Chicks hatch and ag education grows

MT. PLEASANT — Agricultural education saturates Henry County classrooms thanks to the dedicated partnerships of classroom teachers and agricultural-minded groups like the Iowa State Extension Office and Farm Bureau in the county. Thanks to these groups, it’s that time of year again when chicks begin hatching in right inside these very classrooms.

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Over the last two months, Henry County Iowa State Extension Office 4-H Youth Development Administrator Erin Heaton has made the rounds to various Henry County elementaries to teach the students all about hatching chicks. Along with specific education about incubation and egg anatomy, the lessons give students an inside look into the life cycles of animals in a fun and interactive way.

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Alongside the Extension Office’s lessons on chick hatching, Henry County Farm Bureau provided lessons covering topics such as seed germination, beef cows, sugar, and everyday products that come from agriculture. These lessons are part of their Ag in the Classroom Program which includes classroom visits and lesson kits.

According to Farm Bureau’s Outreach Coordinator Sarah Sietz, Ag in the Classroom is the embodiment of the Bureau’s dedication to investing resources as a provision to teachers and students throughout the county to help teach students about agriculture.

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“Iowa is a leading producer in many agricultural products, so it is important for students to understand the essential role that agriculture plays in their daily lives,” Sietz said. “Nearly everything we eat, wear, and use comes from plants and animals that are grown on farms. Our Ag in the Classroom program provides real-world connections and makes learning relevant and fun for students.”

Sietz actually handles all of the classroom visits for the county in which she introduces agricultural content that teachers may not be confident in teaching on their own, yet.

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“Most visits are around 30-45 minutes and cover a broad range of agricultural topics such as apples and pumpkins, germination, beef cows, dairy, byproducts, and more,” Sietz explains. “I provide all of the materials for the classrooms I visit. Most of the lessons are very hands on for the students. Many visits this year have been on a monthly rotation, where I see the same classes each month to discuss a new topic. Currently, between both Des Moines and Henry County, I visit with almost 500 students on a monthly basis.”

When she isn’t actually in the classroom, Farm Bureau still equips teachers to continue educating their students about agriculture with their lesson kits.

“As our program continues to grow, it has been vital for me to find ways that we can increase our reach to more and more teachers,” Sietz said. “One way of that is through our lesson kits. While I cannot always see all of the classrooms that would like visits, I still want to be able to provide them with the resources to use at their own pace.”

According to Sietz, teachers can request a resource tote on lesson topics of their choosing which they can then teach at their own pace and incorporate the lessons into already active curriculum in the classroom. These totes come with all the needed materials for each lesson. Sietz drops the totes off at the school and picks them back up when the teacher has completed the lesson.

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“For example, if a teacher asks for a lesson kit on ‘Seed Germination Necklaces,’ they will receive the yarn, plastic baggies, water beads, and soybeans needed for the amount of students in their classroom,” Sietz said. “It also comes with a lesson kit information sheet, tips and tricks for the lesson, the full lesson plan, an evaluation form, and a return check list.”

Sietz says that these lesson kits are relatively new to their Ag in the Classroom Program, but anticipates more classrooms utilizing them over the next school year.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com