Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
Thefivemillion jobs in agriculture (and food) are expected to grow at over 6% a year, but nearly one-quarter of the workforce is nearing retirement age. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop student knowledge of, and interest in,agricultural careers.Project FARM (Fostering Agricultural Research and Mentoring) will empower rural middle school science teachers to use an inquiry-driven approach to develop students' agricultural literacy. Seventh and eighth-grade science classes include topics such as water quality but are often taught without an agricultural context. A team of faculty, staff, and Extension professionals will guide fourteen middle school science teachers from two rural Alabama counties on integrating agricultural inquiry activities into curricula and science fairs. This will connectscience teachers with the regional/national Agricultural Literacy ecosystem comprised of Regional Extension Agents, Extension-led citizen science, university resources, educational sites, and online resources. Research shows that when inquiry-based teaching is linked to community impact, student interest, knowledge, and self-efficacy increase. Therefore, we expect that this initiative will increase student interest in agricultural careers.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
Project FARM's objectives include: 1) Enhanced teacher knowledge of agricultural topics related to food, water, and forests, 2) Teacher engagement in regional/national Agricultural Literacy ecosystem comprised of Regional Extension Agents, Extension-led citizen science, university resources, educational sites, and online resources, 3) Teacher development, implementation, and dissemination of agricultural-driven activities aligned with state and national science standards, and 4) Facilitatingteacher/student mentoring of agricultural science fair projects.
Project Methods
A cohort of fourteenmiddle school teachers will be selected for the training and participate in immersive learning experiences including professional development training and field trips to nearby agricultural sites that areled by Extension agents. The teachers will be supported in developing and implementing lesson plans for their classrooms that integrate agriculture, the Alabama Course of Study for Science, and the Next Generation Science Standards. Auburn University faculty and graduate students will interact with teachers during the academic year. Local Extension agents will visit the teachers' classrooms and help facilitate school field trips to agricultural sites.In addition, the teacherswill mentor their students on conducting science fair research projects that are related to agriculture. The results of these efforts will be evaluated by an external evaluator.