W1:
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Students will explore organic and conventional farming practices by analyzing multimedia texts to investigate the differences between conventionally and organically grown apples.

Build it Better: Students will investigate animal handling preferences and design a cattle corral system that is durable, efficient and effective. Students will also discover the skills needed to be an agricultural engineer.

Cultures, Food, and Communities Around the World: Students explore different cultures around the world, compare worldwide communities with local communities, and explain the interrelationship between the environment and community development.

Eggs in the World of Food Choices: Students will learn about geographic, economic, human and cultural influences on food choices around the world and conduct research to learn about the influences behind an international egg recipe.

Get Popping!: Students will discover how popcorn is grown and explore the phenomenon of how popcorn pops.

Growing Almonds: Fact or Opinion: Students will learn about the process of getting almonds from farm to table and distinguish the difference between facts and opinions as they learn about each stage and season of almond growth.

Six Kinds Do It All: The purpose of this lesson is for students to become familiar with the six kinds of simple machines—the inclined plane, pulley, screw, wedge, lever, and wheel and axle. These machines are combined to form complex machines.

Walnuts: The Importance of Grafting: The purpose of this unit is for students to understand the science and economic importance of grafting walnut trees.

What’s Bugging You?: Students will learn the definition of a pest, examine how pests affect other living organisms and the environment, and identify how pests are managed in agricultural settings.

W2:
Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

A “Sour” Subject: Students will learn about the growth and production of citrus fruits and participate in an activity where they use skills of observation and mathematical computation to compare and contrast grapefruits and lemons.

By Land, Air, or Sea: Students will discover how agricultural commodities are transported from producers to consumers.

Cheesemaking: From Liquid to Solid: Students make fresh mozzarella cheese and discover the science (changing a liquid to a solid), art, and craft involved in the development of specialty cheese.

Desktop Greenhouses: Students will investigate the importance of light to plants by creating a desktop greenhouse investigation and exploring the process of photosynthesis.

Drone in High-Tech Farming: Students will discover the science behind how a drone works, explore how drones are used in agriculture, and program and operate a drone for the purpose of surveying a field.

Edible Numbers: Students will develop a working vocabulary regarding food, categorize foods by their sources, examine grocery ads, learn about food production, and apply what they learned by analyzing foods they eat at a particular meal.

Eggs: From Hen to Home: Students will trace the production path of eggs—beginning on the farm and ending in their home. Students will identify the culinary uses and nutritional benefits of eggs.

From Chicken Little to Chicken Big: Students will identify different breeds of chickens, examine physical characteristics and determine the stages of a chicken's life cycle.

Growing Almonds: Fact or Opinion: Students will learn about the process of getting almonds from farm to table and distinguish the difference between facts and opinions as they learn about each stage and season of almond growth.

High-Tech Farming: Students will discover technologies that are used on farms to increase efficiency and yields and decrease costs and environmental impact.

How Does Your Garden Grow?: Students synthesize what they know about soils, plants and the environment to plan a garden, present their plans and explain why they made the decisions that they did.

In A Nutshell: Students will explore pecan production from farm to fork, simulate the process of grafting and create a nutritious snack.

Robots in High-Tech Farming: Students will discover the four main components of robots, explore how robots are used in agriculture, and program and operate a robot to address a farming challenge.

Significant Surroundings: Students will identify basic animal behaviors and hypothesize what causes them. Students will also discover the responsibilities of an animal physiologist.

Test Tube Hydroponics: Students will investigate the importance of nutrients for plant growth and discover how plants grow without soil by growing and observing plants in a test tube hydroponic system.

The TART Cherry on Top: Students will explore tart cherry production in the United States and explain why producers and consumers are needed in the cherry industry.

The Ultimate Efficient Recycler: Students will examine how cows help conserve natural resources by identifying the important role dairy cattle have in reducing, reusing and recycling food processing by-products. Students will identify each of the stages in the ecological cycle and the important role of decomposers.

Walnuts: The Importance of Grafting: The purpose of this unit is for students to understand the science and economic importance of grafting walnut trees.

What’s Bugging You?: Students will learn the definition of a pest, examine how pests affect other living organisms and the environment, and identify how pests are managed in agricultural settings.

Whipping Butter into Shape: Students will investigate the physical change that occurs as milk is turned into butter.

Wild Rice: Students explore the life cycle of wild rice, compare the steps of the traditional Native wild rice harvest with a cultivated wild rice harvest, and create their own wild rice bowls.

W3:
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

A Rafter of Turkeys: Students will learn about the domestication and life cycle of the turkey, recognize how turkeys are raised on farms, and identify turkey products.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Students will explore organic and conventional farming practices by analyzing multimedia texts to investigate the differences between conventionally and organically grown apples.

My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable: The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with an opportunity to enhance writing skills while simultaneously learning about the production and distribution of fresh produce.

Science and Poetry with Almonds: Students will learn about the almond tree life cycle including tree dormancy, pollination, bloom and kernel development of an almond.

W4:
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.

A “Sour” Subject: Students will learn about the growth and production of citrus fruits and participate in an activity where they use skills of observation and mathematical computation to compare and contrast grapefruits and lemons.

A Rafter of Turkeys: Students will learn about the domestication and life cycle of the turkey, recognize how turkeys are raised on farms, and identify turkey products.

By Land, Air, or Sea: Students will discover how agricultural commodities are transported from producers to consumers.

Drones in High-Tech Farming: Students will discover the science behind how a drone works, explore how drones are used in agriculture, and program and operate a drone for the purpose of surveying a field.

Edible Numbers: Students will develop a working vocabulary regarding food, categorize foods by their sources, examine grocery ads, learn about food production, and apply what they learned by analyzing foods they eat at a particular meal.

Eggs: From Hen to Home: Students will trace the production path of eggs—beginning on the farm and ending in their home. Students will identify the culinary uses and nutritional benefits of eggs.

Enjoying the Harvest: Students will identify the parts of a wheat plant and wheat kernel and investigate the process of milling wheat kernels into flour.

Farming in a Glove: Students observe how a seed sprouts and investigate the conditions necessary for germination to occur.

From Chicken Little to Chicken Big: Students will identify different breeds of chickens, examine physical characteristics and determine the stages of a chicken's life cycle.

High-Tech Farming: Students will discover technologies that are used on farms to increase efficiency and yields and decrease costs and environmental impact.

Horse and Rider: The Pony Express: Students explore the role horses played in the settlement and expansion of the American West by mapping Pony Express stations.

In A Nutshell: Students will explore pecan production from farm to fork, simulate the process of grafting and create a nutritious snack.

Making Half MyPlate Fruits and Vegetables: The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to MyPlate (2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans) and to reinforce the importance of making half your plate fruits and vegetables.

My Farm Web: Students use the visual representation of a web to explore the role of agriculture in their daily lives and understand how most of the necessities of life can be traced back to the farm.

My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable: The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with an opportunity to enhance writing skills while simultaneously learning about the production and distribution of fresh produce.

Pancakes!: Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they examine the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees.

Right This Very Minute: Students will read “Right This Very Minute”—a table-to-farm book about food production and farming—and diagram the path of production for a processed product. Students will study a map to discover where different commodities are grown and write a thank-you letter to farmers in their local community.

Robots in High-Tech Farming: Students will discover the four main components of robots, explore how robots are used in agriculture, and program and operate a robot to address a farming challenge.

Test Tube Hydroponics: Students will investigate the importance of nutrients for plant growth and discover how plants grow without soil by growing and observing plants in a test tube hydroponic system.

The TART Cherry on Top: Students will explore tart cherry production in the United States and explain why producers and consumers are needed in the cherry industry.

The Ultimate Efficient Recycler: Students will examine how cows help conserve natural resources by identifying the important role dairy cattle have in reducing, reusing and recycling food processing by-products. Students will identify each of the stages in the ecological cycle and the important role of decomposers.

W5:
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising and editing.

Science and Poetry with Almonds: Students will learn about the almond tree life cycle including tree dormancy, pollination, bloom and kernel development of an almond.

W7:
Conduct short, as well as more sustained, research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Got Guts?: Students will investigate the different digestive systems of livestock and learn how animals have unique nutritional needs based on these structures. Students will also discover the responsibilities of an animal nutritionist.

Plants Around You: Students will categorize plants into groups, describe what plants need for healthy growth and start their own garden by planting seeds inside a cup.

Roll of the Genes: Students will learn about genes and how they affect important traits such as growth, reproduction, disease resistance and behavior. Students will also discover the responsibilities of an animal geneticist.

Tropism Twist: Students will investigate how light affects plant growth by observing changes in a plant’s growth and movement as light availability is altered through an experiment.

W8:
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Build-a-Calf Workshop: Students will explore concepts of heredity in beef cattle and identify dominant and recessive traits.

Luscious Leaves: The purpose of this lesson is to review the functions of plant leaves and to develop an understanding of leaves as edible parts of some plants. Many edible leaves are part of a healthy diet and are a good source of vitamin A.

Plants Around You: Students will categorize plants into groups, describe what plants need for healthy growth and start their own garden by planting seeds inside a cup.

W9:
Draw relevant evidence from grade-appropriate literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research.

Build-a-Calf Workshop: Students will explore concepts of heredity in beef cattle and identify dominant and recessive traits.

Pancakes!: Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they examine the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees.

W10:
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.

Farmer George: The Seeds of a Presidency: Students will read two books and pursue a process of inquiry to profile George Washington, understanding and evaluating the personal characteristics that made him a great leader while also exploring historical and modern food systems.

How Does Your Garden Grow?: Students synthesize what they know about soils, plants and the environment to plan a garden, present their plans and explain why they made the decisions that they did.

Milk Makin’ Math: Students will learn about the numerous career opportunities involved in the dairy industry. They will also practice real world math problems related to specific careers within the industry.