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5 Replies Last post: Apr 11, 2008 2:22 PM by SarahE210  
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sshomo
19 posts since
Dec 5, 2007

Mar 26, 2008 12:03 PM

Looking for student based books on Agriculture

Our school is emphasizing 'reading to learn' in our curriculum and asking all teachers to do reading assignments with our students. I am looking for books that relate to agriculture that my students would find interesting to read, primarily on a 6th, 7th and 8th grade level. Any suggestions?
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ag4robin
38 posts since
Nov 14, 2007
1. Mar 30, 2008 1:30 PM in response to: sshomo
Re: Looking for student based books on Agriculture

Sally-

How long do they want these books to be?

There is a 25 page book called "All About Dairy Cows" for the Middle School grade level online through the National Agricultural Library. It is a pdf file. http://www.nal.usda.gov/outreach/cowbkmed.pdf They also have "Insects - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." It is billed as "late elementary though." It's at http://www.nal.usda.gov/outreach/bugscolor.pdf

I haven't looked at any of these books, but there is a wiki list of middle school agriculture books at http://atn-reading-lists.wikispaces.com/Agriculture%2C+Middle+School

New York Agriculture in the Classroom also has a Middle school Agriculture themed book list at http://www.nyaged.org/aitc/NYAITC_Book_List.html

Environmental Education Books for Middle School recommended by North Carolina Office of Environmental Education - http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/edresources/eebibbooksmiddle.htm
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lucasallen
1 posts since
Apr 4, 2008
2. Apr 4, 2008 2:46 PM in response to: ag4robin
Re: Looking for student based books on Agriculture

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom had developed this resource with their favorite "top ten" list of Ag related books for younger readers (See the attached PDF)

Author Raymond Bial has also written several ag-themed books, including Super Soybean.

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SarahE210
5 posts since
Dec 12, 2007
3. Apr 10, 2008 4:50 PM in response to: sshomo
Re: Looking for student based books on Agriculture
Are you looking for chapter books to assign to students to read on their own or are you looking for shorter books to read in class with activities?
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sshomo
19 posts since
Dec 5, 2007
4. Apr 10, 2008 5:23 PM in response to: SarahE210
Re: Looking for student based books on Agriculture
Concerning the types of books that I am looking for...one type would be something that we can read in class. Our emphasis is to have better understanding of what we are reading. But another type of book that I am beginning to look for will be books that we can use at an elementary school for our PALS program. I know there are tons of agriculturally related books out there, I guess I just want to hear your recommendations (kind of makes my job easier) before we purchase. ;)
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SarahE210
5 posts since
Dec 12, 2007
5. Apr 11, 2008 2:22 PM in response to: sshomo
Re: Looking for student based books on Agriculture

I talked to the Elementary School Director for the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation and she gave me the names and authors of several great books for your PALS programs. They are as follows:

Tops and Bottoms - Janet Stevens

How Groundhog's Garden Grew - Lynn Cherry

Pumpkin Circle - George Leavenson

Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza - Philemon Sturges

G is for Goat - Patricia Polacco

The following 2 books would work to read to Middle Schoolers or also for older Elementary:

The Goat Lady - Jane Bregoli (good to read to MS also)

Beatrice's Goat - Page McBrier (good to read to MS also)

PALS and Goats in the Classroom: A lady in Wisonsin does a program called Goats in the Classroom. In Maryland we have decided to do a program like this. We have piloted the first lesson in a 1st grade class and the teachers were Catoctin FFA's PALS mentors. This lesson was with Three Billy Goats Gruff. They did it as a puppet show, made puppets with the students, read a version of the story from the Troll's point of view and had a visit with live goat kids. The students loved it and the goat kids did as well! This lesson was for K-3rd grade. We are almost done with the 3rd-5th grade lesson to Beatrice's Goat and the 6th-8th grade lesson will be to The Goat Lady. I have attached the promotional flier and the newspaper article on the program is here: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/special_sections/display_farmGarden.htm?storyID=73469, If you are interested in more details please contact me. We will be piloting the other 2 lessons shortly. The PALS mentors loved teaching the lesson and it could work great for MS PALS mentors as well.

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

Sarah Shriner

sshriner@maefonline.com

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