Environmental Issue: Agriculture
Background Information
The lesson plans and resources listed below are included in this module to help teachers prepare for and conduct their Agriculture and Society unit.
Designed for grades 4 and up.
PennsylvaniaA Academic Standards, Environment and Ecology, addressed using this issue:
- 4.4 Agriculture and Society
4.4.4 A Know the importance of agriculture to humans
4.4.7 A Explain society's standard of living in relation to agriculture
4.4.4 D Identify technology and energy use associated with agriculture
4.4.7 C Explain agricultural systems' use of natural and human resources - 4.3.7 Environmental Health
4.3.7 A Identify environmental health issues
4.3.7 B Describe how human action affect the health of the environment - 4.9.7 Environmental Laws and Regulations
4.9.7 A Explain the role of environmental law and regulations
General Teacher Resources:
- Agriculture K-12, Curriculum Supplement, ACT 26; Pennsylvania Department of Education's "Office of Environment & Ecology"
- Hoffmeister, E. Pennsylvania: Resources-Pennsylvania Provides Us With A Habitat For Life! Pennsylvania Association of Conservations Districts: Pennsylvania
- Curriculum Re-alignment Materials - List of available materials offered through the Department of Education, Office of Environment and Ecology.
Curriculum Re-alignment Materials - The Pennsylvania Water Resources Directory - is a compilation of resources that can be used to enhance audience understanding about topics related to water quality and watersheds. The Directory is printed annually by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD). The online version of the Directory is also revised, ongoing.
http://www.pacd.org/resources/water/introduction.html - Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts - Of interest for this section is: Agriculture and Contact List
http://www.pacd.org/resources/water/Agriculture.html
http://www.pacd.org/resources/water/Contact.html - Schoolyard Garden Designs: A Guide to Gardening with Children, John O'Brian
Documents on Agriculture:
Glossary A-P; Glossary Q-Z
Particle Size Classes
Websites with Agriculture information:
For Students
- Agriculture for Kids
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids - Agriculture in the Classroom
http://www.agclassroom.org/ - Hot Links for Teachers... - A huge list to useful links to agriculture focussed materials. (http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/teachers/hot&cool.html


