Introduction to Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
UC-D credit
COURSE INFORMATION
Grade Level: 9
Length of Course: 1 Year (2 Semesters)
Credit Type: College Prep or GATE (With Approval)
Prerequisites: Enrollment in Agriculture Program.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) introduces students to the range of agricultural opportunities and the pathways of study they may pursue. Science, mathematics, reading, and writing components are woven in the context of agriculture and students will use the introductory skills and knowledge developed in this course throughout the CASE™ curriculum. Woven throughout the course are activities to develop and improve employability skills of students through practical applications. Students will explore career and post-secondary opportunities in each area of the course. Students participating in the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources course will experience hands-on activities, projects, and problems. Student experiences will involve the study of communication, the science of agriculture, plants, animals, natural resources, and agricultural mechanics. While surveying the opportunities available in agriculture and natural resources, students will learn to solve problems, conduct research, analyze data, work in teams, and take responsibility for their work, actions, and learning. For example, students will work in groups to determine the efficiency and environmental impacts of fuel sources in a practical learning exercise. The Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources course is intended to serve as the introductory course within the CASE Program of Study. The course is structured to enable all students to have a variety of experiences that will provide an overview of the fields of agricultural science and natural resources so that students may continue through a sequence of courses through high school. The knowledge and skills students develop will be used in future courses within the CASE program. In addition, students will understand specific connections between their lessons and Supervised Agricultural Experience and FFA components that are important for the development of an informed agricultural education student. Students will investigate, experiment, and learn about documenting a project, solving problems, and communicating their solutions to their peers and members of the professional community. The Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources course includes: Agriculture, FFA,SAE, Communication Methods, Science Processes, Natural Resources, Plants and Animals, and Agricultural Mechanics. This course satisfies Laboratory Science (“d”) graduation requirements.
