Research Update: Plant Nutrients in the Classroom

Project Leaders: Judy Culbertson (Executive Director) and Austin Miller (Communications Program Coordinator), California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Project Status: Completed
Project Location: Statewide

Overview: As children grow, they begin to form opinions about food production and agriculture, and providing them with the right knowledge can aid their discovery. It is crucial that we equip the next generation with a solid understanding of agriculture and the environment.

Project Deliverables: Over the course of this project, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC) updated and promoted four units of lesson plans to educate students about agriculture and plant nutrients. These lesson plans are an innovative way to meet common core standards and are intended to spark interest in and create an appreciation for our industry. The four units focused on through this grant were:

• Grades K-3: Fun with the Plant Nutrient Team
• Grades 2-4: What Do Plants Need to Grow?
• Grades 5-8: Too Much? Too Little?
• Grades 8-12: Chemistry, Fertilizer & the Environment

Distribution of materials: All the lesson plans created through this grant, and more, are available for free on the CFAITC website, LearnAboutAg.org. Lesson plans are available for download as digital copies or hard copies may be requested. During the grant period, 2015-2017, over 7,500 physical copies and 1,200 digital copies of the units were distributed to educators and other interested parties.