Increased Agriculture Offerings At BFHS
October 2019
Written by Caitlin Remington
BFHS Agriculture Teacher
We are excited to offer three new agriculture courses this school year at the high school, along with the offering of Introduction to Agriculture from last year.
Introduction to Agriculture is structured to enable all students to experience an overview of the fields of agricultural science and natural resources by utilizing hands-on activities, projects, and problems. Student experiences involve the study of communication, the science of agriculture, plants, animals, natural resources, and agricultural mechanics. In this year long course, we had 35 total students and this year we have 40 students between the two sections.
Animal Science class allows students to explore the world of animal agriculture and develop a management guide for an animal of their choice. Areas of study include history and domestication, handling and behavior, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, health, selection, and marketing. Students participating in the Animal Science course will have experiences in various animal science concepts with exciting hands-on activities, projects, and problems. Throughout the course, students will consider the perceptions and preferences of individuals within local, regional, and world markets and work on major projects and problems similar to those that animal science specialists, such as veterinarians, zoologists, livestock producers, and industry personnel, face in their respective careers. There are currently 15 students in the class and we are offering a second section during the Spring semester.
A grant was awarded to Bondurant-Farrar Schools from the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council for me to attend the training to receive the curriculum for Environmental Science Issues class. We currently have 10 students in the class and they will be completing hands-on activities, projects, and problems that simulate actual concepts and situations found in the environmental science field, allowing students to build content knowledge and technical skills. Students will investigate areas of environmental science including ecosystem management, sustainable agriculture, energy choices, and pollution.
This Spring we will be offering Natural Resources and Ecology. This class will provide students with a variety of experiences in the fields of natural resources and ecology Students will explore hands-on projects and activities while studying topics such as land use, water quality, stewardship, and environmental agencies. Study of the natural world including biomes, land, air, water, energy, use and care as well as a focus on issues surrounding man's interaction with the Earth will be addressed in this course. Students will select an ecosystem to study throughout the course and apply the principles of natural resources and ecology from each unit of study to that ecosystem.
