CLE’s and State Content Standards for Introduction to Agriculture

Class Description: (Available to all Freshman) Introduction to Agriculture is designed to present students to all aspects of the agricultural program and the FFA. Concepts and skills learned will include the following: The FFA organization, Parliamentary procedure, Soils, Weed identification, Insects, Plant propagation, Ag chemicals, Sustainable agriculture, Record books, Livestock judging, Small animals, Livestock production, Animal health, Genetics, Meat identification, Ag technology, Welding, and Careers in agriculture.

An Agricultural Current Event will be due every other Friday with oral evaluation.

A Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAE) will be graded as 20% of the final grade.

Several Days will be spent at the Haskell Agricultural Research Lab studying the equipment used for research with a paper submitted at the end of the experience. Possible topics include chlorophyll meter, leaf area meter, ultrasound, etc.

Text: Agriscience Fundamentals and Applications 2nd edition, by Elmer L. Cooper, Delmar Publishers (1997)


State Content Standards achieved:

12.1.8 Reading/Writing: Students will explain reasons we join groups (FFA).

12.3.2 Reading/Writing: Students will present a memorized speech (FFA Creed).

12.2.4 Social Science: Student will analyze how diversity can benefit an organization.

12.1.1 Reading/Writing: Students will recognize leadership opportunities in FFA.

12.4.1 Reading/Writing: Students will demonstrate leadership roles through role playing (parliamentary procedure).

12.3.2 Science: Students will list properties and beneficial effects of organic matter.

12.7.3 Science: Students will define soil texture and soil structure.

12.1.2 Science: Students will use the textural triangle to identify soil textural class.

12.7.4 Science: Students will differentiate between sheet, rill, gully, suspension, and surface creep types of water and wind erosion.
Introduction to Agriculture (continued 2)

12.4.5 Science: Students will differentiate between gravitational, capillary, and hygroscopic ground water (wilting point, field capacity, and plant available water).

12.7.3 Science: Students will describe ways to conserve soil (sustainable agriculture).

12.1.4 Science: Students will describe how soil structure affects infiltration and permeability.

12.4.1 Science: Students will define soil pH and the pH scale.

12.2.1 Reading/Writing: Students will write to another state for a sample of their soil.

12.4.6 Science: Students will identify weed life cycles.

12.4.2 Science: Students will recognize how growth rate, seed production, seed domain, allelopathy, and vegetative reproduction help weeds to survive and be competitive.

12.4.6 Science: Students will identify noxious weeds of Nebraska.

12.1.1 Science: Students will identify the following groups of insect pests: aphids, beetles, flies, leafhoppers, mites, moths, thrips, true bugs, whiteflies.

12.4.3 Science: Students will describe how environment, host plant, and pathogen interact in a disease development.

12.1.1 Science: Students will compare and contrast plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes according to identifiable characteristics.

12.1.6 Reading/Writing: Students will interpret information on a pesticide label.

12.7.5 Science: Students will describe proper procedures for disposal of pesticides and pesticide containers.

12.7.4 Science: Students will describe proper pesticide spill clean up procedures.

Students will know the steps for safe storage of pesticides.

12.7.1 Science: Students will describe pesticide modes of entry into the human system.


Introduction to Agriculture (continued 3)

12.4.1 Science: Students will compare cell types and structure of various plant materials.

12.1.1 Science: Students will identify and classify stem structures that include: crowns, nodes, internodes, stolons, rhizomes.

Students will collect classify and identify flowers and flower structures.

12.4.27 Social Science: Students will discuss when to inventory throughout various times of the year.

Students will determine the inventory value of both depreciable and non-depreciable assets.

Students will identify the purpose of a balance sheet.

12.4.23 Social Science: Students will define the elements of entrepreneurship.

12.2.1 Math: Students will complete a cash flow statement, income statement, net worth statement, and inventory.

12.3.1 Reading/Writing: Students will relate personal safety experiences with shop equipment.

12.7.1 Science: Students will demonstrate safety rules and regulations.

12.1.1 Science: Students will safely use hand and power tools.

12.7.5 Science: Students will start up, shut down and secure equipment used in welding processes.

12.4.2 Math: Students will layout and prepare metal for welding and cutting.

Students will weld basic joints in all positions.

12.2.5 Reading/Writing: Students will research a specific career of interest.

12.3.1 Reading/Writing: Students will visit veterinarian during autopsy to identify tissues.

12.4.1 Science: Students will identify parts of the circulatory system, urinary system, endocrine system, nervous system, respiratory system, and muscular system, and digestive system.

Introduction to Agriculture (continued 4)

12.4.1 Science: Students will identify the six nutrients and explain the function of each.

12.2.1 Math: Students will utilize the Pearson Square to complete rations.

12.4.6 Science: Students will identify categories of parasites and diseases.

12.5.3 Math: Students will compare the rate of genetic progress that can be made when improving animals when the trait is highly heritable versus a trait having low heritability.

12.2.1 Math: Students will use the Punnet Square to determine genotype and phenotype of progeny.

12.4.2 Science: Students will describe different breeding systems used in livestock production and discuss amount of heterosis achieved.

12.4.1 Science: Students will select animals for given production scenarios from groups of animals by identifying structural faults in live animals.

12.7.1 Science: Students will name and identify major meat cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.

12.1.1 Science: Students will identify breeds of small animals studied.

12.4.6 Science: Students will list the housing requirements of various small animals.

12.4.1 Science: Students will list and identify common diseases of small animals.