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National Agriculture in the Classroom

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Summary 2020 — Oregon

State Contact

Ms Jessica Jansen
Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation
200 Strand Agriculture Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331
P: 541.737.8629
E: jessica.jansen@oregonstate.edu
Website

Innovative Programming Conducted and Educational Resources Developed

Subject-specific In-Service Educator Workshops Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom hosted six subject-specific workshops for in-service educators. Three featuring aquaponics, providing participants with a kit and accompanying curriculum resources and three literacy workshops, providing teachers with three agriculturally accurate books and corresponding lessons. Due to COVID-19 these workshops were all held virtually and were very popular. Each workshop reached capacity several in less than 12 hours and educators were eager to learn about other program offerings.

Virtual Field Trips
Following the example from several other affiliates, Oregon AITC hosted ten Virtual Farm Field Trips with 9,264 students participating. Following the experience the videos were posted online, gathering an additional 4,969 views to date. Prior to distance learning, each participating class was provided an inquiry box with supplies for a supplementary lesson to reinforce the themes of the field trip.

Specialty Crop Subscription Boxes
This school year, 58 classrooms subscribed to monthly subscription boxes featuring Oregon-grown specialty crops. Each box contained supplies for a lesson related to the featured crop and a fun, interactive component for students. Lesson materials were compiled in individual take-home kits for distance learning compatibility.

We developed the following resources:

  • Grown in Oregon Map- Updated map with new commodities and census information, interactive online map, poster and student handouts: https://oregonaitc.org/resources/oregon-resources/oregon-map/
  • Specialty Crop Subscription Boxes- Includes a featured crop and accompanying lesson distributed monthly to 58 classrooms: https://oregonaitc.org/programs/specialty-crop-subscription-box/
  • Translated all student worksheets into Spanish: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/?fwp_lesson_plan_categories=spanish
  • Barley and Beasts: An Introduction to Inherited Traits Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/barley-and-beasts-an-introduction-to-inherited-traits/
  • The Bog of Buoyancy Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/the-bog-of-buoyancy/
  • Colors of Barley: An Introduction to Selective Breeding Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/colors-of-barley-an-introduction-to-selective-breeding/
  • The Barley Family: Observable Traits of Barley Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/the-barley-family-observable-traits-of-barley/
  • The F2 Generation of Buck and Lightning Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/the-f2-generation-of-buck-and-lightning/
  • Vegetable Gardening for the Community, Garden Simulation Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/vegetable-gardening-for-the-community/
  • Farming Simulation Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/the-farming-simulation/
  • "Grown in Oregon" Map Scavenger Hunt Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/grown-in-oregon-map-scavenger-hunt/
  • Grafting the Red Delicious Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/grafting-the-red-delicious/
  • The Mystery Ration Lesson: https://oregonaitc.org/lessonplan/the-mystery-ration/
  • Oregon Blueberry Video: https://youtu.be/8PHVRFGp798
  • Agricultural Networking Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/aSY88b9srSA
  • Ag Tag Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/xfRRR8O1XIY
  • Poetry of Agriculture Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/RjrbRRtTHIU
  • My Plate Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/qlh2kVBVB50
  • Gift of Trees Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/7YlLyoFh0G0
  • Bread in a Bag Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/PhzZjQzDSQ8
  • Agricultural Inventors Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/tOrWgY2qtjU
  • Source Relay Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/WVycBvGPZLo
  • Making Bioplastics Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/yCwiCOYGLN0
  • Phase Changes of Cream to Butter Video (Activity Demonstration): https://youtu.be/wWlFFjdCRuo

Major Program Impacts or Outcomes

95% of teachers trained this year planned to incorporate AITC resources in their classroom.

98% of surveyed pre-service teachers plan to use AITC resources when they begin their career.

96% of students in the Specialty Crop Subscription program reported an increased understand of agriculture as a result of participating in the program.

Program Leader Biosketch

Jessica Jansen is the Executive Director for Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation. She holds a B.S. in Agricultural Sciences and Speech Communication from Oregon State University. In addition to her duties with Oregon AITC, Jessica serves on the Summer Agriculture Institute Committee and the board of directors for the Oregon Ag Fest, Oregon Dairy Women and Oregon Women for Agriculture. She and her husband, Matt, enjoy being involved in Oregon's dairy industry, hiking, playing disc golf and learning about all things agriculture!

This is her seventh year as Executive Director of Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom.