This hybrid professional development course includes two in-person days complemented by online course materials. It equips teachers, extension personnel, and youth educators with effective instructional practices and strategies for integrating agriculture as a meaningful context for STEM learning across multiple subject areas, including science, social studies, literacy, and mathematics. Aligned with Iowa Academic Standards, the course demonstrates how agricultural examples can support inquiry-based learning, cross-curricular connections, and real-world problem solving.
Participants will explore practical teaching approaches and leave with ready-to-use lessons, hands-on activities, and adaptable strategies designed for easy classroom implementation with minimal preparation. By applying these strategies, educators can increase student engagement, strengthen connections between classroom concepts and real-world applications, and support deeper student understanding of both academic content and the role of agriculture in everyday life.
Course Highlights
Day One: Agriculture in Action
- Participate in on-site tours of modern agricultural systems, including a dairy farm utilizing robotic technology, a local creamery, and specialty crops farms.
- Investigate the science and practices behind agricultural production, including animal care, crop production, and product processing.
- Gain insight into daily farm operations and the farm-to-table process.
Day Two: Integrating Agriculture into STEM and Cross-Curricular Learning
This highly interactive professional development experience is ideal for educators seeking to enhance student engagement, deepen content understanding, and bring the world of agriculture and farm-to-table experiences into their classrooms.