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 Home » Educators / Teachers » Connect the Dots
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Dear Educator,
Over the course of the school year, you help students "connect the dots" on many math, language arts, science and social studies lessons. I hope you can reserve some time to help your students connect the dots about food and agriculture. The sun is a big dot in the sky, and their dinner plate is a colorful dot full of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole-grain bread and lowfat dairy products. But what's in between? Where does my food come from?
For generations, Americans have been able to count on having a healthy, safe and affordable food supply. This is only possible through careful and conscientious planning and decision making. America's food system begins on our farms and ranches and is as much a part of our national heritage as the Liberty Bell or Declaration of Independence. It also involves university research, transportation, marketing, government oversight and sound environmental practices. Every American is assured a safe and secure food supply, but understanding the food system and sharing the wisdom to maintain it is essential to our nation's well-being.
Connect the Dots: Where does my food come from? is an integrated educational kit designed for students in grades two and three, with portions expandable to grades one and four. As students explore their world, we need to help them realize that the food system contributes significantly to this world. The lessons in this kit will help you meet national education standards in science and social studies while reinforcing skill development in language arts and content understanding in health. The lessons can be taught in any order or can be used individually if time doesn't permit teaching all three.
This kit will help your students understand where their food comes from and how succesfully America's farmers and ranchers have provided that sustenance for generations. Help us connect the dots and draw an accurate picture of the food system that provides you and your students the necessities of life, every day without fail.
(All attached documents are in PDF format)
Lesson 1 - Connect the Dots: Tracing agriculture in my daily life challenges the students to stump you, their teacher, by thinking critically about the importance of agriculture beyond the food it provides.
Lesson 2 - Connect the Dots: Linking the sun to my plate helps teach students about food chains and food webs by using examples applicable to their lives.
Lesson 3 - Connect the Dots: Understanding the families behind my food encourages students to explore their family tree and some of their family history and compare it to families living on Century Farms and Century Ranches that have been in the same family for more than 100 years.
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