Activities for Grades 9 - 12

Berry Ink Painting

Take a step back in time and allow students to create their own watercolor paints using berry juice! This lesson can be used to teach ratios as students mix water and different types of berry juice to create new colors!

Kids Gardening: Object-Based Storytelling in the Garden

Objects evoke memories, emotions, and ideas and can be used as inspiration to express our thoughts and feelings. In this lesson, young gardeners use objects they find in the garden or in a natural space to help them create a story that shares a lived experience.   Consider having students create a gallery walk within the school that showcases the objects and the writing those objects helped to inspire!

Seeds to Success: Scribble Stones

Students plan, design, and contribute word rocks to the school rock garden. This very adaptable activity can be adjusted and used across all grade levels and subjects!

Seeds to Success: Ripe for the Searching

Louisiana Harvest of the Month word search. Use the word bank to find the hidden names of the harvest of the month items. Words can be going horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

American Farm Bureau: When I Grow Up: Discovering Ag Careers

Although this document is considered appropriate for grades 6-8, there is valuable information for students in grades 10-12 who are considering a career in an agriculture-related field. There is a growing demand for recent college graduates entering the workforce in the agricultural sector. The resources in this kit are based on nine agriculture career focus areas:

1. Agribusiness Systems
2. Agricultural Education
3. Animal Systems
4. Biotechnology Systems
5. Environmental Service Systems
6. Food Products & Processing Systems
7. Natural Resources Systems
8. Plant Systems
9. Power, Structural, & Technical Systems

Each area includes:

• One lesson that introduces students to the career focus area and associated career opportunities
• Three standards-based, interdisciplinary supplemental activities that each feature a different career from that area
• One take-home activity sheet that introduces students to another career from that area through a fun, engaging activity.

The resources are designed to focus on one career focus area each month during the school year. If you choose to follow this structure, we recommend having a weekly career day. The main lesson is presented the first week of the month, followed by the three supplemental activities. This is a free full-color downloadable curriculum.

Nature Fresh Farms: Mindful Eating

The purpose is to introduce the idea of being mindful and to teach students how to develop and apply healthy, mindful eating practices within their daily lives. Students will learn how to answer critical questions, such as: What is mindful eating? Why is mindful eating important? How can I apply a mindful eating routine to my life?   Additional Materials:     Appetite vs Hunger Infographic     Mindful Eating Log     Mindful Tracker     Mindful Eating Powerpoint     Quiz: Mindful Eating

National Ag in the Classroom: Journey 2050 – Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture

Students will explore and understand the core question, “How will we sustainably feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050?” and begin to think about the challenges and opportunities presented by this question. Students will explore factors such as expected population growth, food waste, and various positive and negative factors impacting sustainable agriculture.

Florida Ag in the Classroom: A Rainbow of Nutrition

p.80-95. Although this lesson is suggested for grades 3-5, it is an excellent lesson with resources to help older students identify the inherited traits of the different plant families, including the nutritional value that each family provides. In this lesson students will research foods made from plant families, identify family members and common nutrients, and create artwork depicting one family group or a food made from that family. This lesson contains beautiful full-color student handouts of the plant families and the nutrition that they provide.

TED-Ed: Do We Really Need Pesticides?

This lesson will help students understand pest management. This an electronic lesson to accompany the video by Fernan Pérez-Gálvez who weighs the pros and cons of pesticides. The lesson consists of multiple-choice and discussion questions.

Center for Ecoliteracy: Analyzing Food Ads (p. 48-55)

How do marketing techniques influence what we eat? Today’s students must navigate a world filled with advertising and consumer marketing. By learning to examine this profusion of messages with a critical eye, they will be better able to make healthful and responsible food choices. Students will analyze food commercials or ads using Food Marketing Techniques.   Also, consider inviting students to bring in ads or digital photos of billboards that advertise food. Then, students can design ads that influence fellow students to make healthy food choices by choosing cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower instead of the unhealthy foods found in the commercials and ads.

Drexel University: Build a Healthy Plate

In this lesson students will build a healthy plate featuring the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines. They will explore the three components of building a healthy eating style: variety, amount, and nutrition. Students will learn to identify foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt. They will also list ways to shift to an eating style that includes healthier food and beverage choices.     Drexel My Plate Powerpoint