Contextualizing STEM and Common Core with

Agriculture

Contextualizing STEM and Common Core with

Agriculture

STEM & Ag Literacy ConnectionWhat is STEM? • Science: In the K-12 context, science is

generally taken to mean the traditionally natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, Earth, space, and environmental science)

• Technology: This includes all types of human-made systems and processes where science and engineering have been applied (not just computers), to satisfy human wants and needs.

• Engineering: Any engagement in a systematic practice or process of design to achieve solutions to particular human problems.

• Math: Is the “language” that allows us to quantify, compare, see patterns, and evaluate scientific, technologic, and engineering solutions to real-world problems.

STEM & Ag Literacy ConnectionHow does STEM differ from what science education has been doing for years?• STEM integrates the

disciplines. A STEM lesson includes at a minimum two of the STEM disciplines (Jorgenson, Vanosdall, Massey & Cleveland, 2014)

STEM is synonymous with doing good science!Time to Think, Pair & Share• How can I integrate STEM

and Language Arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening) concepts within the context of agriculture?

Think, Pair & ShareHow can I integrate STEM concepts within the context of agriculture?

1. Think: Select a performance expectation from a STEM area and think of a way to contextualize it with an agricultural concept, practice, process, or product.

2. Pair: Discuss with a partner your idea for a STEM performance expectation integration within the context of agriculture. Remember you need to integrate at least two STEM areas.

3. Share: Share with the group one of your ideas for STEM Integration with an agricultural concept.

STEM & Agricultural Literacy Outcomes

WeatherWater (cycles, properties, etc.)Geology (soils, fertility, etc.)HeredityEcosystemsLife Cycles (growth, needs, etc.)MicroorganismsSimple Machines (wedges, levers, screws, pulleys, gears, sieves, etc.)Computation (+,-,*,/)Statistics (prediction, estimation, mean, mode, standard deviation, range, etc.) Money (decimals, fractions, percentages)Measurement: Customary and Metrics (weight, length, diameter, volume, temperature, time, graphing)Story problems (basic computation & algebra) Engineering (design, drawing, scale, etc.)GPS (Technology)Chemistry (matter, energy, new products, e.g., fuels, plastics, etc.)Nutrition

Think-Pair-Share Performance Expectations

How can I integrate STEM concepts within the context of agriculture?

1. Think: Select a performance expectation from a STEM area and think of a way to contextualize it with an agricultural concept, practice, process, or product.

2. Pair: Discuss with a partner your idea for a STEM performance expectation integration within the context of agriculture. Remember you need to integrate at least two STEM areas.

3. Share: Share with the group one of your ideas for STEM Integration with an agricultural concept.

STEM & Agricultural Literacy Outcomes

WeatherWater (cycles, properties, etc.)Geology (soils, fertility, etc.)HeredityEcosystemsLife Cycles (growth, needs, etc.)MicroorganismsSimple Machines (wedges, levers, screws, pulleys, gears, sieves, etc.)Computation (+,-,*,/)Statistics (prediction, estimation, mean, mode, standard deviation, range, etc.) Money (decimals, fractions, percentages)Measurement: Customary and Metrics (weight, length, diameter, volume, temperature, time, graphing)Story problems (basic computation & algebra) Engineering (design, drawing, scale, etc.)GPS (Technology)Chemistry (matter, energy, new products, e.g., fuels, plastics, etc.)Nutrition

Grains (wheat, rice, corn, etc.)Fruits & Vegetables (pumpkins, apples, grapes, carrots, oranges, etc.) Seeds (beans, sunflower & more!)SoilsRangelandPlants & Animals (growth, needs, management, etc.)Fabrics (cotton, wool, etc.)Grocery Ads & Processed foods (Cheetos®, cereal, cheese, bread, yogurt, pizza, packaging, labels, etc.)Structures & Equipment Irrigation (watersheds, dams, siphons, drip, etc.)

Ag Literacy Outcome Examples Performance Expectations

So What? Ag Literacy & Content Standard Literacy

More for Engineering & Technology?Choose one of the engineering and technology scenarios below. In a group, discuss how you would solve or address this problem/issue? Sketch an image of your processing design to solve the problem. You can use mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, or nano technology engineering solutions:

Make a rectangular chocolate bar (4 min) Using corn to make tortilla chips and add nacho seasoning (3 min) Identify popcorn kernels that will pop 98% of the time (4 min) A machine to "roll" chocolate to cover all sides of a chocolate (3 min) A machine that sorts sizes and blemishes for avocados (8 min) Sort blueberries to remove bad ones from the good (2 min) Labor is scarce how can the cows get milked without someone to milk?

(3 min)

Get syrup out of a maple tree and into a bottle (6 min) Egg sorting machine for size, spots, cracks, and spots (4 min) A machine to harvest cranberries, which grow as a vine along the grou

nd (4 min)

Machine to remove juice from oranges (7 min) Place fertilizer on just on 10 acres in the middle of a rectangular 200 a

cre section of ground (8 min)

USDA-ARS Magazine, AgroWorld, and Everyday Examples in Engineering

Experience science before we start explaining science.Agricultural Project- and Problem-based student centered learning, which engages students with relevant content is = transdisciplinary learning.Hands-on Activities vs. Inquiry-based Instruction: Necessary but insufficient; asking student to collect evidence but not necessarily asking them to “formulate and communicate evidence-based conclusions.” Hence the reason why the NGSS focuses on scientific practices (no single set of procedures).The 5E Instructional Model: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate

STEM Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Putting it all together...The Next Generation Science Standards & Common Core Integration Architecture • Language Arts Practice Standards:

• Reading (anthropomorphism, and defined/undefined genre), writing, speaking, listening

• Reading - Strategies (read-alouds/questioning)

Be explicit, don’t forget, the “so what.”

Selected Resources for STEM Teaching & Learning

NSTA Resources for STEM and NGSS: http://www.nsta.org/publications/ STEM Lesson Essentials, Grades 3-8: Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (Vasquez, Sneider, & Comer)