Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom News 
March 2015

 

 

Urgan organics aquaponics system
Urban Organics aquaponics facility is one of the stops on our 2015 Summer Teacher Tour.

 
MAITC Summer Teacher Tour
The Many Faces of Minnesota Agriculture

The Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom Program (MAITC) is excited to offer a unique summer tour that allows educators to get a first-hand look into the world of agriculture.  If you would like to see, smell, hear, touch and taste the agriculture, food and natural resources that allow for our survival, while earning CEUs and graduate credits, register today!
In This Issue
Teacher Feature Ms. Maggie Gerths
Maggie Gerths
1st grade teacher 
Meadowview Elementary School, Farmington, MN
  

 Ms. Gerths is one of our MAITC Teacher Champions who is inspiring her fellow teachers at Meadowview to integrate agriculture in their curricula! 

 

What advice do you have for other teachers on implementing agriculture into their classroom/program?

My advice would be to use resources such as the Ag Mag Jr. first to share valuable information and to tie agriculture in with other subjects (reading, language, writing, etc.) Then, try and connect with people in the community (like a farm family, or students in the agriculture field, etc). Students love guest speakers, and hands-on activities. I believe that this is one great way to create a lasting impact on their learning. 
National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference 
  Unbridled Possibilities - theme for 2015 Ag in the Classroom Conference
Join us at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference June 17-20, 2015 in Louisville, KY!
Engaging workshops, tours, keynote speakers and networking events will provide exceptional learning opportunities for teachers to increase their comfort level in agricultural topics and also integrate agricultural content into instruction to meet academic standards in Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Math and Health/Nutrition. http://naitcconference.usu.edu
  
Seeking Proposals for AgMag Development AgMAg
 
MAITC is requesting proposals for development of the AgMag and AgMag Jr. magazine series.  Additional information can be found at 
The deadline for submitting a proposal is April 1, 2015.
Fantastic ResourcesMinnesota School Garden Guide
 
Minnesota School Garden Guide
Explore 31 standards-based K-12 lessons that focus on plant science and gardening.  Spring is just around the corner!  Available for FREE on the MAITC website.

The Honey Files Teacher GuideThe Honey fiels
This teacher's guide developed by the National Honey Board will have you and your students buzzing! Designed especially for educators of grades 4-6, these fun educational materials provide information, classroom activities and reproducible worksheets about bees, honey and pollination.  The Honey Files
  
MyPlateMyPlate diagram
March is National Nutrition Month!  Celebrate by exploring the educational resources and interactive features at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
Agricultural Trivia
  
Congratulations to Michaela Bengtson, for being the first person to respond with the correct answer to our February trivia question.  She knew that Wild Rice is Minnesota's official state grain.  Rounding out the Top Ten first responders were: Julie Kovacik, Chrissie TenEyck, Kyle Hemme, Katie Cordes, Kristal Brogan, Sara Brittan, Karen Smith, Jim Resch, and Francini Acuna.
 
March Trivia
The first person to email the correct answer for the question below will win a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Coffee Mug!

What is a newborn turkey called?
Email your answer to  Sue Knott to be eligible for the prize!