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“A master can tell you what he
expects of you. A teacher,
though, awakens your own ex-
pectations.” ~ Patricia Neal
Page 1 The Teacher Source
Dear Educators,
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Service in Montgomery County in-
vites you to participate in 4-H cur-
riculum enrichment programs. Texas
4-H, which is the youth development
component of AgriLife Extension,
strives to provide assistance to edu-
cators by making resources available
to them from the National 4-H Coun-
cil and the land grant university sys-
tem.
Texas 4-H offers a variety of en-
richment programs that are support-
ed at their core on the state level,
and also involve county and local re-
sources. Our activities and learning
materials can be beneficial in a
large number of classroom situa-
tions.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Ex-
tension Service office in Mont-
gomery County is sending out
this newsletter to inform educa-
tors in our county of the re-
sources that are available to
schools and youth programs to
complement their lessons and
activities.
Additionally, most of the re-
sources available are aligned
with teaching standards and
have an evaluation tool available.
1. Call 936-539-7823 exten-
sion 3 or visit the Extension
Office to find what you need.
We may have a copy or further
resources available for check-
out or purchase.
2. If needed, schedule an ap-
pointment for curriculum over-
view or a training meeting.
3. Start using the curricula! If
you need help at anytime, please let
us know how we can best assist you.
4. Complete the Group Enrollment
Form (pink sheet) when the les-
sons/project is completed and re-
turn to us in a timely manner. Com-
plete evaluations. Be available for
program follow up surveys or ques-
tionnaires.
5. Enjoy the project! Let others
know that we are here to help!
Fall 2016
4-H & Urban Youth
Development
Highlights
Curriculum Enrichment
Upcoming Opportunities
Junior Master Gardener
Science & Technology
Character Development
Healthy Lifestyles
Professional Development
The Teacher Source Connecting Educators in Montgomery County
Public, Private, Home School, After School, & Youth Programs
I’m Interested in Finding Curricula - What do I do?
We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.—Ralph Emerson
The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employ-
ment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.
In addition to curriculum enrich-
ment, 4-H also conducts or trains
staff to deliver After School pro-
grams. 4-H After School clubs or pro-
grams are offered in many ways. Spe-
cial interest groups like JMG, entre-
preneurship, technology, photography,
clothing & textile design, food & nu-
trition, rocketry, robotics...the list
goes on!
To start a 4-H club, there must be
at least 5 youth from 2 or more fami-
lies and 1 adult leader. Clubs can meet
once a week, once a month, or whatev-
er you decide. 4-H is what you make it!
Have fun!
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Montgomery County 4-H Program Staff:
Caroline M. Cruz, County Extension Agent
Urban Youth Development
Michelle Mihalek, County Extension Agent
4-H & Youth Development
Rachel Cooper, 4-H Program Assistant
Alicia Bergeron, 4-H Volunteer
Coordinator
4-H & Urban Youth Development
http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/
More than 65,000 youth are en-
rolled members of 4-H community
clubs in Texas. Another 850,000
Texas youth get involved in 4-H
through special educational opportu-
nities at school, in after school pro-
grams, or at neighborhood or youth
centers. These youth live in cities,
suburbs, small towns and rural com-
munities.
4-H gives them a chance to pur-
sue their own interests - like pho-
tography, computers, leadership,
building rockets, raising animals, and
more. A list of 4-H projects is avail-
able online. They go places - to camp,
to state and national conferences.
They learn to be leaders and active
citizens.
9020 Airport Road
Conroe, Texas 77303
Phone: 936-539-7823 ext. 3
Fax: 936-538-8199
http://agrilife.org/montgomery4h/
4-H Youth Development & After School Programs
We hope you find the Teacher Source newsletter a valua-
ble resource in your educational planning. Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension Service is dedicated to strengthening
our communities through positive youth enrichment pro-
grams and service learning projects. We are here to help
you enrich curricula in your classrooms and connect you to
the resources available through AgriLife Extension.
If there are any topics we can help you with or if you need
assistance in locating resources, please contact us. County
Extension Agents, staff, and Master Gardeners are also a
resource for high quality educational programs in your
schools, clubs, and classrooms.
4-H is a community of young people across America who
are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills.
Page 2 The Teacher Source
Page 3 The Teacher Source
Upcoming Opportunities
Do you have a class, school club, or after school club that is
interested in cooking, culinary arts, or health and nutrition? Do you love to watch
programs like Iron Chef, Chopped or the kids cooking competition shows on TV?
Well, we have a great program just for you! It’s called the 4-H Food Challenge and
kids across the state are just eating it up! In the Food Challenge competition, kids
have 40 minutes to cook a unique recipe. The ingredients are provided but it is up
to the team to work together to name the dish, prepare it, determine the nutrition
it provides, and give a brief presentation to a panel of judges.
So how can you and your students participate in this exciting foods and nutrition project and the
Food Challenge competition? Let’s get you signed up to be a Food Challenge SPIN Club. Here’s a
basic overview of what you need to do to start this project:
Minimum of one adult and 5 youth, though teams consist of 3 to 5 members.
Juniors are 3-5th grades; Intermediates are 6-8th grades; and Seniors are 10-12th
grades (as of August 31, 2016).
Meet a minimum of 5 to 6 times to learn and practice. Examples: meet once a week for 6
weeks; or meet twice a week for 3 weeks; or meet twice a month for 3 months.
Facility to meet. You do not need to have a kitchen to do this project! The cafeteria, gym,
classroom, or lab will work just fine!
Compete at 4-H Roundup! County is in February, District is in May, State is in June! Call
the 4-H Office for details! You can also compete at Houston Livestock Show and others!
4-H offers a unique opportunity for youth in
grades 3-12 to be a member of their very own
4-H Club that is geared towards a specific pro-
ject or activity of their choice. The club can
meet for a shorter duration of time than all
year long. For example, it can meet for one se-
mester or several weeks. SPIN = Special Inter-
est.
Here are some ideas of project that can be
turned into a SPIN Club:
Robotics, Engineering, Rocketry
Foods, Cooking, Food Challenge
Fashion, Design, Sewing, Jewelry Making
Healthy Lifestyles, Fuel Up to Play 60
Photography, Videography
Horticulture, Gardening
Science, Science Experiments for science
fair
Entrepreneurship, business design
Much more!
SPIN Clubs can be in school, after school,
home school, camp based, youth group based,
etc. Any adult volunteer, parent, or teacher can
help lead or advise a club. A minimum of one
adult and 5 youth (from different families) are
required.
To learn more about this fun club opportunity,
please call us at 936-539-7823. ext. 3
Important JMG Web Sites
http://www.jmgkids.us/
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/
Junior Master Gardeners are taking an active role in
serving others and making their schools and communities
stronger, better places. Giving time and effort to oth-
ers while learning a great deal in the process is the
foundation of what being a Junior Master Gardener is
all about.
To receive the full benefits of the
JMG Program and to be officially recognized
as a JMG Group, teachers should register
their group(s) once a school year. Registering
is fast, free, and really easy—you can now reg-
ister online!
Once you register your group(s) with
JMG, you will receive information from JMG,
the JMG newsletter, and freebie opportuni-
ties, before the general public.
Page 4
JMG Teacher/Leader Resources
The Teacher Source
The Junior Master Gardener
program engages children in
hands-on group and individual
learning experiences that pro-
mote an interest in gardening,
develop an appreciation for the
environment, and cultivate the
mind.
JMG Level One can involve
students in exploring their
world through meaningful activ-
ities that strengthen academic
achievement, encourage lead-
ership development, personal
pride and responsibility, and
community involvement.
There is also a focus on
healthy eating, recipe prepara-
tion, kitchen math and science,
and incorporating physical ac-
tivity with Learn, Grow, Eat,
and Go.
JMG Level 1 (3rd-5th grades)
Teacher/Leader Guide
Student Guide available
Golden Ray Series (3rd-5th grades)
Wildlife Gardener
Learn, Grow, Eat & Go
Literature From the Garden
JMG Level 2 (6th-8th grades)
Operation W.A.T.E.R. Soils and Wa-ter
Operation Thistle Plant Growth & Development
64% of teachers/leaders said
that JMG has encouraged stu-
dents to perform community
service outside the classroom.
Over 50% agree that through
the JMG program youth tried
new fruits and vegetables.
Over 57% of teachers/leaders
agree that JMG improved nutri-
tional attitudes of youth.
Over 75% of teachers/leaders
strongly agree that JMG has in-
creased youth interest in sci-
ence.
Over 70% of teachers/leaders
strongly agree that JMG has en-
hanced educational programs.
Over 70% of teachers/leaders
said that youth were more enthu-
siastic about learning.
Junior Master Gardener
Benefits of JMG
The Teacher Source Page 5
National Youth Science Day—October 5
The National Youth Science Experiment, Drone Discovery designed by Cornell
University Extension, is a hands-on engineering design challenge that explores the
science behind drones and how they are being used to solve real world problems.
Youth will learn everything from flight dynamics and aircraft types, to safety and regulations, to
remote sensing and flight control.
Contact the 4-H Office if you would like to schedule your own Drone Discovery session. This lesson
can be done over a few class periods or in one session, depending on your schedule needs. We can even
help lead the lessons. For more information about 4-H National Youth Science Experiment, visit:
http://4-h.org/parents/national-youth-science-day/
Embryology - Hatching in the Classroom Hatching in the Classroom is an
embryology project that is de-
signed to provide the student with
exciting experiential activities for
use in your classroom.
The program uses printed re-
sources, electric incubators & egg
turners, and fertilized eggs from
Texas A&M Poultry Science, to
involve students in learning life
cycles and biology.
A wide variety of egg and em-
bryo projects ranging from data
collection and analysis to nutrition
and the circulatory system.
These projects can be done
with students from kindergarten
through grade twelve and are de-
signed to expand biological litera-
cy, introduce new concepts, and
develop an intui-
tive appreciation
for the life sci-
ences.
Contact us to schedule your
hatching project! Check-out an
incubator and egg turner from our
office. There is a $50 fully re-
fundable deposit. Guide is FREE!
Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math
Engineering, Design, and Robotics
The 4-H Robotics Curriculum is comprised of three tracks for all levels of expertise:
Virtual Robotics (build & test a virtual robot without investing in expensive supplies)
Junk Drawer Robotics (design & build robots from everyday items)
Robotics Platforms (use commercial kits like LEGO NXT to master challenges)
Preview the curriculum online at:
http://www.4-h.org/resource-library/curriculum/4-h-robotics/
Aerospace Adventures Level 1 (Grades 1-3): marshmallow rocket, different careers in aviation and space, how
an airplane works.
Level 2 (Grades 3-5): build a straw rocket, learn weather conditions, paper hot air bal-
loon, International Phonetic Alphabet.
Level 3 (Grades 6-8): make a shuttle on a string, a Japanese kite, a hang glider, and
learn about a control panel of an aircraft.
Find curriculum:
http://www.4-hmall.org/
Grade Levels Available:
K-2nd; 3-5 Grade; 6-8 Grade
Topics range from Texas history,
food & nutrition, clothing & textiles,
agriculture & natural resources,
plants, pets, wildlife, sciences, character & leader-
ship, careers, safety, expressive arts, entrepreneur-
ship, health & wellness, & more!
Yea 4-H! curriculum is designed to enhance after
school programming, however it can be worked in to
any learning experience.
Provides resources to support parent education
and youth development training for staff
Introduction/training materials related to
child development
Avenue for developing 4-H clubs in afterschool
settings
Lessons are coded to TEKS, 40 Developmental
Assets, Life Skills Model & National Education
Standards
Six broad topic sections with units within each
section (23 sections total = 125+ lessons in
each level)
Parent newsletters in English and Spanish
Community Service Component
Evaluation Component
Page 6 The Teacher Source
Afterschool Learning Adventures
Reading Makes Cents 3-5th Grades
53 experiential activities developed around exemplary children’s literature that has mon-
ey as a theme. The literature explores ideas, activities, and strategies that help children
learn how to earn, save, share, and spend money. Each activity relates to a theme and
highlights a specific financial concept, value, or practice (e.g. saving, spending, sharing,
earning, borrowing, lending and managing). Take-home activities available in English and
Spanish (8-10 for each book level) are included. $17.00
Character Development & Citizenship
The Extension Office has most
curriculum available for check-out
Keys to the Courthouse: Promoting County Government Awareness in Youth 6-12 Grade
The five lessons teach participants about the functions of elected county officials in Tex-
as, the primary services offered by county government, the justice process at the county
level, elections and voting, and the financing of county government. Includes a large wall
map showing the counties of Texas and a CD that contains the lessons, activities, and in-
formative videos. (168 pp. + map and CD) $10.00
Build Your Future—Choices, Connections, Careers Teens From exploring potential jobs to starting their own business, the “Build Your Future” cur-
riculum helps teens develop skills and knowledge in career exploration. Participants expe-
rience a variety of learning methods such as developing a business plan, competing in a
quiz bowl, creating a portfolio, analyzing case studies, and discussing questions that re-
flect on their experiences. A fun structure to help teens learn about their choices, make
important connections and plan successful/meaningful careers. $10.95—$58.95
The Teacher Source Page 7
Youth Healthy Lifestyles
Health Rocks!® Level 1: 8-12 year olds Level 2: 12-14 year olds A healthy living program with the goal of bringing youth, families and communities
together to reduce tobacco, alcohol and drug use by youth. Involves critical think-
ing, decision-making, communication, managing feelings, stress management and
goal setting to help youth develop the internal strength to resist risky behaviors.
Designed for teen/adult facilitation. $9.95 per level
Entomology: Teaming with Insects Increase youth science literacy by using
insects and their relatives to show in-
terrelationships among insects, plants,
and the environment. Biodiversity; Inva-
sive Species; and Forensic Entomology.
What’s On Your Plate? Exploring Food Science
A comprehensive curriculum set for grades 6-9 and beyond provides hands-on
activities focused on the building block of food science using chemistry, biology,
and math in a "kitchen laboratory" setting. $12.95 per level.
Find curriculum:
http://www.4-hmall.org/
4-H Cooking 101
Cooking is for everyone! The 4-H Cooking series teaches youth about food prepara-
tion, food and kitchen safety, food science, meal planning, and nutrition. Each man-
ual builds on the skills learned in the previous level, and members complete project
activities for each level in two to three years. $9.95 per level.
Outdoor and Environmental Sciences
Fishing Youth have fun tying knots, casting
to a target, rigging various lines, selecting
tackle, identifying where fish are, using dif-
ferent baits & lures, identifying fish, and
identifying internal & external fish parts.
Exploring Your Environment Ecosystem Ser-
vices and Earth's Capacity. Careful observation
of the local environment and development of
scientific thinking and science abilities. The
curriculum makes science fun and relevant!
The Teacher Source Page 8
Teacher Feature….Just For You!
Sequor Youth Development Initiative conducts applied research and evaluation projects and produc-
es practitioner focused youth development resources. Sequor YDI also offers a variety of in person
and web based professional development services.
http://www.ydi.tamu.edu/
If you have any enrichment curriculum needs or requests during the year, please do not hesitate to
contact us. We are here to assist you in program planning, teacher and staff training, identifying
resources and contacts, and even assisting with program delivery and evaluation.
–Caroline M. Cruz, County Extension Agent-Urban Youth Development
Guide to Bully Prevention Programs is a resource for youth develop-
ment professionals from any youth-serving organization. The purpose
of this publication is to help professionals working with young people
better understand how to create safe and fully inclusive environ-
ments within the organizations they serve.
Here, you’ll find a comprehensive overview of the latest bullying re-
search and a guide for selecting evidence-based bully prevention cur-
ricula and resources.
The Ready To Go Mentor Training Toolkit assists mentoring and
youth development programs in the training of new and existing men-
tors and volunteers with a highly customizable menu of training activi-
ties. This toolkit contains activities that can be used to tailor trainings
to the specific needs of each program.
Learn about the importance of strong boundaries and how to set realis-
tic expectations that create a safe environment both physically and
emotionally. Ideal for leaders, mentors, teachers.