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Agriculture in the Classroom

http://www.agclassroom.org/index.htm

Target Audience
Grades - K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12

This website is a wonderful resource for teachers of general science courses, as well as agricultural teachers. The strongest area of the website is the inclusion of curriculum development from kindergarten through 12th grade for teachers of agriculture. The curriculum lessons are individually written and quite thorough.

From a student's standpoint, the strongest area is in the science fair idea category within the Kid's Zone section. The ideas presented are strong and give a wonderful resource for students in developing ideas for science fairs. The website also gives wonderful insight into a child's life in the agricultural area. It covers areas of agriculture well including animal science, crop production, beef and dairy industries, and land management and geography. One area that has yet to be developed is the "Teen Zone." I would suggest links to Future Farmers of America (FFA) and to 4-H with ideas for developing hands-on projects with respect to these organizations.

Future expansion of the website could include college links for high-school students with an interest in agriculture as a career choice. This website can be used as a tool for encouraging young people in deciding to choose agriculture as a career path.

I would like to see development of sections on Biotechnology in Agriculture, Plant Diseases and Their Effect on World History, Specialized Commodity Areas, Alternative Cropping Systems, and Agriculture in Space. Overall, I would strongly recommend this website to teachers, students, and parents who are interested in science with an emphasis on agriculture. I do see some room for growth and suggest that the USDA (in conjunction with other agencies) explore these possibilities for expansion.

Reviewer Name:	Peter A. Gay
Reviewer Affiliation:	University of Alaska Fairbanks
Site Title:	Agriculture in the Classroom
Site Owner/Developer:	U. S. Department of Agriculture
Date of Review:	07/1/2003
Technical Environment used for testing:	Memory: 16+ MB Browser: Internet Explorer Internet Connection: 56