Iowa Agriculture - The 3 Whys
Overview
Students will explore the importance of Iowa Agriculture by using "The 3 Whys" strategy.
Objectives
Standards: Iowa Agriculture
CS.02. Evaluate the nature and scope of the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Career Cluster and the role of agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) in society and the economy.
-Students will explore Iowa Agriculture individually and in groups.
-Students will use the strategy "The 3 Whys" to explore how Agriculture is connected to all citizens.
Introduction
This activity is developed to be done in small groups. It could be done individually by allowing students to select from a topic list. The following list is the list I use of important agricultural topics in Iowa. I compiled this list by looking at our national production levels for these commodities as well as the economic impact these commodities make in our state. This list could be as broad or specific as you would like for your specific situation.
Iowa Ag Topics
- Egg Production
- Poultry Production (Broiler Chicken, Turkey)
- Dairy Products
- Beef Production
- Pork Production
- Corn Production
- Soybean Production
- Forage Crops
- Sheep & Goat Production
- Garden Vegetable Production
- Foresty and Natural Resources
For this activity we will be exploring Iowa Agriculture and answering the following three questions - known as "The 3 Whys":
1. Why might this [topic, question] matter to me?
2. Why might it matter to people around me [family, friends, city, nation]?
3. Why might it matter to the world?
We will start by getting into small groups and exploring Iowa Agriculture.
Iowa Agriculture
I plan to give my students 20-30 minutes of work time for this phase of the project. This part can be adjusted based on your situation. You could have the students compile the information in many different ways: on paper, voice recording, notes outline, slide presentation.
Each group will be assigned 1 Iowa Ag topic. You will have the remaining class time today to research and learn about your topic. Please gather your facts into a Slide presentation. We will present these later in the unit. Today, your job is to answer the following questions:
1. What does this industry include?
2. What does this industry look like in Iowa?
3. What is the scope of this industry in Iowa?
4. How does Iowa rank nationally in this industry?
The 3 Whys
I plan to give my students 20-30 minutes to complete this task. We will schedule presentations based on their progress.
As a group I would like you to answer "The 3 Whys" for your topic. Please add a slide to your presentation for each of the three why questions. Put the question at the top as the title of the slide.
1. Why might this [topic, question] matter to me?
2. Why might it matter to people around me [family, friends, city, nation]?
3. Why might it matter to the world?
Take time as a group to discuss each question and your Iowa Ag Topic. Make sure you answers are thorough and you have 3-5 points for each "Why" question.
Presentations/Reflection
While each group is presenting, please write down 3 interesting facts and 1 question you have about their Iowa Ag Topic.
After each group has presented we will have a discussion about "The 3 Whys" for the Ag Topics.
Exit Ticket:
1. What is something you learned from this project?
2. Why do you feel that Agriculture is important?
3. What would you tell someone to help them understand the importance of agriculture?