Alaska: A Modern Frontier
Grades 5-Adult (DVD 10 min.)

1950s educational film looks at Alaska, including its agricultural history, production and potential.

Alaska Far Away: The New Deal Pioneers of the Matanuska Colony

Grades 6-Adult [DVD]

In the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal gave 202 destitute Midwestern farm families a chance to start over in the Matanuska Valley of Alaska. This video tells the story of this bold government experiment, and the families who found themselves thrust into the national spotlight along the way.  (see also, Where the River Matanuska Flows). Read more at http://www.alaskafaraway.com/

All About Eggs

Grades K-2 (DVD 17min.)

Experience the miracle of baby chicks hatching and follow their development into mature hens. This video also shows how eggs are processed after leaving the farm including: inspection, washing, drying, and packaging.

The Amazing Pig!

Grades K-12 (DVD 5 min.)

The Amazing Pig, a DVD movie clip produced by the Utah Pork Producers, takes viewers on a journey to a modern hog farm. This introduction to pork production helps students understand how pigs are fed and cared for and the contributions pork products make in our society. The clip runs just over four minutes and offers a realistic visual field trip.         

Bringing Biotechnology to Life

Grades 7-12 (DVD 21 min.)

Learn with Julian as he gathers information for a report on biotechnology. Through Instant Messaging and Internet, Julian is able to communicate with a farmer to help him better understand biotechnology. He learns what biotechnology means, how it can help him, and what biotechnology means for the future. This fast-paced DVD explores an array of biotechnologies being developed for use in medicine, fuel production, nutrition, and feeding a hungry planet. This DVD provides a comprehensive overview to introduce the topic of biotechnology.

Career Opportunities with the Natural Resources Conservation Service

Grades 7-12 (DVD 18 min.)

This 18-minute DVD, produced by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA, introduces students to 12 natural resources careers. Featured careers include wildlife biologist, soil conservationist, GIS specialist, snow survey specialist, range conservationist, agronomist, conservation technician, soil scientist, district conservationist, engineer, and administrative assistant. See clips online at http://extension.usu.edu/aitc/teachers/secondary/cte_nrcs.html

Connecting to Agriculture

Grades 6-8 (DVD 17 min.)

This exciting, fast-paced DVD is a great way for students to learn about how agriculture connects to their lives. Animation, fun facts and farmers tell the story of agriculture and how it relates to economics, science and business. Interwoven through the commodity stories of corn, cotton, apples, dairy and soybeans are important concepts such as: biodegradable properties, renewable resources, biotechnology, foreign trade, pest management, conservation practices and food quality. See clip and download lesson plan at Utah AITC site at https://extension.usu.edu/aitc/cart/details.cfm?ProdID=227&category=6

Cotton...From Field to Fabric

Grades 7-9 (DVD 10 min.)

Explore how cotton is produced "from field to fabric" and processed into cotton cloth in on a modern farm and in a modern textile mill. This DVD was produced by the National Cotton Council of America.

Dirt: Secrets in the Soil

Grade 4 (DVD 60 min.)

Designed specifically for Utah fourth-grade students, this DVD contains a six-segment program that brings the fundamental lessons of soil science from the countryside to the classroom in a way that is sure to keep students entertained and motivated. The DVD includes segments on soil texturizing, soil layers and a mini-documentary on Utah's Dust Bowl, which occurred about the same time as the Dust Bowl of the Great Plains. This segment is narrated by KUTV's Michelle King, who interviews several Grantsville, Utah, residents who experienced what's been called "the nation's worst environmental disaster of the 20th century." To see video clips or download lesson plan, visit Utah AITC site at https://extension.usu.edu/aitc/cart/details.cfm?ProdID=230&category=6

Dust Bowl: CBS 1955 Documentary

Grade 11 (DVD 23 min.)

This "newsreel" like documentary chronicles the dustbowl with interviews from people (primary sources) who lived through the "dirty thirties." The images linger well after the film ends.  An excellent resource to use when studying the Depression era or the "Grapes of Wrath," by John Steinbeck. The film was created as part of "The Twentieth Century" CBS series in the early 1950s with the renown Walter Cronkrite narrating the "text-film."

Eggs 101: A Video Project

Grades 6-12 (DVD 29 min.)

Two students investigate the egg industry for a school project, and explain the industry, the changes it has undergone and the processes that bring an egg from farm to table. The video was produced by PBS station WFWA-DT in Fort Wayne and was funded by the American Egg Board. The DVD includes a PDF format Teacher Guide with student worksheets and group activities.

Farming With Nature, California Rice

Grades 4-7 (DVD 15 min.)

An excellent DVD spotlighting a family rice farm in California's Sacramento Valley, as viewed through the eyes of 11-year-old Sue Miller. A farmer's daughter, Sue is just beginning to understand the important role her family's farm plays in the surrounding ecology. Packed with plenty of educational information, this DVD also contains stirring visual images and a young person's perspective on something we all share; the basic human link to the soil and nature.

Food Doesn't Grow in the Supermarket!

Grades K-5 (DVD 29 min.)

This DVD, narrated by children, follows "The City Guy", an adult who thinks he knows where food comes from (the grocery store) as he visits three different farms to learn where food really comes from and what it takes to produce it. Interesting for even those who have experienced food production!

From Fiber to Fabric

Grades 3-11 (DVD 17 min.)

Narrated by Orson Wells, this DVD follows the history of wool from before Egyptian times to the present day. This DVD is especially useful in your social studies curriculum, as it discusses how England withheld sheep from the early colonists to control the economics of the colony. Old and new spinning techniques and looms in operation are shown.

The Great Food Fight

Grades 6-12 (DVD 13 min.)

This DVD introduces students to various microorganisms, from the "good guys" in their bread and yogurt to the culprits like E. coli in their burgers?friends and adversaries in "The Great Food Fight."

The Honey Files: A Bee's Life

Grades 4-6 (DVD 20 min)

This DVD will have you and your students buzzing! Designed especially for educators of grades 4-6, these fun, new educational materials provide information, classroom activity worksheets about bees, honey, and pollination.  To see a video clip and download a lesson plan, visit Utah AITC website https://extension.usu.edu/aitc/cart/details.cfm?ProdID=236&category=6

How Do You Grow a Fish Sandwich?

Grades 4-7 (DVD 17 min.)

Have you heard of hydroponics or aquaculture? In this program, you get a fish-eye view of fish and lettuce production in an ecologically-closed system. We look at plant and fish life cycles, showing how each is dependent upon the other for nourishment. Concepts of symbiotic life systems, chemical and nutrient cycling, and integrated food production are highlighted. A "model ecosystem" can be used to demonstrate concepts, both in the program and the classroom. A teacher's guide is included.

John Deere Country :  Part 1  —  How a John Deere Combine is made.

Grades Pre-K to 3 (DVD 80 min.)

 A fascinating look inside the famous John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline, IL, at how the best-selling combines in the world are made. See each step in the process – from metal fabrication, painting, welding, sub-assemblies, main assembly, final inspection – to combines being loaded on trucks and flat cars for delivery all over the world.  Bonus features include archival footage of John Deere combines being manufactured in 1959. See how the Harvester Works looked back then and John Deere’s first self-propelled combines in action – the 55, 45, and 95.

Learning by Leaps: Agriculture and You!

Grades 4-6 (DVD 14 min.)

The stars of this DVD are 10-year-old girlfriends who are given an assignment to report on "where things we use every day come from." The students discover, with the help of a friendly farmer who magically "leaps" with the girls from the mall to farms, that the answer is agriculture. Agriculture is the source of products we eat, wear, use, and need every day.

Louisiana Commodities

Grades 4-12 (DVD 30 min.)

Louisiana Agriculture in the Classroom presents six of the state’s top commodities: beef cattle, cotton, poultry, rice soybeans and sugarcane. This DVD shows how the crops are raised and processed for our use each day, and how agriculture contributes to the economy of Louisiana.

Make Mine Milk

Grades K-7 (DVD 27 min.)

This DVD integrates curriculum areas such as geography, science, and mathematics. Elementary kids learn where milk comes from, how milk is transported and processed, and how milk contributes to a nutritious diet.

Modern Marvels: Farming Technology

Grades 6-Adult (DVD 50 min.)

This DVD, produced by The History Channel, gives an in-depth look at the advances in farming technology that have changed the world. From the field to the table, Farming Technology follows the journey of food produced on a modern, "big ag" farm to illustrate how far farming has come from its traditional roots. From the controversial use-but undeniable impact-of genetically engineered seeds to the $100,000 machines that can do more work in a day than an army of workers could accomplish in a week, Modern Marvels examines the technological tools that have propelled the industry to a crossroads of declining returns, higher yields and the demise of family farms.

Modern Marvels: Harvesting

Grades 6-Audlt (DVD 50 min.)

From Ancient Egypt to automated "squeezers," "shakers" and electric eyes, MODERN MARVELS® follows the never-ending advancement of mankind's methods for transferring crops from the field to the table. Go on the factory floor as modern mega-machines are assembled and see how 21st technology is helping ease the delicate jobs that must still be done by hand. Farmers detail the advances that have transformed their lives and jobs, and engineers offer a sneak peak at the next generation of HARVESTING technology.

Modern Marvels: Harvesting 2

Grades 6-Adult (DVD 50 min.)

"In America's orchards and farm fields, the constant effort to supplement or replace hand labor with mechanization has produced dozens of efficient and sometimes bizarre harvesting methods. From fruit tree picking platforms to cranberry beaters and corn pickers, farmers constantly strive to speed the harvest. In this succulent episode of MODERN MARVELS®, join an orchard manager and his ladder crew as they check fruit pressures and barometric readings. Visit California's largest fruit packing house and try to keep up with 10-fruit-per-second conveyors. Next, the corn fields of Nebraska and the cranberry marshes of central Wisconsin beckon. Finally, go underground to the world's largest mushroom farm where the harvest takes place in limestone caverns that run some 150 miles.

Modern Marvels: Wheat

Grades 6-Adult (DVD 50 min.)

“Wheat feeds the world. See how harvesting crews brave months on the road, cutting thousands of acres, tour a pasta plant to see how special kinds of wheat becomes everything from spaghetti to rigatoni. Watch as grain is mashed into a thirst-quenching brew and finally visit a company that transforms wheat into plastic-like products.”

Moo 2 You

Grades 1-4 (DVD 14 min.)

What happens when the substitute teacher, Ms. Moo, leads the class for a day? Join Ms. Moo in a fun, fast mooving learning experience for grade students. Through zany games of "Moo-nopoly" & "Pyramid of Power" Ms. Moo and her class discover life on a farm, where milk comes from, how cheese is made, and how milk group foods keep bones and teeth healthy and strong.

Pack a Powerful Punch with Protein — Pork

Grades 6-12 (DVD 30 min.)

National Pork Board video introduces students to food pyramid, demonstrates pork recipes for classroom food labs, and explains the importance of protein in the diet. Includes CD of lesson plans, games, quizzes.

Scenes of Science

Grades 7-12 (DVD 20 min.)

Scenes of Science presents 24 short news clips in a DVD format that informs students about the latest research and technology in agriculture. Students learn about cutting edge developments that are transpiring in many areas, including food, insects, health, crops, and environment. Career opportunities are explored by observing actual scientists and technicians. Produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2004.

Simple and Complex Machines on the Farm

Grade 3 (DVD 25 min.)

This DVD is an engaging visual demonstration of real world uses of simple and complex machines found on the farm, as it explains the development of simple machines into more technical machines.

Soil Explorers

Grades 6-12 (DVD 30 min.)

USDA CREES’ Partner Video Magazine #19 brings three soil stories to video: “Microbial Observatory,” “Vineyard Wizards” and “Serious Sediment.” The DVD explains how microbes are detoxifying organic pollution in a New Jersey marsh; how scientists can graph soil moisture to grow better crops; and how microbes in the soil fight diseases in plants and people.

Taking Care of Business

Grades 7-8 (DVD 10 min.)

Help your students understand the difference between a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and cooperative with this video from the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. This 10-minute DVD highlights the distinguishing details of each type of business structure and gives examples that students can relate to. A great video for Business CTE or basic economics courses.

Ten Things Kids Want to Know About Farming

Grades 3-5 (DVD 22 min.)

This educational DVD takes students on a series of field trips to farm and ranch locations throughout the United States, offering them a firsthand view of what happens to produce the food and clothing we use every day. This DVD is a useful tool for teaching about fundamental concepts of food production. Scenes of farmers using tractors and irrigation systems, harvesting crops and trees, milking cows, and herding sheep invite students to experience a world largely unknown to them. By answering questions that kids commonly ask about agriculture, farmers and ranchers share the realities of making a living off the land. Read more at http://www.ageducate.org/resources/10_things.html

Those Amazing Kernels of Corn!

Grades K-4 (DVD 8 min.)

As fewer children live on farms, or have relatives who are farmers, it is important that they have the opportunity to learn about America's corn industry.

Tractor Ted Goes Milking

Grades Pre-K-2 (25 min.)

Tractor Ted and his real life friends show us how they look after the cows and help to get their milk to us to drink. We see how silage is produced on the farm, then we visit the dairy to see the milk put into bottles and cartons process. Tractor Ted will enthrall everyone interested in farms. Tractors and other machines and they'll learn about where our food comes from as well. Real life farm footage narrated by James D'Arcy

Tractor Ted Grows Potatoes

Grades Pre-K-2 (25 min.)

Tractor Ted and his real life friends show us how they help to produce potatoes for us to eat. We see how they are planted, grown and harvested on the farm. A visit to the farmer's market shows us how they can be sold. Tractor Ted will enthrall everyone interested in farms, tractors and other machines and they'll learn about where our food comes from as well. Includes real life farm footage narrated by James D'Arcy.

Tractor Ted in Springtime

Grades Pre-K-2 (40 min.)

Ted is back at real life Tractorland where he would like to take you through the seasons. He starts in springtime. There is much to do at this time of year, ditching, hedgecutting and mending fences and of course, the fields need preparing for the spring planting. Ted visits the sawmill to see the amazing machines used and also sees day old lambs, calves and a new litter of puppies. Real life farm footage narrated by James D'Arcy.

Tractor Ted Makes Bread

Grades Pre-K-2 (25 min.)

Tractor Ted with his real life friends show us how they help to make bread for us to eat. We see how wheat is sown, grown and harvested on the farm. A visit to the mill shows how it is turned into flour, then on to the bakery to see how that's made into bread. Tractor Ted will enthrall everyone interested in farms, tractors and other machines and they'll learn about where our food comes from as well. Contains real life farm footage narrated by James D'Arcy.

Tractor Ted Meets the Animals

Grades Pre-K-2 (40 min.)

It is wintertime in Tractorland and keeping the animals warm and fed takes a lot of work. Tractor Ted meets all the animals and shows us how we care for them over the winter months. We see cows, pigs, horses, sheep and dogs. We also see the many different machines that are used including tractors, JCBs, straw choppers and muck spreaders. We find how tricky it can be when the cows get out and the tractor gets stuck in the field. A trip to a cheesemaker shows us the many ways milk is used. Songs and an animal guessing game add to the excitement of a trip around Tractorland. Real life farm footage narrated by James D'Arcy.

Tribal Natural Resources

Grades 6-12  (DVD 30 min.)

The Partners Video Magazine (#15) from USDA’s CREES (education arm of USDA) includes segments entitled “Saddle Magic,” “Edible Landscape” “Prairie Power” and “Juneberries Return.” They take viewers to Native-owned lands to learn how partners are using traditional wisdom and modern techniques to improve lives. The segments include developing a horse riding program, raising selenium-packed bison meat, harvesting traditional berry crops and growing commodity gardens.

Where the River Matanuska Flows

Grades 6-Adult (DVD 3 hours, 43 min.)

Interviews of the people who were part of the Matanuska Colony Project in the 1930s and beyond organized into chapters like a book. This is not a documentary (see Alaska Far Away) but the interviews used to help build the documentary by the same producers about this Palmer, Alaska, Depression-era project.

Why Can a Cow Eat Grass?

Grades 4-7 (DVD 29 min.)

This program is an in-depth look at cattle digestive tracts from the day they are born to maturity. The program focuses upon differences between cattle and human digestive systems, including zoological relatives; dental structures of calves and children to maturity; and mature weight comparisons. Take a journey into a cow's stomach and then microscopically view the stomach contents. Ten-year old "experts" share their "MOO-ving" experiences with you.