The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture created free lesson plans to help ninth through 12th-grade educators increase students’ knowledge about the social, economic, environmental and production components of sustainable farming and ranching in the 21st century.
At the end of each lesson, students have the opportunity to complete a corresponding online learning experience. The focus in each lesson is on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“This curriculum prompts the question of ‘How do we feed 9 billion people by 2050?’” said Tammy Maxey, senior education manager for the Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom program.
In the first lesson, titled “What is Sustainable Agriculture,” students watch a video called The Future of Agriculture. The lesson explains that there are significant challenges facing both farmers and consumers—among them food waste, a growing population and a need to use fewer natural resources. As a result of those challenges, the agricultural industry is working toward a broad goal of sustainably producing food, fiber, fuel and shelter.
For copies of lesson plans, visit agfoundation.org/sustainability.
