Elementary Education

Ag in the Classroom Course

Professional Development with MAEF

Enrollment in our Spring 2022 course is now OPEN!

Please review all of the dates and information on the flyer prior to registering. Participation in the 2-day weekend workshop session is required for credit.

Course Information:

Our 7-week virtual course, “Infusing Agriculture in the Elementary Classroom” begins Monday, March 28th online and runs through Friday, May 20th.

Our course features a 2-day in-person weekend workshop (Saturday, April 2nd & Sunday, April 3rd) with the remaining contact hours as 7 weeks of flexible, online learning.

Teachers who successfully complete the course will earn 3 MSDE CPD credits!

For more information, please contact Tonya Wible, Elementary Education Director, at twible@maefonline.com.

Check out what teachers are saying about our course!

“This class has really opened up my eyes to the simple ways we can incorporate agriculture into our classrooms every day. Not to mention, each time I’ve brought back one the books or lesson ideas to the classroom, my kiddos were super engaged and ready to learn!”

– Fall 2019 course participant

The course was great. I learned so much about Maryland and agriculture in general. I liked being able to incorporate the information into the existing curriculum and create hands-on, engaging activities for my students. I highly recommend teachers signing up for this course.

– BR, Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD (Spring 2020 participant)

“I would absolutely recommend my colleagues to take this course if they can. The benefits I have gotten from this course have been worth all the time and effort I have invested into it. To motivate students’ learning, it is important to connect the curriculum to real life, and agriculture is highly related to us in many aspects. Before taking the course, I simply thought that integrating agriculture in the classroom is a good idea. I did not know much how agriculture impacts us. I had no idea about how to implement it. This course opened a big door to me.”

-Ms. Yang, Baltimore City Public Schools (Spring 2020 participant)

“I have a new interest in Maryland agriculture and look forward to sharing it with my team and my students! I hope there is another course soon!”

-Fall 2019 Course Participant

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See what Maryland teachers are saying about past Ag in the Classroom workshops!

“This is an amazing experience for any teacher! I cannot believe how many resources – books, supplies, field trips – the workshop was able to provide.”

“This workshop was by far the best professional learning opportunity I have experienced in 20 years of teaching…fun, informative, applicable and amazing resources that I will use to benefit my students, colleagues and my school.”

“Ag in the Classroom goes above and beyond the usual teacher workshop. The amount of useful information, projects, experiments, resources and supplies was astounding! I can walk into my classroom right now and have many lessons that I can do now. No other workshop comes close to what I gained from Ag in the Classroom!”

“What an amazing – jam packed week! I was able to learn through touching, creating and collaborating. The resources are invaluable. All done in 5 days, too!”

Mobile Science Labs

The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation’s Mobile Science Lab Program teaches elementary students in Maryland the importance of agriculture in their everyday lives.

Each of our three themed labs feature a wide variety of 50-minute experiments and investigations as well as 25-minute mini-lessons based in agriculture. These are all aligned with NGSS, Environmental Literacy Standards, Science & Engineering Practices, and CCSS.

Grants may be available to your school; please ask when booking. They are typically first-come, first-served, so book now!

Contact Diana Tyler at dtyler@maefonline.com or 410-939-9030 for more information or to reserve a lab for your school.

** The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF) recognizes the importance of good sanitation practices in protecting the health of students in our mobile labs and guests in our showcases.

Per the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control, MAEF attendants and teachers use bleach-based disposable wipes and cleaners to sanitize our showcases and labs. When possible, teachers wipe down high-touch areas in labs between classes. Labs are cleaned daily and deep cleaned at the end of every week to deliver a fresh lab to the next school.

Showcases are wiped down daily and thoroughly cleaned between events.

MAEF regularly reminds our staff to follow our cleaning protocols closely, wash their hands often, stay home when sick, and dispense hand sanitizer to students when they arrive at the lab and before they leave.

We work closely with our schools and school districts as well as the events we attend to maintain a safe and healthy environment within our labs and showcases for our employees and guests.

Ag Products Lab Choices

Aquatic Lab Choices

Food, Fiber and You Lab Choices

For schools booking the mobile science labs:

Vocabulary for All Full-Length Lab Lessons

How Does the Mobile Science Lab Work?

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Schools choose one of our three mobile science labs:

– Our Ag Products lab with investigations featuring the products and processes that come from agriculture

– Our Food, Fiber and You lab with investigations of the food we eat and what goes into growing it

– Our Aquatic lab with investigations on the relationship between water and agriculture

Ahead of the visit, hands-on investigations are selected by the school’s teachers from one of our three themed labs above. Up to five classes in grades 3-5 can visit each day for a 50 minute hands-on investigation. Other classes (grades K-5) can visit for a 25 minute mini-lesson. Scheduling is flexible depending on the needs and size of the school.

Consider us an in-school field trip for the whole school! Our lab will visit schools for an entire week and one of our qualified MAEF teachers will lead students in hands-on investigations.

Don’t forget to ask about available grants!

Contact Diana Tyler at dtyler@maefonline.com or 410-939-9030 for more information or to reserve a lab for your school.

What Teachers Are Saying About Our Labs…

· “This is something that we would not have been able to do in the classroom. It’s relevant to their real-world experiences. Both enriching and interesting.”

· “Students were interested and engaged. Wish it could be here longer.”

· “Students loved being scientists, offering higher-level thinking.”

· “Encourages collaboration with peers and required close examination of a problem to find a solution.”

Ag Literacy Week

What is MAEF’s Ag Literacy Week program?

Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation announces March 18-24, 2024 as the 14^th annual Maryland Ag Literacy Week.

With the majority of children today being 3 to 4 generations removed from living and working on farms, we believe that it is crucial to the future success of agriculture for children and adults to recognize and appreciate the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.

MAEF’s Ag Literacy Week program focuses on connecting volunteers from the agricultural community to local classrooms with the purpose of increasing student knowledge about agriculture. Each year a new agriculturally-themed book is chosen and an activity developed that reinforces the message of the book. This program educates Maryland youth through the support of volunteers who purchase the agriculturally-themed Ag Literacy Week book to read to elementary students, complete a provided activity with the class and share their personal experiences in agriculture. The book is then donated to the classroom library and the classroom teacher is given additional lessons to expand the student learning.

Participating in MAEF’s Ag Literacy Week is an opportunity for any group or individual wishing to promote and support agriculture to be the face of agriculture in a kindergarten-3^rd grade classroom across the state.

“Farm Boots” has been selected as the 2024 Maryland Ag Literacy book. Students will explore the adventures and discoveries of a young girl as she navigates life on a farm wearing her trusty boots.

We invite YOU – Farm Bureau members, farmers, ranchers, FFA students, Young Farmers, Commodity group leaders, industry representatives, and other supportive of agriculture to be the face of agriculture in your local classroom!

To find out more about this exciting and engaging program and how you can become a Volunteer Reader, click below.

Ag Literacy 2021

Tales of the Dairy Godmother, Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish

by Voila Butler

Chuck’s favorite food is ice cream. People say, “Be careful what you wish for”, but what harm could come from wishing for endless ice cream. With the help of his Dairy Godmother, Chuck is taken – poof! – on a memorable and delicious adventure to a dairy farm. He finds out exactly where ice cream comes from and gains an even deeper love and appreciation for his favorite food. (American Farm Bureau Book of the Year)

Accompanying Lessons & Activities:

K-3 Reading – Main Idea & Details Full Lesson Plan
- Lesson Procedure (PDF / Word Doc)
- Main Idea & Details Ice Cream Graphic Organizer (PDF / Word Doc)
K-3 Reading – Ice Cream Dish Story Reflection (PDF / Word Doc)
K-3 Reading – Which Moo for You?
- Lesson Procedure (PDF / Word Doc)
- Student Story Reflection Sheet (PDF / Word Doc)
- Student Image Sheet (PDF / Word Doc)
K-2 Math – Cow to Cone (PDF / Word Doc)
K-3 Science – Ice Cream in a Bag Recipe (PDF / Word Doc)
3-5 Reading- Dose of Dairy Reading Passage & Questions (PDF / Word Doc)
All grades – Participate in MAEF’s annual student Calendar Contest

Related Lessons to Check Out:

K-3 All Subjects – AgSploration Curriculum (from UMD Extension)
- Check out “Moo Who?” and “Milk in Motion”
2-3 Math – ‘Dairy Math’ Lessons (from American Dairy Assoc. NE)
2-3 Science – ‘Dairy Recyclers’ Lessons (from American Dairy Assoc. NE)
2-3 Science – ‘Water Wise’ Conservation Lessons (from American Dairy Assoc. NE)
2-3 Science/Math – ‘Farm to Table’ Local Food Lessons (from American Dairy Assoc. NE)
3-5 Science – In the Parlor With Dairy Farmers – NEW interactive virtual experience for intermediate students

Video Clips Paired with Book Pages:

Fun on the Farm Mini-Video Series from American Dairy Assoc. NE
- Veterinarian Care (page 16)
- Dairy Farm Technology (pages 7, 17-18)
- Sustainable Nutrition (page 15)
- Caring for Calves (page 19)
Maryland Farm & Harvest Video Clips (from MPT)
- Nestle Ice Cream Plant (pages 8, 13-14, 21)
- The History of Milking Technology (pages 7 & 23)
- A Cow Milking Robot! (pages 7 & 23)

Ag Literacy 2019

Right This Very Minute

by Lisl H. Detlefsen

Right This Very Minute is a table-to-farm book that explains how farmers are always busy producing the food that makes its way to our plates!
(American Farm Bureau book of the year)

Accompanying Lessons & Activities:

NEW for 2020! – Right This Very Minute – Commodities & Clocks Lesson (PDF / Google Doc)
K-1 Science – Food Sources
2-3 Science – Food Sources
2-3 Science – Food Sources Answer Key
K-1 ELA – Main Idea & Details
2-3 ELA – Main Idea & Details
K-1 Writing – Story Response Writing
2-3 Writing – Story Response Writing
K-1 Math – Counting & Drawing
2-3 Math – Word Problems

2021 Program Overview
2021 Volunteer Kit (including tip sheets and activities)
How to Become an Ag Lit Volunteer:
- Helpful Video
Tips for Guest Reading to a Young Audience:
- Helpful Video

Example Introductory Outreach Letters:
- All Volunteers (editable)
- FFA Version (editable)
Volunteer Activity Pages:

2021 Program Overview
2021 Volunteer Kit (including tip sheets and activities)
How to Become an Ag Lit Volunteer:
- Helpful Video
Tips for Guest Reading to a Young Audience:
- Helpful Video

Example Introductory Outreach Letters:
- All Volunteers (editable)
- FFA Version (editable)
Volunteer Activity Pages:

AG LITERACY 2018

See What We Eat

by Scot Ritchie

See What We Eat follows a group of children touring a local farm as they learn where their food comes from and touches on our main food groups.

Accompanying Lessons & Activities:

AG LITERACY 2017

Hatching Chicks in Room Six

by Caroline Arnold

Follow a classroom of kindergartners as they participate in a popular activity – hatching chicks in an incubator in the classroom.

Accompanying Lessons & Activities:

Hatching Chicks in Room Six Lesson
Acting Out The Incubation Process
How Fresh Is An Egg
Parts Of An Egg
Updated 2020! – Eggciting Eggs Ag Article & Questions (Booklet / Full Page)

AG LITERACY 2016

The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen

by Diana Prichard

The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen is an entertaining tale about Patrick’s securing essential ingredients to help his father make his favorite French toast for breakfast. The essential ingredients (milk, eggs, and maple syrup) come to life before his very eyes.

Accompanying Lessons & Activities:

Register to Read!

Is agriculture important to you?

Then we invite YOU to join with us to help tell agriculture’s story to kindergarten-3^rd grade students across Maryland!

Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation invites ALL members of Maryland agriculture to join with us as Volunteer Readers during our 14^th Annual Maryland Ag Literacy Week, March 18-22, 2024. Together we can put a face to agriculture and increase student knowledge about the importance of agriculture in their daily lives.

Who is a Volunteer Reader? Someone who…

is involved with, and passionate about, agriculture and wants to educate students in their local schools about the importance of agriculture;
agrees to make a donation of $10 to cover the cost of the Ag Literacy Week book to be read and donated to a local K-3 classroom; and
is willing to give 30 minutes of their time to a kindergarten-3^rd grade classroom at a local school to read the 2024 Ag Literacy Week book, complete a simple activity with the students to enhance their learning, and share their own personal agricultural experience.

Ready to participate?

Click the button below to purchase your book(s) and register to become a Volunteer Reader!

Virtual Farm Field Trips

Check Out Our Virtual Farm Field Trips!

No buses, no permission slips!

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Days End Farm Horse Rescue Field Trip

Did you know that Maryland farms like Days End use natural, capital, and human resources?

Did you know that horses, like us, have wants and needs? Use our activities packet below to engage your students our this virtual field trip!

Download our resources and trip activity pages here!

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Field Trip Resources

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Ag-Mazing News

Ag-Mazing News!

What is Ag-Mazing News?

MAEF’s Ag-Mazing News are the PERFECT school to home student newspaper!

Topics below feature agricultural-based mini-lessons which can be integrated into skills taught in ELA, math, science & social studies.

They can also be used as an introduction for students to complete independent research on a particular agricultural topic.

Each document includes:

a non-fiction article
comprehension questions
an extension/activity/experiment/project
exciting facts for more research!

They can be printed/folded as a booklet (legal paper – 8.5 x 14) or on full pages (8.5 x 11). They are available as a Word Doc or PDF. If you have any questions about these documents, please email Shannon Brown (sbrown@maefonline.com)

Choose from our many topics below!