Don’t miss Time Well Spent Friday, Sept. 23 at 12:00 pm ET (repeats Friday at 10:00pm ET & Saturday at 1:30pm ET) and Dec. 23 for a closer look at Alabama Ag in the Classroom’s Summer Institute!

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Ag in the Classroom (AITC) is making it easier for teachers to incorporate agricultural topics into their day-to-day class activities in ways that are not only informative, but also practical and fun.  With projects like Pioneer Corn Husks Dolls complete with feathers and beads, or the Dirt Baby with grass seeds that, when watered, produce a head full of lush, green hair, AITC is helping teachers include everyday agriculture products and concepts in all subject areas.

According to Amy Belcher, a coordinator for Alabama AITC, as children are becoming more removed from the family farms of yesteryear, it is becoming increasingly important to teach them about farming and agriculture.

“As each generation has gotten farther and farther removed from the farm, kids have lost their connection to agriculture. Years ago maybe their grandparents had a farm or something, but nowadays that's not the case. We want students to know where their food and fiber come from. We want them to appreciate the importance of the American farmer. If the American farmer can't stay in business then we must rely on other countries to supply our food,” she said.

Belcher said AITC coordinators host summer institutes and workshops where teachers are presented agricultural literacy activities which provide course of study content to incorporate into their daily lesson plans. She added that all curriculum activities and teaching materials incorporate skills for all subject areas, the Alabama courses of study and the Stanford 9 Test.

“At the summer institute teachers receive tons of free materials including curriculum, books (typically accelerated reader books), DVDs, samples of raw ag products and so much more,” she said. “The summer institute is a professional development institute which includes instruction that provides participants with innovative research materials and high-yield teaching strategies that increase student knowledge of the nutritional and economic importance of the food and fiber systems in their daily lives.”

Shelly Jones, a teacher at Cahawba Christian School participated in the summer institute a few years ago, and she’s found ways to utilize many of the AITC projects in her lesson plans. In fact, she’s found her own way to make the lessons more personal. She and her sons have a herd of goats and recently took them to school to demonstrate topics like breed character, milk production, proper care-giving techniques and other topics that are easier for students to comprehend when they can visualize the animal first-hand.  After her presentation and allowing the children to lead the goats, she took the class indoors and conducted a cheese-making demonstration.  Jones said she found a practical and tasty way to put that cheese to use and the project has proven to be one of her favorites. 

Belcher added that since Alabama AITC was established over 700 teachers have been trained in their workshops, and this past summer 84 teachers attended the three-day summer Institute, giving countless Alabama students the same up-close and personal learning experiences as Jones’ students.

“The students are very engaged in the hands-on activities that we have done,” she said. “The teachable moments are endless when you can have your students up out of their desks experiencing learning in a very real way.”

For more information on Ag in the Classroom visit www.agclassroom.org.  Don’t miss Time Well Spent Friday, Sept. 23 and Dec. 23 for a closer look at Alabama Ag in the Classroom’s Summer Institute!