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AGRICULTURE AND WATER QUALITY CURRICULUM

The goal of this curriculum is to build environmental literacy as it relates to agricultural production among future farmers and the educators that work within this field. The objective, scientifically-sound curriculum is for secondary students (career and technical centers, grades 8-12). It goes beyond simply sharing information and providing outreach to require students to problem-solve, think critically, have a systems approach, as budding farmers, and embody environmental stewardship with their management decisions. Topics include: watersheds, reading the soil, soil management practices, nutrient management planning, precision agricultural technology tools, agricultural and environmental policy, and a case study.

Each unit is complete with lectures, activities, scoring rubrics, proficiency standards, and field trips which helps make the curriculum widely accessible and adaptable to agricultural educators and their students. Students will learn practical, responsible agricultural management that minimizes impacts on water resources. We encourage all educators taking part in the implementing the curriculum to provide feedback and send additional resources they may be using to add to this resource library.

To access the Agriculture and Water Quality Curriculum (AWQC) online, create an account on Cooperative Extension's online campus, Extension Foundation at . Log in, search for 'Agricultural Education' in the SEARCH COURSES on the homepage, then simply select the ENROLL button. You now have full access to view and download the comprehensive curriculum!

Expanding Agriculture with Citizen Science Curriculum

Intended for secondary educators and their students, this curriculum will provide agricultural background knowledge and facilitate experimental design, data collection, and analysis of results through the use of a new online web-based and mobile-optimized tool, AgConnect. The complementary AgConnect curriculum includes guiding questions so students can engage in peer-to-peer learning and sharing about: 1) the relationships between environmental conditions, suitable crops, economic impacts, and cultural connections; 2) relevant agricultural issues, questions, and potential solutions unique to each region; and 3) comparison of experimental processes, challenges, 'a-ha' moments, and results. Some slides contain animations. The lessons can be downloaded here: Accompanying this curriculum are AgConnect and its supporting materials, WE FARM, and 360° photo tours.

To access the Expanding Agriculture with Citizen Science Curriculum online, create an account on Cooperative Extension's online campus, Extension Foundation at . Log in, search for 'Ag Citizen Sci in Classroom' in the SEARCH COURSES on the homepage or visit: Ìý then simply select the ENROLL button. You now have full access to view and download the comprehensive curriculum, AgConnect, WE FARM, 360° Photo Tours, and additional educational resources! See more below for details about this suite of learning tools. Expanding Agriculture with Citizen Science pairs well with the Agriculture and Water Quality Curriculum (see above).

WE FARM - Virtual Reality and Computer-based Decision Making Game

Water & Environment Farm Assessment and Risk Management (referred to as ‘WE FARM’) transports players to a virtual farm fields where their goals are to identify potential environmental risks and choose the management practice they believe will best mitigate potential water quality or soil health issues. Players can see how their decisions impact the land, water, and crops. This tool is a unique platform for players to identify on-farm issues without actually seeing them in real life, better preparing them for their future farming endeavors. WE FARM was built using a cross-platform design, meaning it can be accessed through a PC computer, or with an Android smartphone via virtual reality.

To install the game, navigate to this and download either the PC build or Android build, depending on which type of device you are using. Full instruction on system requirements, installation, game play and more can be found in theÌýWE FARM User Manual (PDF).

AgCONNECT

AgConnect is a free teacher-controlled platformÌýwhich guides students through lab and field-based experimental design and the scientific method with an agricultural lens. Students will follow along with AgConnect as they are prompted to research an agricultural topic, form a hypothesis, lay out a procedure and experiment, collect then analyze data, discuss research findings, and share outcomes. It can be accessed here: . A short video () introduces the teacher and student facing pages of AgConnect. Learn more about AgConnect by downloading the teacher and students resource guides here:

360° photo tours

Introduce your students to different types of crop production systems in Vermont with our 360° photo tours. The can be accessed here: The can be found here: .

These 360° photo tours were created by Ashley L. Ziegler. Thank you to CloudPano for their support of the ) used in these educational virtual tours!

Funding Provided by

The Agriculture and Water Quality Curriculum and WE FARM’s water quality learning tool were developed under Assistance Agreement No.NE00A00485 awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The products have not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed in these products are solely those of University of Vermont and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned.

On Common Ground curriculum, AgConnect and associate support materials, 360° photo tours, and WE FARM’s soil health learning tool were developed with generous funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Award No. 2020-67038-31043.

If you are interested in touring our Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT, feel free to contact our program at cropsoil@uvm.edu or calling Lindsey at 802-656-7622 or Susan at 802-656-7611.

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