entire class.
Adapted from Soil mAGic Kit
9 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom
Say It With Soil
Soil Quotes Handout
Soil, like faith, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It is the
starting point for all living things that inhabit the earth. -Firman E. Bear; 1986
I know of no pursuit in
