News

May 08, 2024

Cultivating Excellence: Establishing Sustainable Teacher Support Systems in NGSS Implementation

(Part 5 of 5)

Cultivating Excellence

Growing up in southeastern Wisconsin, agriculture surrounded me. Many of my friends lived and worked on farms, while my family owned and operated a small hardwoods sawmill and logging operation, producing lumber for industrial applications such as decking for cargo ships on the Great Lakes. This upbringing instilled in me a deep love for the outdoors and sparked my curiosity about how we utilize and protect our natural resources.

However, my formal science education, both as a student and later as a teacher over nearly 15 years in the classroom, rarely touched on the scientific aspects of agriculture. Instead, agriculture seemed confined to vocational programs, focusing primarily on production methods. It wasn't until my 40s that I truly discovered agronomy!

About five years ago, I seized the opportunity to join the team at Vivayic. Now, as the Science Education Practice Lead for Relevant Classroom, a Division of Vivayic, I have the privilege of working with cross-sector partners to make education as relevant and impactful as possible, opening doors of opportunity along the way. One of our key partnerships is with the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, where we collaborate to integrate agriculture topics into traditional science education curricula through the Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education.

The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education (The Center) is an initiative of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture dedicated to enhancing scientific and agricultural literacy by expanding access to agriculture. The Center accomplishes this by providing immersive professional learning opportunities for educators, high-quality instructional materials designed for the Next Generation Science Standards, and collaborative partnerships between educators and agricultural experts. 

The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education offers a range of agricultural resources that are completely free and customizable. The Center also offers multiple professional learning opportunities to support the implementation and customization of materials, enhance sustainability literacy, and/or support the modification of existing curricula to include the science of food, sustainability/resilience, and agriculture.

Resources

All of the Center’s resources are open-source and freely available to any teacher. They may be redistributed and modified as needed and are all Creative Commons License 4.0.

Freely available curricula and supplemental materials for science educators are essential to fostering equitable and inclusive learning environments, as they ensure that high-quality educational resources are accessible to all teachers and students. By removing financial barriers and providing open access to well-designed and up-to-date curricula, educators can enhance their teaching practices and offer diverse learning experiences. This not only empowers teachers to deliver engaging and innovative science lessons but also enables students, regardless of their socio-economic background, to access comprehensive educational materials, encouraging their curiosity, critical thinking, and passion for science, ultimately promoting a more knowledgeable and scientifically literate society.

 

  • Phenomena Bank The Center provides, and is continuing to curate, a collection of real-world and authentic phenomena that align with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Phenomena are observable events or occurrences that can be used to engage students in scientific inquiry and exploration. They serve as a starting point for students to develop questions, investigate, and make sense of scientific concepts and principles. The Center’s phenomena bank includes a diverse range of phenomena related to various scientific disciplines, allowing teachers to select phenomena that are relevant and engaging for their students. These phenomena serve as compelling contexts for learning, fostering a deeper understanding of scientific principles and encouraging students to think like scientists. Teachers can use this bank to facilitate sensemaking and help students connect scientific concepts to real-world situations.

  • Units We are very proud to announce that our Media Mayhem unit has received the NGSS Design Badge! The Center currently has two science units available for implementation, and one in development - coming soon! Each unit has been designed for the NGSS and uses the 5E Learning Model. Units are written by curriculum experts and teachers with support from subject matter experts and go through field testing as well as EQUiP Rubric review. Currently, these units are for grades 9-12 with plans to expand soon. 
    • Supercattle (Genetics)
      • In this high school Storyline unit on genetics and heredity, students are introduced to ‘SuperCows’. As they explore the wide variety of cattle breeds, students discover that cattle are specialized for different purposes, and while similar, the ‘SuperCows’ are clearly unique. Students wonder what caused this diversity and specificity, which leads to investigations about the role of inheritance, DNA and proteins.
    • Media Mayhem (Ecosystem Interactions)
      • Is the production of milk good or bad for the environment? Conflicting media claims tell opposing views, which can be difficult for students to understand. In this high school 5E unit on the dairy food system and sustainability, students explore media claims about the impacts of the dairy sector on the environment to figure out which ones most accurately represent the body of science on the dairy sector’s impacts. Across a series of four modules, students figure out how the components of the dairy food system impact the environment, including pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, climate, and biodiversity. To conclude the unit, students use engineering design processes to evaluate multiple solutions to reduce the dairy sector’s environmental impact. 
    • Postgame Analysis (Biology - Health and Nutrition) COMING SOON!

      • Exercise produces a variety of noticeable changes in the body, including sweat, fatigue, thirst, and muscle soreness. Some athletes consume dairy products after they work out to help with their recovery. Why?
  • Task Library The NGSS Transfer Task Library is designed to meet the needs of science teachers. A transfer task is an assessment or activity that challenges students to apply their understanding of science concepts and practices to solve real-world problems or engage in authentic scientific investigations. Each task features a food system or agricultural phenomenon, scenario, or problem. These tasks are designed to be adaptable to any program designed for NGSS. Currently, the library offers 10 tasks ranging from grade 5 through grade 12 and covering many science domains. There is also an asynchronous learning module designed to support the implementation of 3D assessment in the classroom.

Professional Learning

The need for more professional learning experiences for science teachers who are focused on sustainability and resilience arises from the pressing global challenges we face in the 21st century. With issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation becoming increasingly severe, science teachers play a critical role in equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills necessary to address these challenges. By providing immersive learning experiences steeped in food and agriculture, educators can foster a deeper understanding of ecological systems, promote sustainable practices, and instill resilience in students to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This will empower future generations to be proactive agents of positive change, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient world

The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education offers a range of professional learning experiences designed to address the needs of participants across the spectrum of NGSS implementation while focusing on its mission which is to inspire learners to take action toward a more food-secure world. 

You can find professional learning opportunities here: https://www.foodagscied.org/professional-development and at On the Farm STEM.

Community

We invite you to join our vibrant and inspiring professional learning community focused on teaching science through the lens of agriculture. By joining this community, you will gain access to valuable resources, innovative professional learning experiences, and a supportive network of educators. Teaching science through agriculture provides a powerful and relevant context that resonates with students' everyday experiences and fosters a deep appreciation for the natural world. You will have the opportunity to explore a wide range of cross-disciplinary topics, from soil science and genetics to sustainable farming practices and food systems. Collaborating with fellow educators in this community will enhance your pedagogical skills, enrich your science curriculum, and empower you to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for your students. 

The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education (The Center) is dedicated to teaching science through the lens of agriculture. By breaking down barriers to access, promoting three-dimensional teaching and learning, and fostering a deep connection between science and real-world contexts, The Center not only equips educators but also empowers the next generation of scientists to build a more food-secure and sustainable future. 

Reflection Questions: 

  1. Reflect on your science curriculum: How prominently does agriculture feature in your current teaching materials and methods? Are there opportunities to integrate agricultural concepts more effectively to enhance students' understanding of science and its real-world applications?
  2. Consider the impact of open-access resources on your teaching practices: How might the availability of freely accessible curricula and materials, such as those provided by The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education, influence the diversity and inclusivity of your classroom instruction?
  3. Explore professional development opportunities: In what ways do immersive professional learning experiences, focused on sustainability and resilience within the context of agriculture, align with your personal teaching goals and broader educational challenges? How might such experiences enhance your ability to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to address pressing global issues like environmental justice and/or food security?

Want to learn more? Watch a recorded webinar that explores how real-world food and agriculture phenomena related to sustainability, resilience, and food security spark curiosity and engage all students in NGSS science
 

Brian Beierle
Science Education Practice Lead

Brian Beierle, Science Education Practice Lead at Vivayic's Relevant Classroom division, brings over 20 years of experience to his role, specializing in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) program design and leadership in formal, informal, and community education, impacting educational initiatives across diverse platforms.”