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Contact: Margie Whitcotton, (202) 690-8124
USDA, FFA HELP STUDENTS CONNECT AGRICULTURE TO REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE
Classroom-Ready Curricula Linking Agriculture to Science, Math and Social Studies Available
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2011 – In celebration of National Ag Day on March 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and the National FFA organization announce the availability of classroom-ready resources aligned with national curricula standards for science, math and social studies. These educational tools use the 2007 Census of Agriculture to promote communication skills, math, and statistical literacy among kindergarten through 12th grade students.
“By utilizing these tools in the classroom, teachers are able to show young people how math can help in their everyday lives and build knowledge of agricultural statistics, the farming community, rural America and society as a whole,” said NASS Administrator, Dr. Cynthia Clark. “These lesson plans help give students a realistic view of statistical processes used to track trends and changes in U.S. food production, economics and demographics.”
The materials use current Census of Agriculture data to teach a variety of concepts including discovering new trends in population subsets; developing communication skills and strategies; and evaluating diversity among farmers.
The free materials are available online via the NASS website www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/index.asp and the FFA Learning Center http://ffa.learn.com.
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