• NYS Agriculture In The Classroom 

    Lesson Plans

    • Discover Christmas Trees: (pdf) Target grades: K-8
      • Discover Christmas Trees is a curriculum designed for grades K-8, and it will introduce your students to the important aspects of the conifer and Christmas tree industry in NYS. The lessons span the subject areas of ELA, mathematics, social studies, and science and offer learning extensions and book suggestions to continue to build student knowledge of our natural world. Every lesson is aligned to NYS and Common Core Learning Standards. Courtesy of the New York State Christmas Tree Farmers Association
    • Kindergarten is Popping: (website)
      • Introduction (pdf)
      • Language Arts (pdf)
        • The Senses - The students will explore the senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell in describing various items they come in contact with
        • Animals - After completing these activities students will: learn names of animals; learn vowel and consonant sounds; learn singular and plural names; compare male, female, young, old, and plural names of animals to those same names for people; learn the fact that when an animal has horns, it is not necessarily a male.
        • Feed the Turkeys - Students will learn that turkeys eat grains such as corn, oats, and soybeans. They will learn which words begin with C, 0, and S, and to count the number of words.
        • Fireflies - The student will explore a curiosity which they may have already noticed; the firefly. Read the book Fireflies in the Night by Judy Hawes. Questions for discussion are provided.
      • Mathematics
        • Popcorn - Your students will learn how popcorn grows and pops, and several ways to eat it. Activities include cutting out pictures and assembling them in sequence; measuring popcorn in volume; and graphing.
        • A Turkey Grows Up - Your students will learn how a turkey grows through several activities and games. Have the students cut apart pictures and assemble them in order, from hatching to market. Play the Wild Turkey Trot Game.
        • Counting Animals - Students will learn to count to 10, sort into categories, determine more or less, and match. Conduct this lesson in conjunction with the Language Arts lesson of animal names. Have students count, match, sequence, and compare livestock pictures pinned on a bulletin board or wall.
      • Science
        • The Soil - The students will describe what is in soil and why soil is important, and explain the difference between "dirt" and "soil." Activities include making "Dirt Cake," making "Dirty Dirt" and "Super Soil" puppets, and reading the Dirty Dirt and Super Soil story.
        • Germination - Students will sequence a pictorial of the growth of a bean plant. Lesson comes with pictures for students to cut apart and paste, a worksheet to compare bean and corn plant growth, and more ideas for seed learning such as making musical instruments and singing, and planting bean and corn seeds.
        •  Initials - At the end of this unit students will produce their initials by growing grass on a sponge, and understand that seeds need warmth and water to grow. Comes with complete instructions.
        • Making Raisins - Make raisins with your class! Also comes with two great raisin recipes.
      • Social Studies
        • Pig Party - At the end of this lesson, students will have an understanding of what products come from hogs. Fun activities include throwing a "Pig Party," making pig masks, and making mobiles of pork by-products.
        • Thanksgiving - Students will fill a bulletin board cornucopia with foods served at their Thanksgiving dinner. Discuss that these foods came from farms across America. Lesson comes with activities and the history of Thanksgiving for teacher resources.
        • Beef - Learn how beef is produced as well as what products and food come from cattle. Graph the classes' beef preferences by voting on favorite beef foods. Lesson comes with activities and a game.
        • Evergreen Tree - Instructions are given on how to build a paper evergreen tree using student's hands as a pattern.

    Maple Syrup Resources: (website) Target grade 2

    • The Western New York Maple Producers Association is proud to present their new maple syrup production lessons for use in your classroom. Integrate the ideas and concepts of maple syrup production in the context of social studies, mathematics, ELA, and science.             
    • Through this curriculum, your students will be learning essential elements of an important New York State agricultural product, while simultaneously engaging in and practicing the necessary classroom instruction skills. Agriculture is innately hands-on, and the activities featured will help your students develop their critical thinking skills while tasting, smelling, observing, and touching. The experiments have easy set ups with materials you already have on hand, there are ready-made smart board lessons, and an informational video that will capture your students attention.