Florida teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade who teach any subject are invited to Florida Agriculture in the Classroom's 2009 State Teacher and Volunteer Workshop "Catching the Wave of Agriculture Education" June 18-20 at the Daytona Beach Resort & Spa. For just $160, teachers who share a room with another teacher receive two nights lodging, most meals and materials at the workshop where they are eligible for up to 21 professional development points. In addition, they will enjoy a beachfront resort and farm tours of a local sturgeon fish farm and fernery. To register, visit www.agtag.org

 

 
Three Florida teachers won Florida Agriculture in the Classroom's 2009 Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award for 2009. Celia Phipps of C.W. Norton Elementary in Gainesville won the overall Florida award and the elementary level award. Brett Sendler of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine won for the middle school level. Lisa Bynum of Heritage Middle School in Deltona won for the middle school agri-science level.
The three teachers will be honored at Florida Agriculture in the Classroom's 2009 State Teacher and Volunteer Workshop "Catching the Wave of Florida Agriculture Education" June 18-20 in Daytona Beach and will receive all expenses paid trips to the 2009 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference "Meet Me in St. Louis" in St. Louis June 24-27.

 

Revised 3rd-5th Grade Activity Newspaper "The Science and Technology of Florida Agriculture" Available

Free classroom sets of revised activity newspaper "The Science and Technology of Florida Agriculture" are available now. Information about diseases affecting honey bees, a watermelon seed counting activity and a phosphate activity are now available in the activity newspaper. To order, visit Florida Agriculture in the Classroom's website resources page. www.agtag.org

 

More than 1,100 Florida agriculture industry volunteers read in more than 2,300 elementary classrooms around the state in honor of Florida Agriculture Literacy Day 2009. Many of them read on the actual day of March 24. But many of them continue to read throughout the school year. They read a book developed for the event called "These Florida Farms!" - a rhyming book in which two students learn about commodities grown around the state. Teachers interested in receiving a copy of the book should visit Florida Agriculture in the Classroom website at www.agtag.org

 

Florida Agriculture in the Classroom is seeking nominations for its Outstanding Volunteer of the Year and Outstanding Volunteer Program of the Year for 2009. Eligible nominees are those helpers who give freely of their time to help teachers with agriculture-related classroom or schoolyard projects such as gardens and other growing systems. The deadline for nominations is Friday May 15. The nomination form can be found on Florida Agriculture in the Classroom's website www.agtag.org

 

Have fun this spring with these hands-on learning projects:

Tin Can Herb Pots

Sunshine Flower Pot

Coffee Filter Flowers