Here are some activities, projects, and experiments that can be done in class or at home. Some are USDA and others are from Ag in the Classroom. Here are 12 for today.
Elementary School Science Resources
Pre-K to 2nd grade
Eggology – will learn what a chick needs for survival inside an egg as it relates to agriculture. Includes links to videos about chickens and eggs. Students will then create a Parts of an Egg book with the handy activity sheet linked within the PDF download.
Farm Animal Match – Pre-K to 2nd grade students learn about farm animals using Quizlet, pictures, and a slideshow.
Grade 3 to 5
Insect Picture Collection: This assignment encourages students to go outside to find various insects and do some research about the insects they find.
Farm Web – Kids will learn about agriculture using a farm web and pictures. The answer key is linked within the document.
Making Bioplastic – Students in can conduct this experiment at home with parental supervision. It won’t be quite like slime, but the process might be just as fun because they get to discover how materials can be made for everyday utility from renewable bioplastics without the need for reliance on fossil fuels.
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources – Students will learn the differences between these two resources with an informational article and presentation with image examples as they relate to agriculture.
Plan a Garden: This assignment is designed for students to plan a garden at their home.
Middle School Science Resources
Grades 6 to 8
State Agricultural Facts – This is an Ag in the Classroom PDF resource. Click on a state to download a one-sheet PDF of a state’s agricultural facts on climate, crops, livestock, and more. There is plenty of reading material for the students.
Natural Inquirer – Find standards-aligned expository ELA resources, lesson plans, and fun activities about science. Also, Natural Inquirer now has nature-themed distance-learning modules and these cool scientist and engineer card series that can be adapted for distance learning, starting with this career study lesson and more.
Noxious Weeds – Noxious weeds are no joke as they can affect and impact health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, and property. Have students color informational pictures of noxious weeds that include the plant name and facts. This is a researched resource from the USDA Forest Service. Have students research the proper colors online so that they learn to identify the plant.
Plant Identification – This worksheet is for students to research and identify a plant with photos. Instead of collecting the weeds, students can simply research the weed online, find some real samples outdoors to photograph, and assemble a Google Slides presentation or Google Doc as assessment.
Weed Lab Collection – This DOCX worksheet download is great for a hands-on lab on common weeds as they relate to agriculture, with internet research and a hands-on plant activity students can do independently. The handout comes with tips for how to press and preserve plants.