Introduction to Agriculture Foods & Natural Resources (AFNR)
|
|
applications. Students will explore career and postsecondary opportunities in each area of the course. Students participating in the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources course will experience hands-on activities, projects, and problems. Student experiences will involve the study of communication, the science of agriculture, plants, animals, natural resources, and agricultural mechanics. While surveying the opportunities available in agriculture and natural resources, students will learn to solve problems, conduct research, analyze data, work in teams, and take responsibility for their work, actions, and learning. For example, students will work in groups to determine the efficiency and environmental impacts of fuel sources in a practical learning exercise.
Biology & Sustainable Agriculture
(Year Course - Meets Life Science Graduation Requirement)
Meets A-G Requirements - Grade 10
Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and the biotic world can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment; adapted from http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm Sustainable Agriculture is a one year course designed to integrate biological science practices and knowledge into the practice of sustainable agriculture. The course is organized into four major sections, or units, each with a guiding question. Unit one addresses the question, What is sustainable agriculture? Unit two, sustainable agriculture fit into our environment? Unit three, What molecular biology principles guide sustainable agriculture? Unit four, How do we make decisions to maximize sustainable agricultural practices within a functioning ecosystem? Within each unit specific life science principles will be identified with agricultural principles and practices guiding the acquisition of this knowledge, culminating in the development of a sustainable farm model and portfolio of supporting student research. Prerequisite - AFNR
Chemistry & Agriscience
(Year Course – Graduation Requirement)
Meets A-G Requirement - Grade 11
This course explores the physical and chemical nature of soil as well as the relationships between soil, plants, animals and agricultural practices. Students will examine properties of soil and land and their connections to plant and animal production. Using knowledge of scientific protocols as well as course content, students will develop an Agriscience research program to be conducted throughout the first semester of the course. Additionally, students will develop and present a capstone soil management plan for agricultural producers, using the content learned throughout the course. Throughout the course, students will be graded on participation in intracurricular FFA activities as well as the development and maintenance of an ongoing Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. Prerequisite - AFNR & Biology & Sustainable Agriculture
AG Physical Science
(Year Course - Meets Physical Science Graduation Requirement)
Meets A-G Requirements - Grade 11
An integrated lab course covering the following topics: motion & forces, energy electromagnetic phenomena, sound, basic concepts of chemistry & astronomy, dynamic earth processes such as weather, volcanoes, earthquakes and waves. An integrated lab course covering the following topics: motion & forces, energy electromagnetic phenomena, sound, basic concepts of chemistry & astronomy, dynamic earth processes such as weather, volcanoes, earthquakes and waves. This course is for students who do not plan to go to a 4 year college.
Advanced Interdisciplinary Science for Sustainable Agriculture (ASM)
(Year Course - Meets Lab Science)
Meets A-G Requirements - Grade 12 - UC Honors
This integrated class combines an interdisciplinary approach to laboratory science and research with agricultural management principles. Using skills and principles learned in the course, students design systems and experiments to solve agricultural management issues currently facing the industry. Additionally, students will connect the products created in this class with industry activities to link real world encounters and implement skills demanded by both colleges and careers. The course culminates with an agriscience experimental research project in which students design and conduct an experiment to solve a relevant issue. Final projects will be eligible for Career Development Event competition at FFA events. Throughout the course, students will be graded on participation in intracurricular FFA activities as well as the development and maintenance of an ongoing Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. Prerequisite- Biology & Sustainable Agriculture, Chemistry & Agriscience