What are Ag Mags and where can you get them?

Ag Mags are 4 pages, full-colored "news magazines." Each issue covers a specific agricultural topic along with math, science, social studies, and language arts activities. They come in a package of 30. They are FREE for Illinois teachers! Order any issue you would like, read them in the classroom, send them home, or keep them from year to year. Ag Mags can be viewed at: http://www.agintheclassroom.org

• Apples: Explore apple production, history, growth and varieties. Strong focus on Social Sciences standards.
• Beef: A look at nutritional value, cuts of beef, products, breeds, and the stomachs of ruminant animals. Focus on Physical Development and Health standards. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Biotechnology: Basic concepts and agricultural benefits of biotechnology with a strong emphasis on History, Geography, Science, Technology and Society.
• Careers: A look at jobs in agriculture, both farming and non-farming, and projected employment opportunities. Strong Social Science correlation. (PDF ONLY)
• Corn: Check out the new baseball theme. This issue features "Ethanol Hits a Homerun" and "This Food is a Grand Slam" along with many interesting articles and updated corn facts. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Dairy: Follow the route of dairy from the farm to the store to your home to your body. Emphasis on Nutrition.
• Earth Week: Explore how agriculture is a vital part of the environment. Social Science and Science standards are emphasized. (PDF ONLY)
• Horse: Explore horses in the past and the present day. Strong History emphasis, as well as Math activities. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Horticulture: Read all about the horticulture industry and what careers students can take in the industry. This Ag Mag is written at a sixth to eighth grade level and involves high vocabulary, facts, and figures, but with real-life pictures and a great background, elementary students can understand and learn a lot from this Ag Mag as well.
• Illinois: Take a trip back to a 50s-style diner to learn about Illinois commodities. Learn about diner slang, food prices then and now, and towns important to the food industry.
• Nutrition: Focuses on consumption agriculture and uses the food guide pyramid and exercise to optimize nutrition and fitness. Emphasis on Physical Development and Health. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Pizza: From crust to ingredients to the final product – learn how agriculture is involved. Emphasis on Social Science and Math standards.
• Pork: Care of livestock as well as a strong emphasis on the environmental aspect of pork production.
• Poultry: Science, Social Science, and Math standards are addressed through studies of embryology, chickens and turkeys. (PDF ONLY)
• Pumpkin: Language, Science, and Social Science standards are address through genetics, blossom dissection, Thanksgiving, and Halloween.
• Renewable Energy: This Ag Mag examines various forms of Renewable Energy, specifically those with direct agricultural connections. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Sheep: Fiber production from farm to garment provides an opportunity to address Science, Economic and History standards. (PDF ONLY)
• Soils and Fertilizer: Erosion, soil profiles, and usable land for food production are examined through Science-based standards. (PDF ONLY)
• Soybeans: The versatile soybean is examined with an emphasis on Nutrition, Economics and Geography. Math and Science standards are also addressed in this issue. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Specialty Crops: Discover many of the specialty crops and products grown in Illinois! English, Science, and Social Science standards are addressed. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Technology: Technology, from simple machines to global positioning satellites, is examined through Math and Science standards.
• Trees: Learn about planting trees, parts of trees and environmental benefits from trees and "going green"!
• Urban: This issue features articles such as "Where do you live?" and "Grow Your Mind" along with an article on the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. (Lesson Booklet available)
• Water: The water cycle, water transportation, water pollution, and water conservation are addressed through Math and Science standards. (PDF ONLY)

To order Ag Mags for your classroom, send Sheryl an e-mail at aitc@ricofarmbureau.org or leave her a message at (309) 736-7432. Tell her which topic(s) you want, how many you need and when you need them.

Orders will be available for pick-up at the Rock Island County Farm Bureau in Moline.