In science, they conduct experiments on pepper pungency. Smith started using agriculture in her lessons years ago while teaching at Fairacres Elementary School. It's teachers like Smith who benefit from agricultural resources and workshops, says Jennifer Hopper, Agriculture in the Classroom director for the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau. Hopper received both bachelor's and master's degrees from NMSU's College of Agriculture and Home Economics. We don't ask teachers to teach agriculture.
Children learn about agriculture through English, math, science, history and other subjects.
They find out where their food and clothing come from and learn to appreciate the farm and ranch community. Agriculture in the Classroom gets support from the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service and the New Mexico Beef Council. It provides educators with materials about agriculture to use in classes. Summer workshops, offered through NMSU's agricultural and extension education department, increase teachers' knowledge of agriculture and provide continuing education credit. Teachers, in turn, write lesson plans for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade.