Alaska Agriculture in the Classroom

LESSON PLANS

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K-3 | 4-6 | 7-8 | 9-12 | More

Alaska Ag in the Classroom Lesson Plans and Activities

Many of the lesson plans are suitable for a wider range of grades than indicated with variations available. Lessons are listed acording to the youngest grade in the preferred range.

K-3

New Alaska Grown — Fresher by Far

Taste tests show students the benefits of Alaska Grown.

New Apples in Alaska

Explore the history, appeal and taste of apples in Alaska and elsewhere.

New Farmers' Market

Trip to the farmers' market introduces economics.

New Frogs are our Friends

A look at how Alaska's frog and toad species are important in our ecosystem.
lesson, images, Alaska woodfrog sheet

New Roots & Shoots

Growing potatoes introduces botany terms.

Tinglit Calendar

Traditional hunting and gathering focus of this calendar project.

New What is Alaska Grown?

Uses the Alaska Grown logo to teach about marketing.
lesson, logo1, logo2, logo3

Life Underground

Children make a worm farm to discover the benefits worms provide for soil and plants.

A Little Bit of Color

Especially for grades K-1. Coloring book filled with agricultural scenes and fun facts.

How Now Alaska Cow

Kids can have fun and eat it too! Kids "make" sweet cream butter and learn how it is made.

A Touch of Beauty

Design a rock garden and teach kids about soils and plants while beautifying your school. Read an Anchorage teacher's account of the rock garden he designed.

A Farmer of Many Hats

Farmers have to do more than their proverbial roles. This activity shows kids the many jobs a famer performs.

Make Every Day Ag Day!

This lesson combines several of the above lessons in a fun filled day in which kids see how ag is present every day.

What's On My Plate?

Activity is designed to introduce kids to the diversity of Alaskan agriculture and the benefits of proper nutrition.

B-I-N-G-O!

That's right! We've combined farm animals and equipment along with plenty of fun in this classic game.

What's a Hydroponic?

This fun word search let's kids become aquainted with agriculture terminology.

Answer key

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Try this mini greenhouse to grow some out of season plants for your classroom.

4-6

New Hairy Kitty Cat

Cats introduce genetic concepts to students.
lesson, pre/post pdf, pre/post Word, labsheet pdf, labsheet Word, backgrounddoc

Designer Agriculture

Discuss some of the ethical arguments surrounding biotechnology for today and biotechnology possibilities for tomorrow. An exercise in imagination and creativity.

Spread a Little Sunshine

Students will discover how the long Alaska summer days affect the plants we can grow.

Earth's Valuable Soil and Farming the Great Land

Students learn how much land there is worldwide and in Alaska, how much is being used for farming and how much is actually farmable. (2 pdf files)

What's On My Plate?

Activity is designed to introduce kids to the diversity of Alaska agriculture and the benefits of proper nutrition.

Alaska Ag Game

Farming can be fun, but it is also really hard work. This game brings those facts to life as students play this fun and educational game (JR. version).

Rules

Commodity Cards

Good News Bad

The Importance of Ag

Agriculture is the 6th largest industry in Alaska. Students will learn the importance of Alaskan agriculture and how it relates to other states.

Test Your Alaska Ag Know How

After surfing through the AITC information let's test the knowledge of how much you actually absorbed with this fun quiz.

Answer key

What's a Hydroponic?

This fun word search let's kids become aquainted with agriculture terminology.

Answer Key

7-8

Biotechnology: Changing Our Future

Thought-provoking assignments and experients to introduce students to biotechnology.

Ice Cream: A Treat in Any Culture

Making ice cream is science, culture and good-eating in this cross-curricular lesson plan about both akutaq and dairy ice cream.

Culture of Gathering

Harvesting local plants is an important part of traditional diets. Using local experts and reference materials, students will learn what was traditionally harvested in Alaska in this science/history/culture lesson.

Sharing the Culture of Food Production

Russian Federation students or foreign exchange students can share their food culture in this lesson plan that looks at what people eat where, and why.

Affordability of Food

No matter what the cost of a Big Mac, Americans have a cheap supply of food. But how does it compare to life in other countries? This math lesson compares the costs.

Forget-Me-Not Life Skills

Special education students learn life skills and about growing the Alaska state flower.

How Much Does That Weigh!

Using actual data from Alaska's State Fair record cabbage weights, students will learn how to find the mean, mode, median and range of the data.

Designer Agriculture

Discuss some of the ethical arguments surrounding biotechnology for today and biotechnology possibilities for tomorrow. An excercise in imagination and creativity.

Spread a Little Sunshine

Students will discover how the long Alaska summer days affect the plants we can grow.

Alaska Ag Game

Farming can be fun, but it is also really hard work. This game brings those facts to life as students play this fun and educational game. Sr. version.

Rules

Commodity Cards

Good News Bad

The Importance of Ag

Agriculture is the 10th largest industry in Alaska. Students will learn the importance of Alaska agriculture and how it relates to other states.

Test Your Alaska Ag Know How

After surfing through the AITC information let's test the knowledge of how much you actually absorbed with this fun quiz.

Answer key

What's a Hydroponic?

This fun word search let's students become acquainted with agriculture terminology.

Answer Key

9-12

Invasive Plants: Taking Root in Alaska (This link will take you to Homer SWCD website.)

From Homer Soil & Water Conservation District, lesson integrates into biology and other sciences.

To Build a Farm

Use geometry and math skills to design a farm for Mr. Grosalottahay.

New History & Economy of Mat Valley Ag Production

Use historical and modern data to see impacts of agriculture.
lesson, readings in pdf, readings in Word, data, map

New Alaska Bonsai Potato

Uses math and science to give students a fresh look at the potato.
lesson, grid pdf, grid Word

New Alaska Rose & Construction (Word file)

Geometry and art combine in this native Alaska species.

Agriculture in Literature & Today

Using classic and modern writings, learn about agriculture, and then talk to local farmers to learn how accurate are the accounts.

Exploring Alaska Foliage in Russian

Language students use Alaska plants and trees as an exercise in learning.

Making Sense of the Census

The Census of Agriculture is the basis for a lesson in statistics and math while looking at agriculture in Alaska. (Also download stat files census1 and census2.)

Traditional Gardening in Alaska

Students plan a community garden with help from Elders in this traditional form of subsistence agriculture.

Work and the Farm

Farming and physics go hand and hand as students learn how the concepts of work, force, torque and equillibrium apply to the farm.

Chemistry Series:

Students apply chemistry to important elements of agriculture in five related lessons.

Chemistry and Agriculture

Chemistry in Plant Nutrition and Growth

Chemistry in Soil-Plant Relationships

Chemistry and Fertilizer

Chemistry and the Nitrogen Cycle

FrankenFoods?

Play the GMO game and learn some of the arguments for and against the use of GMOs. (Activity may also be used as a basis for a paper or essay.)

What's a Hydroponic?

This fun word search lets students become acquainted with agriculture terminology.

Answer Key