9th - 12th Grade ELA Standards:
Reading

R1:
Cite relevant and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

A Recipe for Genetics: Selective Breeding and Bioengineering: Students identify technologies that have changed the way humans affect the inheritance of desired traits in organisms; compare and contrast selective breeding methods to bioengineering techniques; and analyze data to determine the best solution for cultivating desired traits in organisms.

Carbon Hoofprints: Cows and Climate Change: Students will explore the carbon cycle and evaluate the carbon footprint of beef cattle. Using critical thinking skills, students will use the claim, evidence, and reasoning model to determine the effect of cows’ methane production on the environment and investigate the extent cattle contribute to climate change.

Design ‘Y’er Genes: This lesson introduces students to the relationships between chromosomes, genes and DNA molecules. Using the example of a strawberry, it also provides activities that clearly show how changes in the DNA of an organism, either naturally or artificially, can cause changes.

Evaluating Perspectives About GMOs: While many view bioengineered crops (GMOs) as a promising innovation, there is controversy about their use. This lesson provides students with a brief overview of the technology, equipping them with the ability to evaluate the social, environmental, and economic arguments for and against bioengineered crops (GMOs). This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view.

Fertilizers and the Environment: Students will recognize that fertile soil is a limited resource, describe the role fertilizer plays in increasing food productivity, distinguish between organic and commercial fertilizers, describe how excess nutrients are harmful to the environment, and identify different sources of nutrient pollution.

Filling the Global Grocery Bag: Students learn what factors affect a country's ability to produce their own food and how food expenses differ throughout the world.

Find Your Future Career: Students will discover the variety of agricultural careers available and consider their future career paths in terms of economics, interests, and suitability to their personal talents and characteristics.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Organic Foods: Students will determine the presence of DNA in their food by extracting it from a strawberry. Then, students will compare and contrast GMOs and organic foods in order to evaluate the nutrition, safety, economic, geographic and environmental impacts of these agricultural production practices.

Global Food Security: Students will explore the causes of hunger, both domestically and globally; evaluate potential solutions for solving world hunger; and forecast the impact of a growing world population on current food supplies.

Growing a Nation Era 2: From Defeat to Victory: Students will engage with the Growing a Nation timeline to explore the significant historical and agricultural events and inventions from American history during the years 1930-1949. Students will examine the cause and impact of the Dust Bowl, recognize how the Dust Bowl contributed to the Great Depression, and describe the government’s response to assist farmers in the 1930s.

Growing a Nation Era 4: Into a New Millennium: Students engage with the Growing a Nation timeline to explore the significant historical and agricultural events and inventions from American history during the years 1970-2000. Students recognize the importance of labor in agriculture and determine how the implementation of technology in agriculture increased agricultural production.

In Search of Essential Nutrients: Students explore the meaning of essential elements and use periodic tables to compare the elements that are essential to people and plants. Students discover where in the environment plants obtain each of their essential elements.

Know Your Nitrogen: Students will test for plant-available soil nitrogen and learn how farmers use this test to precisely match fertilizer application to meet crop needs and reduce the amount of nitrogen left in the soil.

Matter of Fact: Students will take on the role of a nitrogen molecule and experience how various forms of nitrogen cycle through the environment. Students will be able to identify and differentiate between atoms, molecules and compounds.

Milk: The Scoop on Chemical and Physical Changes: Students apply their knowledge of physical science to dairy products to determine if the changes that take place when turning milk into cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whip cream and other dairy products are physical or chemical changes.

Planet Zorcon: Explore the use of natural resources and how humans impact the environment. Discover the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources and identify careers related to natural resource management by playing a futuristic simulation game in which teams have to collect limited resources from “Planet Zorcon.”

Plant Nutrient Deficiencies: Students will recognize that plants—like people—require essential nutrients to be present in the right amounts in order to be healthy, use reference materials to diagnose plant nutrient deficiencies, define fertilizer as a type of food for plants, and appreciate that fertilizers are used to replenish nutrients in agricultural soils.

Say Cheese for Protein: Explore protein, discover the role of amino acids, identify dietary sources of complete and incomplete proteins, and make fresh mozzarella cheese—a food science experience where students will observe the protein in milk (whey and casein) separate from water in the creation of cheese.

The Role of Women in Agriculture: Students will investigate the number of female farmers globally and identify their impacts on contemporary agriculture.

R2:
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Apples and the Science of Genetic Selection: Students will distinguish between natural and artificial selection and use a student-centered learning activity to see how science and genetics have been used to artificially select apples for specific traits like color, texture, taste and crispness.

Enzymes and Bacteria are Whey Cool!: Students study the science of amino acids, protein, enzymes, and beneficial bacterial bacteria to explore the phenomena, “Why does each variety of cheese taste different when the ingredients are the same?”

Growing a Nation Era 5a: Growing Technology: Students will be introduced to technologies currently used on farms by engaging in an AppQuest to discover how farmers use mobile apps to manage farm production systems, marketing options, and make timely decisions.

The Big Deal About Big Ag: Discover how technological advances and economic forces influence the size of farms in the United States. Evaluate the pros and cons of large-scale agriculture for the production of our food, fuel and fiber and identify the similarities and differences in commercial vs. subsistence farming.

R3:
Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.

One in a Million: Students will learn about solutes and solvents and use serial dilution while investigating parts per million—a term used to describe the nutrient concentration of a fertilizer solution.

What’s Your pH?: Students will measure the pH of a soil sample and learn how pH affects the availability of nutrient uptake by plants. Students will determine if and how their soil pH should be modified through the application of soil amendments.

R4:
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming: Students will use the engineering design process to develop and construct an aeroponic garden to grow a food crop. Students will develop and apply an understanding of plant anatomy and physiology related to plant growth and ultimately discuss the possibilities and limitations of using vertical farming to produce our food.

Blue's the Clue: Souring Milk for Science: This lab introduces students to the effect temperature has on reducing and controlling the growth of bacteria. Students will use conventionally pasteurized and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk to observe how different temperatures (hot, room temperature, cool and freezing) affect the growth of spoilage bacteria. They will also learn about the importance of pasteurization in keeping food safe.

Bring Home the Blue, Not the Flu!: Using the context of a county fair livestock show, students investigate how diseases are spread. With a focus on zoonotic disease, students will complete simulations demonstrating the spread of illness and implementation of biosecurity measures as well as complete an online module to deepen understanding of specific diseases and their prevention.

Double the Muscle: Probabilities and Pedigrees: This lesson allows students to apply the concept of Mendelian genetics and learn about the double muscling trait found in cattle. Students will apply their knowledge of genetics and Punnett squares to calculate the probability of genotypes and use a pedigree chart.

Energy and Biofuels: Through a series of activities, students explore fermentation and ethanol production, observe the role of enzymes in fermentation, analyze nutrient values of dent corn, and discover how biofuels are made from plant oils.

Healthy Eating Away From Home: This lesson highlights awareness of consuming nutrients and calories away from home, and where to find the calorie and nutrition information for foods available in fast food restaurants. It also highlights how to determine individual calorie needs, as well as the number of calories in a typical fast food meal, and it focuses on dietary goals for saturated fat and sodium.

Honey as a Biomolecule: Students will learn about different types of carbohydrates, the role of enzymes in breaking down complex sugars into simple sugars, and how different sugars impact our perception of sweetness and may impact human health.

Journey 2050 Lesson 1: Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture: Students will explore the question, “How will we sustainably feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050?” as they discover what sustainable agriculture is and how it is critical to securing a stable food supply and future for a growing population.

Journey 2050 Lesson 2: Soil Nutrients: Students will identify nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus as primary soil nutrients necessary in the production of abundant and healthy foods; describe various methods of replenishing soil nutrients that have been depleted by plant growth; discover how overall plant health impacts a plant’s ability to resist disease and pests; and describe what best management practices are in agriculture to improve overall sustainability.

Journey 2050 Lesson 3: Water: Students will discuss the limited amount of fresh water on earth, identify how best management practices can reduce water consumption, discuss the need for water conservation and protection related to population growth and agriculture, and compare and contrast methods of irrigation for water conservation.

Journey 2050 Lesson 4: Economies: Students will explain why economics are important to sustainability, describe the relationship between a sustainable economy and the environment, develop a model demonstrating how agricultural production creates a ripple effect that impacts local and global economies and social stability, and discuss how investments build an economy.

Journey 2050 Lesson 5: Land Use: Students will recognize that arable land—ideal land for growing crops—is a limited resource; identify best management practices that can be applied to every stakeholder’s land-use decisions; and analyze and discuss the impacts of food waste on our environment.

Journey 2050 Lesson 6: Careers: Students will explore careers related to agriculture, identify personal interests within agriculture or a related field, and discuss how agricultural professionals can impact world food.

Melons, Mitosis and Meiosis: Students will apply the steps of mitosis and meiosis to learn about the production of both seeded and seedless watermelon. Students will learn about the discovery of colchicine, which made seedless watermelon possible, and use modeling clay and beans to model meiosis and mitosis.

Methods of Crop Modification: Explore six scientific processes that can be used in plant breeding to modify the genotype of a plant in the pursuit of desired characteristics.

MyPlate, MyWin: Students will explore the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, compare and contrast historical food guides, and discover how to apply principles of MyPlate into their diet to create a “MyWin.”

Nutrition Across the Lifespan: Students will trace the energy and nutrition requirements of the human lifecycle from beginning to end and identify the physical and cognitive growth happening in each phase of life.

Pig Power: Creating Biogas and Renewable Energy: After exploring the science of energy and energy conversion, students will evaluate some environmental impacts of hog farming and explore technologies that minimize negative human impact by creating biogas energy from animal waste.

Strawberry Breeding and Genetics: Students learn about DNA by extracting it from strawberries. Students also analyze the similarities and differences of their extraction process to those on “Genetic Engineering: The Journey of a Gene.” Students learn how genetic testing (including DNA extraction) is useful in breeding new varieties of strawberries.

The Carbon Cycle and Climate Smart Agriculture: Students will explore the carbon cycle, evaluate natural and human-induced activities that drive the carbon cycle, and discover climate smart agricultural practices that can be used to produce our food.

The Geography of Thanksgiving Dinner: Students will identify common Thanksgiving foods and their farm source, determine if those foods can be produced locally, and locate the common origins of their Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Tracing the Agricultural Supply Chain: Explore the complexity of global commodity chains that link the production and consumption of agricultural products. Discover how economics, politics, infrastructure, and other conditions affect the distribution of food throughout the world.

Understanding Bacteria: This lesson introduces students to food safety, the 4 Cs of Food Safety, the Farm-to-Table Continuum, who’s responsible for keeping our food safe, and the link between food safety and other content areas. Students will also be challenged to hypothesize about where most bacteria are found and develop awareness that bacteria are everywhere and that various surfaces might have different levels of organisms.

Weighing in on Egg Labels, Supply, and Demand: Students will apply a basic understanding of the laws of supply and demand, learn about different types of egg laying farms, and recognize the impact labeling has on consumer choices.

Where Does it Grow? The Science of Climate and Food: Students will discover the connection between climate and our food supply as they answer the question, "Where does it grow?" They will also explore the consequences of climate change on our food supply and discover how advances in science can help farmers adapt to climate change.

R6:
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Federal Lands: Ranching & Recreating on Common Grounds: Using various forms of maps, students will analyze public lands in the western United States, describe how ranchers raise food and fiber on federally owned land, and discuss different points of view concerning public lands use and public lands grazing.

Food: Going the Distance: Students calculate the miles common food items travel from the farm to their plates and discuss the environmental, social, and economic pros and cons of eating local vs. relying on a global marketplace for our food.

My Agricultural Connections: Describe the local and global complexities in the agricultural systems that provide for our basic needs—food, clothing, and shelter.

Plant-Soil Interactions: Students will explain the roles of diffusion and active transport in moving nutrients from the soil to the plant; describe the formation of soil and soil horizons; and describe the events in the Great Dust Bowl, how they relate to soil horizons, and how those events affected agricultural practices.

Populations: Students evaluate the growth of human populations across time, analyze graphic data to make predictions about future population growth, research country statistics to evaluate demographic transition, and participate in a simulation of a village reliant on subsistence farming. Students begin to develop a sense for the Earth’s carrying capacity and how humans have impacted it.

R7:
Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account.

A Closer Look at Fats: This lesson describes the role of fats in food and in the body, and how they serve as a source of energy. It provides information on different types of fats that are listed on the Nutrition Facts label—including total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat—and defines trans fat and cholesterol. The lesson also includes dietary guidance for fat consumption.

Agricultural Land Use: Students explore the impact of fertilizer on algae growth, soil erosion, and agricultural soil and water conservation practices.

Agricultural Production Regions in the United States: Students will investigate U.S. crop and livestock production and analyze the relevance of land use models in contemporary agricultural production.

Farmland: Students will view the film Farmland, a documentary spotlighting six farmers and ranchers in the United States. The film portrays the business and lifestyle of a variety of farmers and ranchers. Perspectives on topics such as genetically modified (GMO) crops, animal welfare, organic and conventional farming practices, farm size, farming stereotypes, and more are presented.

From Techniques and Traits: This lesson explores common biotechnology methods and their applications in agricultural sciences. Students will examine DNA analysis techniques, become familiar with the process of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and evaluate methods of DNA analysis as they learn how biological techniques can be used in the process of developing specific traits within a crop.

Global Trade and Interdependence: Students will examine the impacts of the Columbian Exchange and identify the economic and cultural impacts of contemporary global agricultural trade. They will also explore how food choices influence patterns of food production and consumption.

Hen House Engineering: Students will use the claim, evidence and reasoning model to evaluate styles of housing used for laying hens in the production of eggs. Using critical thinking skills, students will compare housing styles, determine which system meets their animal welfare standards, and engineer their own hen house model to meet the needs of laying hens.

Nutrients to Get Less Of: This lesson introduces sodium and sugar as dietary nutrients we should consume less of. Students will identify the foods and beverages they should limit and recognize how to use the Nutrition Facts label to measure sodium and sugar intake.

Photoperiod Phenomena: Students will understand how photoperiodism impacts plants and animals in the environment and learn how egg farms use this science to manage the production of eggs by their hens.

Preservation Power of Honey: Students will expand their knowledge of microbial growth and scientific food preservation methods to learn how honey can serve as an antibacterial agent. Students will learn how honey may be used as a preservative of milk in areas without access to electricity or refrigeration and how this preservation method relies on elements found specifically in honey that cannot be replicated with other sources of sugar.

Soil and Sustainability: Students observe soil ecosystems to investigate how human impact affects the biodiversity of soils using the Simpson's Index of Diversity. Then, students conduct an investigation using field corn to determine how the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers impact soil microorganisms and biodiversity.

R8:
Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

R9:
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

The Green Revolution: Evaluate the agricultural advances of the Green Revolution, discover the contributions of Norman Borlaug, and discuss the impacts of this era from an economic, social, political, and environmental perspective.

R10:
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Plasmid Problem Solving: This lesson compares and contrasts prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and examines the form and function of the plasmid found in prokaryotic cells. Students will then use these principles to simulate how a desirable gene can be isolated and inserted into a plasmid as one step in the process of creating a genetically modified organism (GMO).

9th - 12th Grade ELA Standards:Reading

9th - 12th Grade ELA Standards:
Reading