The Iowa Agricultural Literacy Foundation is offering several teacher professional development workshops this summer. Workshop information is listed below. To find out more about workshops in your area, visit www.IowaAgLiteracy.org, email info@iowaagliteracy.org or call 515-331-4182.
Agriculture Helps meet Next Generation Science Standards
June 1-2, 2016
Fremont-Mills High School, (1114 US Highway 275, Tabor)
This course will give teachers, extension personnel, and others who educate youth the skills needed to implement many of the new Iowa Core science standards. Participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. During one day of the course, participants will see conservation and energy applied as they tour beef feedlots, an ethanol plant, an algae plant, and a conservation area. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and management practices to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned and making them relevant to student learners.
Agriculture and Technology take STEM and NGSS Beyond the Classroom
June 7-8, 2016
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SWCC Instructional Center (1501 W. Townline St., Creston)8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Using agriculture themes is a great way to enhance student learning by making real-world connections to science, social studies, and STEM concepts. Participants will be introduced to FarmChat, a program that utilizes Skype or Google Hangouts to virtually tour farms and agribusinesses. During the on-site workshop, participants will work with Iowa State University Extension and Iowa Agriculture Literacy Staff to develop ideas for FarmChat programs and lessons that integrate agriculture into existing curricula. They will also visit a farm, learn about soil and water conservation, and take part in hands-on lessons that integrate agriculture into science, social studies, and language arts learning.
June 13-14, 2016 (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
July 6-7, 2016 (8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
Polk County Farm Bureau Office (300 SE Delaware Avenue, Ankeny)Join us as we learn how agriculture impacts our lives in many ways, every day. During this two-day workshop, talk to people around the world as we follow soybeans from farm to final product with Skype, tour multiple agriculture sites, participate in hands-on activities, and hear a variety of presenters to help gain an understanding of how agriculture connects to your everyday life. You will leave with grade-appropriate, Iowa Core aligned, hands-on activities to use in the classroom.
Building a Strong STEM Classroom Using Agriculture
June 14-15, 2016
DMACC Campus (600 N. 2nd Ave. West, Newton)Learn the skills they needed to implement STEM concepts (science, technology, engineering, and math) into your classroom. Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. During one day of the course, participants will see wind energy generation, a biorefinery, and applied precision agriculture. Tours will include a seed dealership and look at biotechnology, drones, GPS, and variable rate technologies. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned and making them relevant to student learners.
June 15-16, 2016
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
LaunchPad Children’s Museum (623 Pearl St., Sioux City)
Teachers will use agriculture and the new LaunchPAD Children’s Museum in Sioux
City to meet Iowa Core Standards - including NGSS. Participants will develop
ideas to make the most of a visit to the museum and integrate agriculture into
science, social studies, language arts and math lessons before and after a
field trip. The museum boasts a large agriculture exhibit, but participants
will also learn how to extend an agriculture theme in the construction, river,
wind, market and café exhibits too. During one day of the course, participants
will explore the museum and then see real-world examples of the museum exhibits
in their community. They will visit a local family farm, hydroponic greenhouse,
and a grocery store to learn more about the farm to fork story. The second day
of the course will focus on developing strategies and identifying resources to
best utilize the museum and agriculture to enhance science, social studies,
math, and language arts learning. Most of the activities and lessons in the
workshop are aligned to K-2 grade Iowa Core concepts.
June 29-30, 2016
Day 1: Still Waters Iowa (2052 275th St., Oskaloosa)Day 2: Iowa Bioprocessing
Training Center (17601 Monroe–Wapello Road, Eddyville)Learn how to use agriculture as the context to teach Next Generation Science Standards. Participants will integrate agriculture into science, social studies, language arts and math to make learning real and relevant for students. During one day of the course, participants will see science applied as they tour a dairy farm, beef farm, and row crop farm. They will connect the farm to the fork with a tour of a grocery store, cheese factory, and winery. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and management practices to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned and making them relevant to student learners. The second day will include a focus on biotechnology and bioprocessing as well as study of water quality.
July 14-15, 2016
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Moville Community Center (815 Main St., Moville)
Using agriculture as the context to teach Next Generation Science
Standards, course participants will integrate agriculture into lessons to make
learning real and relevant for students. During one day of the course
participants will see new technologies applied as they tour an equipment
dealership, and a livestock genetics service provider. Producers, scientists
and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and management
practices to ensure environmental and economic sustainability. The second day
of the course will focus on developing lessons that use advancements in
agriculture as the context to teach science.
Energy and Agriculture applied to Next Generation Science Standards
August 1-2, 2016Clay County Fairgrounds, Spencer
Participants will leave the workshop with instructional strategies, lessons, and activities that can be immediately implemented into their classroom with little or no additional effort. Student engagement and impact will be high with hands-on learning. During one day of the course participants will see renewable energy in multiple forms including wind energy, biofuels, and solar. Producers, scientists and other experts will showcase how agriculture uses science and management practices to ensure environmental and economic sustainability through energy conservation and precision agriculture. The second day of the course will focus on implementing lessons learned and making them relevant to student learners.
