Agricultural Literacy Certification

You'll get started by taking a pre-test to see what you already know about agriculture and sharing a little about yourself and your experience with agriculture.

Agriculture is a modern industry, complete with integrated business models, cutting-edge technology, and billions of dollars in revenue each year. This first module provides an overview of agriculture, how it relates to your life, and how both agriculture and natural resources are used to meet human needs.

Lessons

• 1.1 What is Agriculture?
• 1.2 Agriculture in Your Life
• 1.3 Natural Resources
• 1.4 Producers and Consumers

Incorporating agriculture into your curriculum provides an opportunity for students to gain insights into the complex processes that shape the food we eat and the products we use daily. This module provides insights into how to integrate agriculture into your curriculum and provides resources for grade appropriate lesson plans and learning outcomes.

Lessons

• 2.1 Why Incorporate Agriculture in the Curriculum
• 2.2 How Agriculture Fits With Educational Content Areas
• 2.3 Assessing Agricultural Literacy

This module explores the historical origins of agriculture and how it has evolved over the centuries into the global agricultural system of today.

Lessons

• 3.1 The Emergence of Agriculture
• 3.2 History of U.S. Agriculture
• 3.3 Agriculture in a Global Economy

Food systems are integrated networks that map the journey food takes to reach our plates. In this module you will learn about various parts of the food systems, approaches to growing food, how food systems connect and vary across the world, and the challenges faced by people with limited access to food systems.

Lessons

• 4.1 Elements of the Food System
• 4.2 Types of Food Systems
• 4.3 Conventional and Organic Food
• 4.4 Global and Local Food
• 4.5 Food Security and Hunger

Food provides the energy and nutrients our bodies need. In this module, you’ll learn about the fundamental components of food our bodies need for a balanced and healthy diet. You’ll also learn how foods are transformed from raw ingredients to items in a grocery store, and the food safety concerns that must be managed throughout the process.

Lessons

• 5.1 Nutritional Guidelines
• 5.2 Food Processing and Preservation
• 5.3 Food Labeling and Marketing
• 5.4 Food Safety

Plants are a major component of the food we eat and products we use (think the fibers in a cotton shirt). This module provides an overview of plants and how they grow, major crops grown in the U.S. and common production practices.

Lessons

• 6.1 The Nature of Plant
• 6.2 Soil Science
• 6.3 Types of Crops
• 6.4 Crop Production Practices
• 6.5 Grain, Oilseed, and Pulse Production
• 6.6 Fruit, Tree Nut, and Vegetable Production
• 6.7 Cotton Production

Animal products are a major part of agriculture. In this module, you’ll learn about types of livestock and production practices.

Lessons

• 7.1 Animal Science
• 7.2 Types of Livestock
• 7.3 Livestock Production Practices
• 7.4 Cattle Production
• 7.5 Poultry Production
• 7.6 Swine Production
• 7.7 Aquaculture

The landscape of American agriculture is undergoing profound transformations driven by population growth, changing consumer demands, and the need for long-term sustainability.

Lessons

• 8.1 Feeding a Growing Population
• 8.2 Consumer Trends
• 8.3 Different Perspectives

Wrap-up the course with a post-test and capstone activity. The capstone involves exploring a lesson of your choice in the National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix. Once you’ve completed both the post-test and capstone, you’ll be awarded the Agricultural Literacy Certification.