AG inthe CLASSROOM

Washington
Ag@ School TEACHER GUIDE
Volume 21, Issue 3 2021/2022

Welcome to Ag@School! marketing—generates billions of dollars each year.

Agriculture is vital to national security, a stable economy,
Class sets of this magazine, aimed primarily at 4th and the US trade balance.
grade level, are FREE to subscribing Washington Why Agriculture?
teachers. Instructions for subscribing are on Page 6.
Teaching about agriculture is an ideal way for students
This is the last of three issues for 2021-2022. to make real-life connections to science, math, and social
Your subscription for next year will NOT be studies concepts. Agriculture is relevant because students
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Produced by Washington Ag in the Classroom, Ag@ Helping students understand the farm-to-table connection
School is designed to help teachers meet student is important in our consumer-driven society. Teaching
educational goals as well as develop agricultural students to be agriculturally literate connects their learning
literacy. to everyday life.
This issue is designed to help students understand: Browse the Matrix!
• farmers and ranchers are caretakers for soil and Visit our website at http://www.waic.net and browse the
water resources, so every day is Earth Day for them, National Ag in the Classroom link to the Curriculum Matrix.
not just one day a year The Agricultural Literacy
• what the term “sustainable agriculture” means Curriculum Matrix is an online,
• the water cycle and soil components searchable, and standards-based
• the importance of ruminant animals curriculum map for K-12 teachers.
The Matrix contextualizes national
• the role of agriculture in the conservation of our
education standards in science, social studies, and nutrition
natural resources and its importance to the industry
education with relevant instructional resources linked to
• the economic and environmental impact of various
Common Core Standards.
agricultural commodities in Washington
Search our instructional, classroom ready resources now!
Teacher Guide After you find what you need, consider storing them in your
• Reproducible activities in the teacher guide expand on personal binder — MyBinder! Create a MyBinder profile now,
concepts covered in the magazine. or login.
Why Agricultural Literacy? Vocabulary Words
Agriculture is society’s lifeline and an integral part of Each issue will introduce several words that may be
our heritage. Unfortunately as our country moved from unfamiliar to students. These words will appear in bold type
agrarian to urban, people lost contact with the main the first time they are used.
industry necessary for survival—food production. America’s Words in the this issue include:
largest industry has dropped from public discourse except stewardship, sustainable agriculture, topsoil, stone
for the occasional media splash. Yet we all eat, and it is fruits, conventional agriculture, organic agriculture,
important that we have an understanding of where our food soils, humus, grazing, erosion, conservation tillage,
is produced and who we depend upon to deliver it to our water cycle, condensation, evaporation, groundwater,
tables. percolation, precipitation, transpiration, pest,
Less than 2% of the US population is involved in pesticide, integrated pest management (IPM), weed,
agriculture production (farming) yet 24 million American ruminants.
jobs are dependent upon it. Agriculture is more than
Definitions can be found scattered throughout the
working the land and tending the animals. This huge
magazine.
industry—production, processing, transportation, and 1
Ag@School Funding without which animals and humans could not exist.
Care of these tools is important, possibly more so for
Many businesses, organizations, public agencies and agriculture than for any other industry. Agriculture takes this
individuals contribute money and time to providing you job seriously. Stewardship has advanced as science and
this magazine at no cost. They are listed on Pages 5 and technology have progressed. Today’s farming is a far cry
6 along with a suggested activity for research and writing from that practiced just a few decades ago.
letters of thanks. We suggest using the activity as a small
Discussion starters:
group project both for internet research practice and, of
1. Using the definition of stewardship, (“management and
course, letter writing experience.
care of basic tools of a trade”) discuss the four basic tools.
Standards Alignment Brainstorm which of these the farmer can control and why.
This publication is aligned with 4th grade standards for 2. Discuss the importance of proper care of air, water, and
Washington state students soil and how urban and rural residents might have differing
views on the best use of these resources (water for exam-
Social Studies EARLS (Essential Academic Learning Requirement) –
ple, farming use vs recreational use).
Economics 2.2.1, 2.4.1
Geography 3.1.2 Answers page 1:
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) solar energy; 2) soil; 3) water; 4) air
Reading – Page 2 – Agriculture Feeds the World
Questioning, Inference, and Interpretation - RI.4.1, Themes Think and Discuss
and Central Ideas –RI.4.2 Discussion starters:
Connections – RI.4.3, Academic vocabulary RI.4.4, Text 1. Why are farmers important environmentalists? It is the
Structures and Features – RI.4.5, Points of View/Purpose – right thing to do and they know that they need to care for
RI.4.6, the land and livestock in order for it to be productive and
Visual/Auditory Media and Information Sources – RI.4.7, prosperous in the future. Farmers are “caretakers” of the
Augment and Reasoning – RI.4.8, Fluency – RF.4.4a. land. Their livelihood depends on keeping the soil, water,
Writing – and air clean and healthy.
Argumentative- W.4.1b, Informative/Explanatory – W.4.2, 2. Talk about the true definition of sustainable agriculture.
Narrative – W.4.3, Task, Purpose and Audience –W.4.4 , What would happen if people could not make a living? If
Technology –W.4.6, Research – W.4.7, Access and Organize all US farmers went out of business what would replace
Information – W.4.8. agriculture on the land? Where would people get their
Speaking and Listening – food? How secure would our food supply be if we had to
Collaborative discussions – SL.4.1, Evaluate Presented rely on other countries to grow it for us?
Information – SL.4.2, SL.4.3 3. How are farmers able to grow more food per acre? By
Language – using science and technology farmers are able to grow
Language conventions – L.4.3 more with less. Please visit Vol 19 issue 2 (Technology
issue) to re-visit the many ways farmers use and apply
Reference materials – L.4.5c
science and technology to farming practices.
Math –
4. Discuss the importance of proper care of air, water, and
Multiplication and Division - 4.NBT.B.5, Measurement –
soil and how urban and rural residents might have differing
4.MD.A.2
views on the best use of these resources (water for exam-
Science (Next Generation Science Standards -NGSS): ple, farming use vs recreational use).
Energy 4-ESS3-1, Structure, Function and Information
Processing – 4-LS1-1, Earth and Human Activity 4-ESS3,
Page 2 - “Fruitful State” answers
Engineering Design 3-5-ETS1-1. 1. Apple Capital of the World
2. Eastern WA has less precipitation (and irrigation is
Cover – Protecting Agriculture’s Resources controlled water application)
Background: 3. 9600 x 8070= 77,472,000 # or 38,736 tons (2000 lbs in
Cultural practices, machinery, and tech­nology in a ton)
agriculture have advanced in ways that has even amazed 4. Whole grapes have more fiber than juice; both juice and
farmers. The basic tools of this business have not changed whole grapes are much superior nutritionally than sugar-
since farming began more than 10,000 years ago. Air, packed jelly
water, soil, and solar energy are essential for plant life, 2
Page 3 – Sustainable Agriculture that represent groundwater and surface water. (In fact, for
Discussion starters: visual reasons, the surface water portion of the graph is
out of scale so that it can even be seen). Students should
• Why are farmers our most important
be impressed by how much of the water is contained in the
environmentalists? (Because they manage such
oceans, and how little of the total is surface water (lakes,
a large amount of land—over 46% nationally and
rivers, and the atmosphere).
they know that caring for the land means having the
Water in the atmosphere is mostly in the form of water
resource in the future.)
vapor. If it all fell as precipitation at once, the Earth would
• Why must farmers make a profit? (Farmers are self-
be covered with only about 1 inch of water. Students
employed, so when they sell their crops and animals,
should recognize that each zero to the right of a decimal
that money is used for paying their expenses, investing
point is also a factor of 10. For instance, if told that all
in their business, and is also their paycheck to pay
plants and animals contain 0.0001% of the total water, they
for their own personal expenses like food, clothing,
should reason that the atmosphere contains 10 times as
shelter—as well as benefits like vacation time and
much (0.001%). They should also be able to recognize that
health insurance. Farmers must earn a profit in order
0.001% is the same as 1/1000 of 1%.
to stay in business.)
Water Cycle Song
Page 4/5 – It all begins with...
The most common material on earth (to the tune of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain)

Water travels in a cycle yes it does,

Water travels in a cycle yes it does,

It goes up as evaporation

Forms clouds as condensation

And comes down as precipitation

Yes it does!

Discussion starters:
• How is water cleaned through the water cycle
(evaporation---also large particle contaminants like silt
are trapped in percolation process)
• What impurities might be left behind when water
How Is Soil Made: 5 soil forming factors
evaporates?
• What can people do to prevent impurities from getting 1. Parent Material: Chemical and physical weathering
into the water in the first place? break down rocks over time. The parent material dictates
what texture the soil has, whether it is sand, silt, or clay
Reinforce that salt water cannot be used for drinking water
(or a combination). Texture affects the soil’s ability to store
or to water plants and animals. The amount of water in the
water and nutrients, and therefore affects plant growth.
world is constant although it changes location and physical
form. 2. Climate: The higher the precipitation and temperature,
Total Water on Earth – Check the Math the greater the weathering.
Explain to students that the chart on page 5 is a Natural resources fill in the blank answers:
combination of a pie chart and a bar graph. The bar 1. Solar energy, 2, soil, 3. Water, 4. Air
graph is expanding the very thin slices of the pie chart 3
3. Living organisms: the number of organisms in the soil Writing prompts for this issue:
depends upon the climate. Soils in warmer, moister climates
• How would you describe the role of agriculture in manag-
have more microbes. The organisms breaks down the
ing or taking care of natural resources?
humus in the soil and turn it into usable nutrients for more
• Persuade the reader that the goal of agriculture should
plant production. More plant production adds more humus.
be to grow more food on less land. Give reasons to back
This increases the soil’s nutrient content a nd water holding
up your argument.
capacity.
• Explain the importance and the process of the water
Soil Formation
The Soil is Alive
Parent material
cycle in detail.
The soil is home to an incred-
Climate
ible number of organisms, most • Describe the importance and process of pollination for
Soil
Process
Living Organism Properties
of them so tiny we cannot see food production.
Topography

Time
them without a microscope.
They decompose organic
matter, take nitrogen from the air and make it available to
plants, improve soil structure, and control crop pests. There
are all manner of creepy-crawlies---algae, bacteria, rotifers,
fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms---all
part of the soil food web. The human food system would
collapse without the complicated food web that exists in the
soil. We are totally dependent upon the soil web to provide
and maintain the growing environment for larger plants that
feed us and the animals we use for food. Farmers under-
stand this delicate balance. They know if they treat the soil
well, it will be able to keep giving back…not just for us to-
day, but for future generations too. If microscopes are avail-
able for your use, it is well worth the effort to examine soil
samples under magnification. Observing this fascinating
world may be just the impetus students need to encourage
further scientific investigation. There are also short You-
tube videos of soil microbes and pond water organisms.
Publication and Credits
Ag@School is a publication of Washington Agriculture
in the Classroom, a non-profit entity created in 1981 to
encourage and help teachers increase agricultural literacy
in their students. Both public and private groups including
the WA Dept. of Agriculture, WSU, commodity commis-
sions, farm organizations, agri-businesses and individuals,
support this mission. Teachers may reproduce any pages
for use.
Page 8 – Every day is Earth Day!
Graphic design is by Mike Hendricks, Hendricks Design.
Discussion starter:
Edited by Kristen Hinton-Vanvalkenburg, Robyn Meenach
Discuss why every day is Earth Day to a farmer or rancher.
and Cheryl DeHaan.
Why must he or she take care of natural resources?

4
 chool magazine come from? W
do es your Ag@S ho p a
h ere ys fo
r it
W Lots of people cooperate to distribute this magazine ?
across the state. Washington Ag in the Classroom is the lead organization,
but we do not do it alone. All of the following people, businesses, and organi-
zations contribute support. Look through the list. Do you recognize anyone?
Pick some of the sponsors to research. Have your students write one or
more of them a thank you letter.
2021 & 2022 Washington Ag In the Classroom Sponsors
Denise Peters
$2000 and above Douglas County Assn of Wheat Growers
Spokane County Farm Bureau E.M. Lind
Northwest Farm Credit Service East Hill Grange #786
King-Pierce Farm Bureau Glenn Rasmussen, CPA
Washington Wheat Foundation Grant County Association of Wheat Farmers
H & S Services, Inc.
$500 - $1999 Heinz & Doris Humann
Washington Pork Producers Kenova Grange # 556
Franklin County Cattlemen’s Assoc. Kittitas County Cattlewomen

Wilco Kittitas County Conservation District

Kittitas County Sheep Producers Assoc
Benton County Farm Bureau
Land O’ Lakes Inc
Franklin County Farm Bureau/Farm Fair
Linda & Lynn Henderson
WA Pulse Crop Dry Pea & Lentil Comm
Maplewood Farm
WA State Fruit Commission/NW Cherries
Mary M Brandt
Washington Cattle Feeders Assoc
Meenach Farms/Meenach, Hal and Robyn
Washington Friends of Farms and Forests
Meridian Grange #265
Skagit Farmers Supply
Michael & Laura Kitchen
Grant County Cattlemens Nancy S Koski
Grant County Cattlewomen’s Assoc Network for Good
Clark County Dairy Women Pacific NorthWest Vegetable Assoc
Yakima Pomological Club Pacific NW Canned Pear Service
Okanogan County Cattlewomen Shelton Ranch LLC
Washington Cattlewomen Association Siegel, John & Fredricka
Washington State Beef Commission Skagit County Cattlemen
Washington State Hay Growers Association Skagit County Farm Bureau
Whatcom Cty Dairy Women Snake River Pomona Grange #51
Lisa Avery Snohomish County Dairy Women
Grebb, Johnson, Reed & Wachsmith, LLP Spectrum Crop Development Corp
Storm Haaven Farm
Acheson Ranch
Susan Kerr
Adams County Assn of Wheat Growers
Taylor Ranches
Ag Enterprise Supply, Inc.
The McGregor Company
Aldrich Proprietorship
Washington Asparagus Commission
Berney Ranch Inc.
Washington Blueberry Comm
Chehalis Livestock Market
Washington Cattlemen’s Assoc
Chris Clinesmith
Washington Mint Growers Association
Clallam County Pomona Grange #31
Washington State Crop Improvement Assn
Columbia County Crop Improvement Assn
Washington State Seed Potato Comm
Columbia Grain
Whitman County Pomona Grange #2
Cridlebaugh Bookkeeping & Tax Services
Yakima County Farm Bureau
Curtis & Erika Hennings
5
Washington Ag In the Classroom Board Members and Staff
Providing Support through Time, Travel, and Financial Donations
Susan Taylor
Linda Henderson
Dr. Susan Kerr, DVM
Robyn Meenach
Cheryl DeHaan
Eileen Owens
Katy Cavanaugh
Judy Hossner – Washington State Grange Representative
Pam Watson – WSU Representative
Chris Mertz – USDA/NASS Representative
Dennis Koong- USDA/NASS Representative
Kristen Hinton-Vanvalkenburg
Board members and friends represent various commodities including beef, dairy, row crops, grain, and
canola
Annual Sponsor Levels & Benefits
Level 1 - Up to $100+ 1 time per year listed as a supporter in the teacher guide of our Ag@School
magazine
Level 2 - $250+ plus listed as a sponsor on our website, social media and printed material
acknowledgement
Level 3 - $500+ plus a link to your website on our website
Level 4 - $1000+ plus your logo on our website
Level 5 - $2500+ plus invitation to sponsor an article within an issue of the magazine with your
logo by the article
Level 6 - $5000+ plus be featured in the career corner and company highlight in an issue of
Ag@Schooll
Level 7 - $7500+ plus the opportunity to sponsor a commodity page, special project or concept
poster that would be a stand-alone feature

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