Elementary Education


Professional Development with MAEF

MARYLAND AITC EDUCATOR WORKSHOPS

ARE YOU A ELEMENTARY OR MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATOR LOOKING TO INCREASE YOUR STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT LEARNING?

Come learn how to teach your existing curriculum using agriculture as the context for learning. Our goal is to introduce you to Maryland agriculture and show you how easy it is to infuse agriculture into your existing classroom curriculum…even if you know nothing about it! Utilizing standards aligned, hands-on, agriculture-based lessons to coordinate with on-the-farm experiences, these trainings not only allow educators to personally experience learning through agriculture but provide the resources necessary for them to take it directly back into their elementary and middle school classrooms or for use in their non-formal settings with elementary and middle school aged youth!

TRAINING INCLUDE: 

  • MSDE CPD credits (approval currently pending)
  • An experiential-learning based model of delivery
  • On-the-farm experiences
  • Standards aligned lesson plans
  • Agriculturally accurate trade books for your classroom library
  • Kits, resources, and tools to teach the lessons

For more information and to register visit the MAEF LET’s GRO Educator Workshop page!

Check out what teachers are saying about our courses!

“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 us at labs@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.

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 Tonya Wible at TWible@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

We are currently SOLD OUT of Ag Literacy Week books. Please Email Tonya Wible at TWible@maefonline.com to be added to the waitlist

Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation announces March 17-21, 2025 as the 15th 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-3rd grade classroom across the state.

The Soil in Jackie’s Garden has been selected as the 2025 Maryland Ag Literacy book. The students follow Jackie and her friends as they discover the importance of soil, plants, pollinators, and decomposers in growing and harvesting their own food. This book takes students beyond the plants growing in the ground to the importance of composting and becoming environmental stewards.

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:

Related Lessons to Check Out:

Video Clips Paired with Book Pages:

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:

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.

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:

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.

AGmazing Maryland PD in a Box

This program offers 3rd-5th grade educators a free, 1-hour virtual professional development session focused on integrating Maryland agriculture into core subjects like reading, math, and science. Participants receive a comprehensive educator kit, including the “Amazing! Maryland Agriculture” book, lesson plans, worksheets, and materials for up to 30 students. With limited space available, teachers are encouraged to register now using the button below to bring agriculture into their classrooms!

Key Features:

Virtual Professional Development:

•A 1-hour virtual training with flexible scheduling.

•Focuses on Maryland agriculture and its integration into teaching core subjects like reading, math, and science.

 

Free Educator Kit:

•Participants receive the “Amazing! Maryland Agriculture” book.

•An Educator’s Guide with four cross-curricular lesson plans that highlight Maryland agriculture.

•Correlating lesson worksheets.

•Materials and supplies for up to 30 students.

 

Goal:

•Encourage educators to “Explore the World Around Them” by connecting agricultural concepts from the farm to the classroom.

 

Limited Space Available:

•Teachers are encouraged to register quickly to secure a spot.

Check Out Our Virtual Farm Field Trips!

No buses, no permission slips!

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Days End Farm Horse Rescue Field Trip

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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!

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!

Animal Topics

Booklet” options are for legal paper (8.5 x 14). “Full Page” options print on regular paper (8.5 x 11).

‘Growing Crops’ Topics

Booklet” options are for legal paper (8.5 x 14). “Full Page” options print on regular paper (8.5 x 11).

Ag Products – What Comes From Farms?

Booklet” options are for legal paper (8.5 x 14). “Full Page” options print on regular paper (8.5 x 11).

Ag & the Chesapeake Bay

Booklet” options are for legal paper (8.5 x 14). “Full Page” options print on regular paper (8.5 x 11).

Food & Nutrition

Booklet” options are for legal paper (8.5 x 14). “Full Page” options print on regular paper (8.5 x 11).

Ag in 10 Minutes a Day

MAEF’s “Ag in 10 Minutes a Day” intermediate classroom resource consists of an informational text followed by multiple choice questions and an extended response – all focused on agricultural concepts!

STEAM AGtivities

MAEF’s “STEAM AGtivities” are a fun & easy way for our youngest learners to understand where our food and fiber comes from!  Click the orange button below to check out our crafts, recipes, and more!

Ag in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix

Please click on the search feature below to find K – 12 agriculture-based lesson plans.  Don’t forget! Sign-up for “My Binder” to compile and save the lessons you want to use later! 

MAEF’s Annual Colors of Ag Art Contest

Welcome to the reworked MAEF Colors of Ag Art Contest! The contest is similar to past years with a few changes. Entries may be submitted online or mailed to the MAEF office. There will be 12 winners who will be features on MAEF social media pages and the MAEF website throughout the year. Read below for more information!

Art Contest Details

To create a positive learning experience about agriculture in Maryland that furthers the understanding of agriculture’s impact on our daily lives.

Contest Deadline

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS Monday, JUNE 16, 2025

Click here for: Art Contest Entry Form 24-25

Entry Details

  • Contest is for public, private, & home school Maryland students in grades K-12. Creativity and color are encouraged in students’ original artwork.
  • Artwork entered in the contest should feature Maryland agriculture. Selected artwork will highlight the diversity of agriculture throughout the state.
  • MEDIA SHOULD BE MARKER, CRAYON, WATERCOLOR, INK, ACRYLIC, TEMPERA PAINT, or COLORED PENCIL. No pastels, chalk, or pencil-only drawings will be accepted.
  • It is recommended that full color is used throughout the piece, including the background.
  • Entries must be 8.5 x 11 inches, horizontal orientation encouraged, vertical orientation is acceptable
  • Entries must be on paper that will allow for duplication, scanning, and display. Entries must be flat, NOT folded, matted, mounted, laminated, or framed. The use of cartoon characters or TV figures is not acceptable.
  • Entries must be original artwork, NOT copied from any other works of art.
  • Submissions should be all pictures. Please do not add thought/speech bubbles or labels as they do not translate well to the final product.
  • Each artwork entry MUST have an entry form This can be completed and securely attached to the back of each entry form or submitted online. Please duplicate forms as needed. Make sure each entry form is filled out completely and that writing is legible.

Entries should submitted at www.MAEFonline.com or be mailed to:

Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation

P.O. Box 536

Havre de Grace, MD 21078

All entries will become the property of the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. and will not be returned. Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation reserves the right to publish the entries in future publications and promotions without additional compensation.

Awards

Twelve students will receive a $50 cash award and their artwork will be featured on Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. social media and on MAEF’s website.

Click here for: Art Contest Entry Form 24-25

Congratulations 2025 Calendar Contest winners!

  • Byron J.
  • Emily A.
  • Roshel R.
  • Cora B. 
  • Taylor J.
  • Gwen S.
  • Ben C.
  • Presleigh S, 
  • Samantha B.
  • Olivia S.
  • Sophie W.
  • Eliana D.
  • Camila R.
  • Samantha G.
  • Natalie L.
  • Hayley S.
  • Amia B.
  • Charlotte L.
Their incredible artwork is featured in the 2025 MAEF Calendar!
An extra thank you to the over 300 student artists who participated!

Lab in a Box

For a limited time only! Order yours today!

Looking for a fun, engaging way to incorporate agriculture into your classroom?  Want to do hands-on science experiments with your students, but lacking materials to do so?  Need a fun, engaging thematic unit?

 

Our Lab in a Box might be just what you are looking for!

The Lab in a Box is a complete ag-themed hands-on lesson kit that connects your curriculum concepts to everyday life on the farm, careers in agriculture, and Maryland ag products!  Boxes are available for grades K-5, with lesson activities aligned with state educational standards.

LAB IN A BOX-

Stem & Engineering

With the 2023 Lab in a Box, your students will explore the engineering behind the equipment and technology used by farmers to more efficiently and sustainably do the work necessary to provide us with nutritious foods and products we enjoy every day.

Lab in a Box is $35 per box and contains:

  • Cow’s Can Moo, Can YOU?, an ag accurate book
  • Educator’s Guide, with 6 cross-curricular lessons highlighting the dairy industry
  • Correlating lesson worksheet masters
  • Experiment materials (for 3 experiments for up to 30 students each)
  • Packing & shipping

Kits will be assembled and shipped in early February for flexible use in your classroom throughout the school year.

Take Me Out to the Cornfield

“For it’s one…two…three strikes you’re out at the old  …. cornfield??”

 

Come with us as we visit Camden Yards and learn about what makes Maryland Agriculture so special!  This video resource features Maryland’s top 9 agricultural commodities.  Take a swing and check them out!

 

Video password: MAEF

 

Video may also be viewed directly on Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/368594413

(Video password: MAEF)

Maryland Commodities Map

Ag Resources 

(Last updated 9/15/2020)

 

UMD Extension AgSploration Curriculum  

Sign-up to download the entire interactive AgSploration curriculum from UMD Extension. Excellent hands-on lesson plans!  

MPT’s Farm & Harvest Videos  

MPT highlights local farms and ag-based endeavors in this engaging series.  

MPT Ag-Based Video Clips  

Perfect for use in the classroom! These clips are searchable by grade level and subject area.  

National Ag in the Classroom eLearning Lessons

NAITC has updated some of their BEST lessons for eLearning!

American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s Recommended Publications  

A comprehensive list of agriculture literature searchable by grade level, publication type, and topic.  

American Dairy Association North East – Virtual Farm Tours  

Connect with local dairy farms through these live, interactive farm tours!  Connect with a real modern dairy farm and chat with a farmer without leaving your classroom!  Sign up for the next virtual tour!  

360 degree Virtual Farm Visits  

Interact virtually with farms as never before! Click around each video to see 360 degree views of each farm.  

Animal Smarts – from the American Society of Animal Science

An excellent site for accurate animal science. Perfect for student research projects!

Ag Lesson Plans – Virginia AITC  

Lesson plans at every grade level developed so that you can bring agriculture to your students!  

NGSS- Quality Examples of Science Lessons & Units  

The following lessons on agriculture have been peer reviewed and evaluated as examples of high quality NGSS design.   

National Ag in the Classroom PBL lessons  

A collection of Project/Problem-Based Learning Plans centered around agricultural topics at every grade level!  

Minnesota AgMag & AgMag Jr.  

Online ag activities for learners at all grade levels!  

California Ag in the Classroom  

California’s Ag in the Classroom site has teacher lessons, links, and a kids’ corner.  

Illinois Ag in the Classroom 

This Illinois AITC site contains teacher materials such as the AG Mag, lessons, and resources. Students can explore virtual farm tours, quizzes, and a kid’s zone. 

Moo Milk 

Fun and educational website about cows and milk with facts, contests, games, and recipes. 

CampSilos 

Highlights the development of American agriculture. Targeting students in grades 4-8, the site provides online material related to corn, pioneer farming, farming today and tomorrow, and the prairie. 

Learn About Farming – Crops, Plants, and More

An overview of agriculture with additional links to learn more about topics like crops and careers.