Make biodiesel and create a scale model of an anaerobic digester, while investigating bioenergy and how it is produced. This unit features 5 lessons and 16 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Course written by Arna Ganguly. Energy comes in many different forms, but all energy on earth is a result of the sun. All of our energy sources come from biomass, organic material that was formed from plants and animals; some many thousands of years ago and some just last year. Biomass contains stored chemical energy from the sun. We have come to rely more on fossil fuels (formed from living things that died and were converted into coal, natural gas or oil over millions of years) than on renewable forms of energy called bio-renewable energy. Take this course to learn how we are producing bio-renewable energy from biomass and waste products. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: Describe how biomass can be converted to energy through thermochemical and biochemical reactions, Describe the process of pyrolysis or catalytic cracking, Describe the process of anaerobic digestion, Describe the process of transesterification, Describe the process of fermentation

In this threaded PBL*, (an effort to integrate agricultural understandings into the normal sequence of an Environmental Science classroom) students will conduct several “close reads” (reading for understanding, analysis and application) which expose students to the science and engineering that is required to understand what farmers have to consider as they produce crops. These close reads take complex content and make it readable for students who are in middle school or high school and allow the teacher to incorporate literacy skills within their classroom. In the last section, students will conduct a real life simulation that illustrates a decision-making process to determine the application of chemicals to a fictional farm while addressing the needs of controlling specific nuisance weeds. Students will take a position on the application of chemicals to a field and defend their statement. This unit features 7 lessons and 12 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Students act as logistics decision makers, choosing routes and attempting to make the most profit in this game of moving soybeans from origination to destination. This unit features 1 lesson and 4 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Why are soybeans such a valuable crop? Here are some activities that are perfect for agriculture days, county fairs, after-school programming or summer camps! Recipes for soy plastic and soy lip balm are included as well as craft ideas: Soybean Stress Balls, Bean Buddies and an Ohio Drum. Germinate a soybean in a seed necklace. Observe a variety of beans, use a seed sorting map and create a graph. This unit features 4 lessons and 6 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

An introduction to genetic engineering through hands-on and modeling activities that illustrate concepts, which will scaffold student understanding for lab activities to follow, especially focused on the use of bacteria. This unit features 5 lessons and 14 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

If the atmosphere is about 80% Nitrogen (N2), but plants cannot use that form, how do they get nitrogen? In this unit, students plant and care for soybeans under one of five different nitrogen/microbe regimes.

As the plants grow, students analyze and maintain records of their plant’s progress. Students will become familiar with the vegetative and reproductive stages of the soybean (more information and pictures of these stages can be found at the OSU crop extensions sites). Students keep records of the dates in which they observe these reproductive transitions. This unit features 2 lessons and 7 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Investigate various milk sources and their composition through core disciplines of Science, Math, Social Studies and Language Arts to discover the availability of milk types within multiple cultures that serve as a complete food source and help to ensure food security. This unit features 6 lessons and 10 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

In this lesson students will plant and care for soybeans under one of three different photoperiod regimes: First month: 16 hours; Second month: 14 hours; third month: 12 hours (control). 16 hours for all three months (long days). * 12 hours for all three months (short days)

As the plants grow, students will analyze and maintain records of their plant’s progress. This unit features 2 lessons and 7 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

How have we developed the crops we eat today? What did these plants look like in the wild? Students will learn about the various techniques and technologies that plant breeders have used to create the plants we harvest to feed people and livestock. By the end of this course, you will: describe selective breeding and some of the food crops that have resulted from its use, describe mutagenesis and how it has impacted food production, understand the mechanism of genome editing and CRISPR technology, discover the current applications of CRISPR in agriculture.

Participate in a simulation that shows how various factors influence plant growth and what role probability plays. Powerpoint with instructions and information included. This unit features 1 lesson and 7 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Soap made from soybeans? Sunflowers? Olives? Plant oils have different “fatty acids” that determine the characteristics of your soap—is it creamy? bubbly? hard? soft? It is the oil in plants that makes different kinds of soap. Try this easy, melt-and-pour soap recipe to get started. This activity is one of several from a 4H Agriscience Biotechnology Series. This unit features 1 lesson and 1 file. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Current trends in consumer behavior show that people want to eat healthier and are looking for simple ways to transform their diets. High oleic soybean oil features lower saturated fat while maintaining 0 grams of trans fat, which may lower cholesterol and support heart health. This unit features 2 lessons and 6 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Weeds present problems in farm fields—they rob sunlight, nutrients, and water from the crops. What can farmers do? Herbicides are one answer, but they may not do enough as some weeds have developed resistance. Students investigate an unknown weed to determine if it has resistance. This unit features 2 lessons and 5 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Science, technology, engineering, and math are so much a part of agriculture and agriculture careers! In this unit, students will learn about the STEM in agriculture, discover innovations in agriculture and use presentation skills to share their knowledge. Finally, students will use Ag Explorer to determine what careers match their interests and investigate one of them in-depth. This unit features 3 lessons and 3 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

The agriculture industry is STEM applied. This course will introduce the various aspects of STEM, then show how agriculture is an area for many STEM career opportunities. Learning objectives: At the end of this course, you will be able to identify: More STEM careers in agriculture than you know now, How science is involved in agriculture, How technology is used in agriculture, How engineering is impacting agriculture, How math is used in agriculture

A lot of questions surround definitions of genetic modification. This unit models two different techniques of genetic modification and tries to help students understand the terms and the consequences of human intervention in food production. This unit features 3 lessons and 6 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

This unit describes scientific ways of describing our experiences with food via sensory testing. This unit features 1 lesson and 2 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Become a “farmer” on a journey from pre-planting to harvest to see what decisions farmers are making every year as they farm. Growers across the country are gaining access to more and more data about their farms. The data is being gathered through equipment or other precision agriculture techniques, then it must be analyzed so that decisions made will be based on evidence. Scientists in all disciplines use the same practices as farmers. This unit features 5 lessons and 27 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.

Soil is an ecosystem, full of both living organisms and nonliving factors. These factors interact within the ecosystem to support one another. Find out what methods are used by soil scientists and microbiologists to measure the diversity of life in soil. Students will be given a scenario and led through this series of activities to determine the healthiest soils. This unit features 3 lessons and 9 files. Lessons are aligned to NGSS.