This course aims to increase understanding and knowledge of our food and fiber system, giving a starting point for students to explore pathways and occupations related to the agriculture industry, and gain hands-on experience learning basic agricultural practices. This curriculum, designed for eighth-graders, is intended to be student-led and inquiry-based.  Written by Emma Sunderman; Ice Cream in a Bag Lesson Plan by Caleb tenBensel; other activities developed and curated by Nebraska AFNR educators

This lesson offers learners the opportunity to understand the importance of nutrition in the livestock industry and the differences between species in terms of anatomy, physiology, and nutrient requirements and/or deficiencies. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.  

This task was developed by high school and postsecondary mathematics and agriculture sciences educators, and validated by content experts in the Common Core State Standards in mathematics and the National Career Clusters Knowledge & Skills Statements. It was developed with the purpose of demonstrating how the Common Core and CTE Knowledge & Skills Statements can be integrated into classroom learning - and to provide classroom teachers with a truly authentic task for either mathematics or CTE courses.

What items are essential to survival? You have chartered a yacht with several friends for the holiday trip of a lifetime around the Atlantic Ocean. Because none of you have any previous sailing experience, you have hired an experienced skipper and two-person crew. While you are halfway through your voyage, a fierce fire breaks out in the galley. The skipper and crew have been lost whilst trying to fight the blaze. Much of the yacht is destroyed and is slowly sinking. Your location is unclear because vital navigational and radio equipment have been damaged in the fire. Your best estimate is that you are many hundreds of miles from the nearest major landfall. As you board the lifeboats and make your way away from the wreckage, you spot a small island in the distance.

This lesson offers an understanding of the historic and economic implications of the livestock industry to our state and nation. Learners will recognize the best management practices for specific food animal species, as well as identify the important breeds of each species. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.

This lesson prevents an overview of the sources, groups, and types of pollutants affecting the environment. In addition, learners will take an active part in being the “pollution solution” rather than the problem.

This lesson presents an overview of the importance of plants; the main parts of a plant; the types of each of the plant parts; and the relationship of each part to fruits, nuts, and vegetables. This represents a portion of the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) series in Nebraska middle and high school agricultural education.

Students will understand the role agriculture plays in determining the wealth of a nation, document the role agriculture played in American history, and describe the impact environmental and agricultural systems will have on the future world population.

What is the difference between a food web, a food chain, and a food pyramid? This lesson discusses each of these and has the students create their own! Have students research wildlife in different states across the country: what they eat, where they sleep, and where they live.