September 2023 | Issue #144 |
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*make sure to click "View entire message" to get access to the full newsletter!* |
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Who wants to join the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom team?! We are hiring a part-time Program Assistant.
The Program Assistant is an essential member of the MAITC team and will work closely with the Executive Director and Education & Outreach Coordinator to facilitate programs and opportunities for Maine educators & students. Workshops, presentations, trainings, and some meetings will be in person and onsite at different locations throughout Maine.
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Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to: maitc@maine.gov with âMAITC Program Assistant Applicationâ in the subject line by September 29th. Desired start date: October 16, 2023. Note: This position is based in Maine.
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Fall 2023 Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassadors Program |
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Who: This program is for all Maine youth ages 14 â 18.
What: This hybrid program will provide youth with an opportunity to connect to local agriculture, build relationships with industry professionals, develop professional and advocacy skills, and explore careers in agriculture. The 2023 fall cohort will explore careers and local agriculture through in-person field trips (limited transportation available), and by attending virtual meetings to grow their professional skill set (e.g. resume writing and interviewing skills). Additionally, youth will complete a personal reflective project exploring the role of agriculture and their future. This program includes mentoring in post-secondary opportunities as well as exploring current issues around food systems, livestock, crop sciences, aquaculture, climate issues impacting food systems, food equity, and more.
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Why: The goal of the Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador Program is to provide experiences for youth to explore their interest in agriculture. The program focuses on.
- connecting youth with their local food systems and industries
- exploring the richness and diversity of the Maine food system
- developing âag-vocacyâ skills
- increasing access to career and post-secondary opportunities in agri-science and food systems.
Where: Virtually and in-person throughout Maine.
When: - Virtual Meeting Dates: October 18 & 25, November 1 & 15
- In-Person Meeting Dates: October 21, November 10, and December 2.
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Featured Resource - A Search for the Source |
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One of our favorite lessons, especially for the beginning of the school year, is A Search for the Source! Students determine that agriculture provides nearly all of the products we rely on in any given day by participating in a relay where they match an everyday item with its "source." Find this lesson on the Ag Literacy Curriculum Matrix for grades K-12! Also available is the Source Search Kit from the AgClassroom Store.
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Resources & Opportunities! |
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Seaweed Education Professional Development Day
Check out the newly created and curated seaweed education activities and videos for Maine Educators. All attendees will receive a copy of With a Little Kelp From Our Friends by Mathew Bates (provided they have not already gotten one and are currently teaching in Maine), and a package of seaweed goodies. Contact hours will be provided. Register Here.
Date: November 3rd, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: The Boat House in Belfast, 34 Commercial St. Belfast, ME, 04915
Register by October 15th, 2023
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Learning Module: Potato Farming in Maine's Changing Climate
Potatoes are an important part of Maineâs economy and as the climate changes, so do growing conditions throughout the state. Increased drought, pests, storm intensity and changes in temperatures have created new challenges for farmers in Maine, but also new opportunities. In this module, students investigate some of the challenges facing Maine farmers, with a particular look at potato farmers, and explore some of the changes and solutions being tried as farmers and scientists work together to build a more climate resilient future for our community.
For grades 5-8, aligned to NGSS.
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Adopt a Cow Program
Each Maine classroom that enrolls in the Adopt a Cow program will be paired with a calf from Brigeen Farms in Turner, Maine. Teachers and students will receive photos, video updates, and activity sheets throughout the school year that allow them to watch their calf grow. Through immersive, hands-on learning activities and free curriculum provided by Discover Dairy, students gain a deeper understanding of the dairy industry and where their food comes from. Several of the lessons in the curriculum follow Common CORE standards in Math, Reading, and Science.
The Adopt a Cow program also offers live virtual chats and farm tours. These chats allow students to talk directly with a dairy farmer, meet their calves, tour the farm, and ask questions about milk production. This program is made available free to Maine classrooms by the Maine Dairy Promotion Board. Sign up by September 15th!
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Fall 2023 Purple Plow Challenges
The newest Purple Plow challenges have launched! Are you and your classroom up for it? This Fall 2023 cycle there are three challenges available for classrooms from across the country to choose from.
Pollinator Challenge: Learn about pollinators and how to protect them
Growing Green: Create a solution that diversifies energy consumption
Cattle Ranch Riddle: Construct a model of a cattle ranch that balances production with other needs

Individuals, groups, and classes in grades 5 through 12 are eligible to enter the competition. The Purple Plow Challenge site encourages students to research scenarios and build prototypes to solve problems related to related to food, hunger and sustainability.
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Our Annual Meeting will be held Thursday, October 26th at 5:30pm at the Maine State Grange in Augusta. RSVP to maitc@maine.gov
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MAITC Teacher of the Year Program |
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NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!!
Each year at the annual meeting, MAITC recognizes an outstanding Maine elementary or secondary school teacher who uses agricultural education materials and/or activities in the classroom to teach core subjects.
The winning teacher is then required to submitâwith our helpâan application for a National AITC Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award and attends the National AITC Conference.
Applications are due October 2, 2023. The application (and more info) can be found on our website.
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Maine Nutrition Council Fall Educational Event |
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Lynn Snow, winner of the Maine Nutrition Council Lifelong Learner Award, attended the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Orlando, Florida in June. Attend this event and join Lynn in her classroom and for a garden and orchard tour where she will showcase the integrations she uses with her 5th graders. This is an in-person event @ Thomaston Grammar School, 65 Watts Ave, Thomaston, ME, on Wednesday, September 20th, 2023 from 3-5pm. This event provides 2 CPEs or contact hours. Click here for more information and to register for the event.
Read more about the Lynn below.
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NAITCO Request for Workshop Proposals |
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National Agriculture in the Classroom is seeking workshop proposals for the 2024 NAITC Conference "Agriculture Elevated" scheduled for June 24-27, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Proposals must demonstrate how the workshop uses agricultural concepts to meet the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) and teach reading, writing, math, nutrition, science, STEM, social studies and other subject areas. Proposals also must reach early elementary (grades pre-kindergarten-2), upper elementary (grades 3-5), middle school (grades 6-8), high school (9-12) or all grades. The main workshop presenter of accepted proposals will receive a discount of $50.00 off the early-bird conference registration. More info here. The deadline for submissions is October 6th.
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Harvest of the Month - September is Maine Tomatoes! |
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Click here for the great Harvest of the Month (HOM) materials - posters, fact sheets, recipes, social media promo, and more!
All of our HOM Resource Pages can be found on our Teach ME site under "Teaching Units"
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Teacher Resources Section |
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A is For Apples. Grades K-2. Students use their five senses to investigate apples, identify and model the parts of an apple, make applesauce, and discover how apples are grown.
Apple Science: Comparing Apples and Onions. Grades 3-5. Students explore heredity concepts by comparing observable traits of apples and onions, collecting data on the traits of different apple varieties, and investigating apple production. Additional activities include hands-on methods for testing apple ripeness.
Apple Genetics: A Tasty Phenomena. Grades 6-8. Using the context of apples, students will apply their knowledge of heredity and genetics to distinguish between sexual and asexual reproduction as they explain how new varieties of apples are developed and then propagated to meet consumer demand for a tasty, uniform, consistent product.
Apples and the Science of Genetic Selection. Grades 9-12. Students will distinguish between natural and artificial selection and use a student-centered learning activity to see how science and genetics have been used to artificially select apples for specific traits like color, texture, taste, and crispness.
Looking for more? Explore the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix HERE
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Ag Facts for Little Readers. From Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, these are designed for grades K-1, contain ag facts and a short activity about each topic! (21 topics to check out!)
NGSS Aligned Resources from the Soybean Science Challenge. Virtual Mini Lessons: 5-7-minute mini-lesson covers well defined NGSS standards for your science classroom and comes with a power point for easier teaching, covering the topics of Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Physical Science, Environmental Science, and Physics. Soybean Science Challenge Lesson Plans: 10 different lessons that can be used in the classroom! Subjects range from Biology to Physics to Algebra II. Check them out!
Livestock Flowchart. This three-page informational sheet describes the processes of how an animal grows, how it gets from the farm to the store, and what products are produced from that animal. Words and simple graphics are used to portray this information for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. Text may be difficult for young readers but can be used by teachers as a basic resource for descriptive purposes. Print your own or order pre-folded charts from agclassroomstore.com.
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More funding opportunities are listed from some of our friends:
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ReTreeUS plants orchards in schools and provides educational programs that empower people to be healthy environmental stewards.
Fuel Up to Play 60 offers educators a wide array of resources they can use to help students make sustainable changes in their school environment.
Agroworld is an agricultural science e-zine developed for the secondary educator.
KidsGardening has ideas about plants and gardens, teacher resources, and grant opportunities.
The Chop Chop magazine and website has easy and healthy recipes.
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This document is a compilation of agriculture related resources to be used in virtual and remote learning.
Pictures, videos, and words are hyperlinked throughout the document.
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Funding from this plate has impacted up to 200,000 students annually with lessons, materials, volunteers and teacher training. Annually up to $60K is distributed in grants to schools, FFA, 4-H and other Non-profit programs for Ag education initiatives by the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Council.
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Donate today to The Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association
The Non-profit, completely volunteer, portion of MAITC. These funds are used directly to support teacher scholarships and recognition, and support volunteer participation for Ag education programs. Your donation is completely tax deductible and you can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation which will support the mission, "to promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public." If you have any other questions or would like to join this group please contact the chairman, Maryjane Stafford. Donate Here.
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Our Mission Statement
"To promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public"
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28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207)287-5522
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