Students will write a daily response to an agriculture news story and make connections to thier community and predict the impact of the event on the agriculture industry.  Reading current agriculture news will help students be more informed consumers while also helping them to connect content learned in agriculture class to real-world events and applications. Written by Taryn Dameron.

Course provides students with the information and skills necessary for career success in agribusiness and in the operation of entrepreneurial ventures. Topics include economic principles, budgeting, risk management, finance, business law, insurance and resource management. Other possible topics are development of a business plan, employee/employer relations, problem solving and decision making, using computers. A survey of the careers within the agricultural industry is also incorporated. ** References to Common Core Standards are included as the first slide in each lesson's PowerPoint**

This course is designed to strengthen students' personal and group leadership skills. Topics such as public speaking, effective communication, human relations, parliamentary law, and group dynamics are covered. Also covered is the development of Programs of Activity, and Service-Learning projects, including student development, chapter development, and community development. ** References to Common Core Standards are included as the first slide in each lesson's PowerPoint**

Students learn about economic costs and benefits and cultural costs and benefits. By practicing cost-benefit analysis, students discover that decision making is a complex task.

These resources present an overview of FFA agriscience fair options and requirements, gives tips on recruitment for team members, timeline for project work, and templates for a written report and a poster. Written by Brandon Jacobitz.

One in four jobs in Nebraska are related to agriculture. With one of our main industries being agronomic crops, crop scouting is important to learn. This lesson will test the students' knowledge of all things pests and challenge them to identify the problem in a field. 

There are over one million species of insects in the world. Although we feel like we see millions of insects in one day in the summer, there are only 1,000 major insect species that are pests to crops. This lesson will teach students about the taxonomy of insects and have them investigate some of the biggest threats in our area.

This resource contains one lab activity plan and two lecture notes on three different agronomy related topics. 

Do you need proof that driving is a dangerous activity? More Americans have died in car crashes over the past 100 years than in all the wars the U.S. has ever fought combined. More than 40,000 Americans die each year on the nation's highways, most as the result of high-speed collisions. In this video segment adapted from NOVA, learn how engineers developed the air bag, an important automobile-safety device now found in most cars.
Recommended for: Grades 3-12

The AirData Web site gives you access to air pollution data for the entire United States. Want to know the highest ozone level measured in your state last year? Ever wonder where air pollution monitoring sites are located? Are there sources of air pollution in your town? You can find out here! AirData produces reports and maps of air pollution data based on criteria that you specify.

This lesson plan engages students in a real-life exploration of climate change as it is affected by greenhouse emissions from vehicles. The aim of this activity is for students to realize the impact of vehicle use in their family and to give students the opportunity to brainstorm viable alternatives to this use.

This is a series of activities demonstrating that air has mass, takes up space, and can exert a force on objects enough to lift them.

By watching and performing several simple experiments, students develop an understanding of the properties of air: it has mass, it takes up space, it can move, it exerts pressure, it can do work.

This is a series of investigations about air and its properties. How air exists all around us, and things it is capable of doing.

Phase 1: Definition of Projects and Research Teams (Homework +1 Class)

Each student is assigned the task of proposing a site to investigate within the city and the surrounding region. Students are encouraged to discuss the assignment with community members for suggestions and inspiration. Each student will produce an easel-size poster of their proposal highlighting the following:


Site location;

Reasons for selecting this site;

Potential interest to the community;

Potential logistical problems associated with the proposed site/project.

Posters will be hung in a gallery-walk format, and each student will mark the location of their proposed study site on the classroom map of New York City. The class is given time to read and comment on each of their peers' proposals, after which the instructor will lead a class discussion of the interests, merits, and obstacles associated with each proposal, with the goal of having the class settle on the set of projects on which to move forward.
Students will define groups of 2 to 4 students per project. If more than 4 students are interested in the same site, then multiple groups may develop parallel projects.

Phase 2: Data Collection and Analysis (5 weeks)

In consultation with the instructor, teams develop and implement a sampling protocol, including the documentation of terrain, human activity, and weather conditions (wind speed and direction) at the time of collection. Sample stations and prevailing wind direction are plotted on Google Earth to determine likely sources of particulates. Using binocular microscopes students document size distribution, form, color, and abundance of particulates. This data is analyzed using statistical functions in Excel. Teams use SEM-EDS analysis to determine the composition of particles, and more fully describe their form. Teams submit weekly progress reports, including personal work reports for each team member.

Phase 3: Communication of Results (1 Week)

Teams submit to their instructor a formal laboratory report: Purpose, Equipment, Method, Data Tabulation, Data Analysis, and Conclusions.
Teams prepare an oral presentation, or visual information campaign, targeted at an audience of their choice (e.g., neighbors, church group, community activist group, college administration) using discourse appropriate to that audience. Teams present in an in-class dress-rehearsal prior to their formal presentation. Teams invite members of their desired audience to the presentation (official invitations sent). On the last day of class, the instructor leads a debriefing and critique of the presentations, highlighting results and effective communication techniques.

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The Phoenix metropolitan area, like many large cities, has problems with air pollution at certain times of the year. You can do a simple experiment to determine some of the factors that affect air pollution.

Students are introduced to measuring and identifying sources of air pollution, as well as how environmental engineers try to control and limit the amount of air pollution. In Part 1, students are introduced to nitrogen dioxide as an air pollutant and how it is quantified. Major sources are identified, using EPA bar graphs. Students identify major cities and determine their latitudes and longitudes. They estimate NO2 values from color maps showing monthly NO2 averages from two sources: a NASA satellite and the WSU forecast model AIRPACT. In Part 2, students continue to estimate NO2 values from color maps and use Excel to calculate differences and ratios to determine the model's performance. They gain experience working with very large numbers written in scientific notation, as well as spreadsheet application capabilities.

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members make their own hovercraft and demonstrate how the air leaking out of a balloon can make a plastic plate hover above a table.

Air pressure is pushing on us all the time although we do not usually notice it. In this activity, students learn about the units of pressure and get a sense of just how much air pressure is pushing on them.