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Utah Agriculture in the Classroom

Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix


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Lesson Plans (18)

Animals on the Farm

Students discover that farm animals produce different types of products. Grades PreK-K

Eggology (Grades 3-5)

Students identify how the basic needs of a growing chick are met during egg incubation, diagram the parts of an egg, and hatch eggs in class. Grades 3-5

Eggology (Grades K-2)

Students identify how the basic needs of a growing chick are met during egg incubation, diagram the parts of an egg, and hatch eggs in class. Grades K-2

Eggs on the Menu

Students will learn the versatility, function, and nutritional benefit of eggs in a healthy diet, identify the function and role of eggs in a recipe, identify forms of technology used on an egg farm, and understand how eggs are classified by size. Grades 6-8

Eggs: From Hen to Home (Grades 3-5)

Students trace the production path of eggs, beginning on the farm and ending in their home and identify the culinary uses and nutritional benefits of eggs. Grades 3-5

Eggs: From Hen to Home (Grades K-2)

Students trace the production path of eggs, beginning on the farm and ending in their home and identify the culinary uses and nutritional benefits of eggs. Grades K-2

From Chicken Little to Chicken Big (Grades 3-5)

Students identify different breeds of chickens, examine physical characteristics, and determine the stages of a chicken's life cycle. Grades 3-5

From Chicken Little to Chicken Big (Grades K-2)

Students identify different breeds of chickens, examine physical characteristics, and determine the stages of a chicken's life cycle. Grades K-2

Hatching Science with Classroom Chicks (Grades 3-5)

Students explore how an embryo develops inside of a chicken egg over time, discuss life cycles and other natural cycles, and observe similarities and differences between parents and offspring. Grades 3-5

Hatching Science with Classroom Chicks (Grades K-2)

Students explore how an embryo develops inside of a chicken egg over time, discuss life cycles and other natural cycles, and observe similarities and differences between parents and offspring. Grades K-2

Hen House Engineering (Grades 6-8)

Students will use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to evaluate styles of housing used for hens that lay eggs. Using critical thinking skills, students will compare housing styles, determine which system meets their animal welfare standards, and engineer their own hen house model to meet the needs of laying hens. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 6-8

Hen House Engineering (Grades 9-12)

Students use the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning model to evaluate styles of housing used for hens that lay eggs. Using critical thinking and scientific investigation skills, students will compare housing styles, determine which system meets their animal welfare standards, and engineer their own hen house model to meet the needs of laying hens. This lesson covers a socioscientific issue and aims to provide students with tools to evaluate science within the context of social and economic points of view. Grades 9-12

Inside the Egg, Hatching Chicks (Grades 3-5)

Students investigate embryo development in chicken eggs. Grades 3-5

Inside the Egg, Hatching Chicks (Grades K-2)

Students investigate embryo development in chicken eggs. Grades K-2

Little Red Hen

Students use the story The Little Red Hen to investigate wheat production and bread making. Students thresh their own wheat and grind it into flour to make bread. Grades K-2

Photoperiod Phenomena (Grades 6-8)

Students will understand how photoperiodism impacts plants and animals in the environment and learn how egg farms use this science to manage the laying of eggs by their hens. Grades 6-8

Photoperiod Phenomena (Grades 9-12)

Students will understand how photoperiodism impacts plants and animals in the environment and learn how egg farms use this science to manage the laying of eggs by their hens. Grades 9-12

Weighing in on Egg Labels, Supply, and Demand

Students will apply a basic understanding of the laws of supply and demand, learn about different types of egg laying farms, and recognize the impact labeling has on consumer choices. Grades 9-12

Companion Resources (47)

Activity
The Life Cycle of a Chicken
Create a colorful, egg-shaped chicken life cycle using the templates and egg tempera paint recipe provided in this activity.
Book
A Chicken Followed Me Home!
What's that? A chicken followed you home? Now what do you do? Author-illustrator Robin Page leads a step-by-step, question-and-answer-style journey through the world of chickens. Along the way you'll explore different breeds, discover different types of coops, and learn everything there is to know about chicken reproduction and hatching.
Chick Life Cycle
Learn all about a chick's life cycle in this book for young students. Simple text and clear pictures make it fun to learn about different chicken breeds, the parts of a chicken, how the chick embryo develops, and how a baby chick grows into a mature hen that can lay its own eggs.
Chickenology
Chickenology takes young readers on a fascinating and informative tour of chickens. With a playful tone and irresistibly charming illustrations, this lively visual encyclopedia presents chickens in all of their feathered glory. Discover the incredible variety of chickens with different origins, breeds, and feather patterns. Learn incredible facts: did you know that chickens can learn to count up to four and have excellent hearing? Many even like to listen to music!
Chickens on the Farm
This book for grades K-3 explores the importance of chickens in agriculture. Colorful photographs illustrate how farmers care for chickens, and fun facts are included throughout. Students will learn that there are more than 16 billion chickens on Earth, that poultry is another name for farm birds that people raise for meat and eggs, and much more.  
Chicks & Chickens
Chicks & Chickens illustrates and teaches about the production of eggs. You will learn how eggs are produced for human consumption and how fertilized eggs develop into embryos and grow to be fuzzy baby chicks. Readers will also learn about various chicken breeds, behaviors and terms.
Daisy Comes Home
This is the story of six hens in China. Cared for by the young Mei Mei, the hens lay eggs for selling at the market. But one hen, Daisy, is not so happy. Picked at and plucked by the others, she is ousted from the clan and ends up taking a serendipitous adventure. When Mei Mei finally brings her back home, Daisy uses her newly learned skills to stave off the mean hens and gain a rightful spot on the perch. This engaging tale can be used to introduce any lesson involving chickens.  
Farm
This beautifully illustrated and descriptive book gives students insight to farm life through the seasons. Farmers plant, harvest, and store crops using a variety of farm machinery. The children living on the farm help plant a vegetable garden and feed the cows and chickens. Some of the harsh realities of farm life are honestly depicted--weather challenges, hard work, and a rooster that disappears (fox?). The story's farm animals and children will capture the attention of students as they explore life on a farm.
Farm Animals
Farm Animals is a 32-page book filled with facts to learn about many types of farms and the animals that live there. The book includes real-life pictures and color illustrations. In addition to the text, each page includes a fun fact. Readers will learn why traditional farm animals such as beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs are kept on farms. They will also learn why specialty farms raise ducks, geese, fish, and ostriches.
Farm Animals: Chickens
Learn all about chickens, from how they sleep to what they eat. This easy to read, factual book will answer all your questions about chickens. A complete table of contents, glossary, and index make this book easy to use.
From Egg to Chicken
This title explains how an egg grows into a chicken in a clear and organized manner, beginning with a hen laying eggs, then following the hatching of the eggs and care of the chicks, and ending with a graphic summary of the life cycle of a chicken.  
Hatching Chicks in Room 6
Discover chicks and watch them hatch in room 6! This book highlights the life cycle of chickens, parts of an egg, incubation, and caring for freshly hatched chicks. 
In the Garden with Dr. Carver
Sally is a young girl living in rural Alabama in the early 1900s, a time when people were struggling to grow food in soil that had been depleted by years of cotton production. One day, Dr. George Washington Carver shows up to help. He teaches them how to restore the soil nutrients. He even prepares a delicious lunch made of plants, including "chicken" made from peanuts. Susan Grigsby's warm story shines new light on an African American scientist who was ahead of his time. 
Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice
Using the pot of rice with chicken, Mama barters with her neighbors to create a bountiful meal. As she does so she also takes her granddaughter, Lucy, on a marvelous cultural tour of the neighborhood. Woven throughout the book are the Spanish names for a variety of foods.
One Egg
One little egg can go on to become one incredible creature! From egg to chick to chicken, find out about the life cycle of an egg in this fascinating guide.
One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference
Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings, Kojo is able to return to school, and soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore. This book is part of CitizenKid, a collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens.
Poppy's Chicks (Farm Friends)
Poppy can't wait for her hen, Dottie, to have chicks. But when Poppy checks the chicken coop, she realizes Dottie's eggs aren't going to hatch. Poor Dottie! Poppy is determined to help. She and her mom visit the feed store, and Poppy comes up with a new plan—she'll hatch her own eggs. But will Poppy's eggs hatch for Dottie?
Sonya's Chickens
Sonya raises her three chickens from the time they are tiny chicks. She feeds them, shelters them, and loves them. Everywhere Sonya goes, her chicks are peeping at her heels. Under her care, the chicks grow into hens and even give Sonya a wonderful gift: an egg! One night, Sonya hears noises coming from the chicken coop and discovers that one of her hens has disappeared. Where did the hen go? What happened to her? When Sonya discovers the answers, she learns some important truths about the interconnectedness of nature and the true joys and sorrows of caring for another creature.
The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County
Meet one smart chicken chaser. She can catch any chicken on her grandmother's farm except one - the elusive Miss Hen. In a hilarious battle of wits, the spirited narrator regales readers with her campaign to catch Miss Hen, but this chicken is "fast as a mosquito buzzing and quick as a fleabite." Our chicken chaser has her mind set on winning, until she discovers that sometimes it's just as satisfying not to catch chickens as it is to catch them.
The Cow in Patrick O'Shanahan's Kitchen
When Patrick wakes up for breakfast, he finds an adventure in his kitchen. As his dad cooks him breakfast, he learns where each breakfast food item is produced. The chicken lays the eggs, the cow produces the milk and the maple tree makes the syrup. This book is a great resource for teaching elementary students where their food comes from.
The Hen Who Sailed Around the World
Monique is a highly accomplished chicken: she surfs, she skateboards, and she just crossed the world on a tiny boat with her human companion, Guirec, who helped steer. On their three-year journey, together they were unstoppable. When they became stranded in the ice off Greenland for four months, Monique, unruffled as always, kept Guirec alive with her eggs—and they both made it home.
The Perfect Barn
Have you ever wondered about the purpose or function of different types of barns? The Perfect Barn is a captivating story about an owl that searches for a barn that would meet her needs and tells the story about some of the modern-day uses of barns. In the book, the main character, Barn Owl, takes flight to find the perfect barn. On her journey, she discovers various types of barns and the animals that live there—chickens, pigs, dairy cows, and sheep. Will Barn Owl find the perfect barn? At the last farm, Barn Owl makes a great discovery.
The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation
Underneath the New Mexico sky, a Navajo boy named Cody finds that his family's barrels of water are empty. He checks the chicken coop—nothing. He walks down the road to the horses' watering hole—dry. Meanwhile, a few miles away, Darlene Arviso drives a school bus and picks up students for school. After dropping them off, she heads to another job: she drives her big yellow tanker truck to the water tower, fills it with three thousand gallons of water, and returns to the reservation, bringing water to Cody's family, and many, many, others. Here is the incredible and inspiring true story of a Native American woman who continuously gives back to her community and celebrates her people.
The Year at Maple Hill Farm
In January, the cows stay in the barnyard, and the chickens don't lay many eggs. By March, you can tell spring is coming: the barn is filled with baby animals. Month by month, the animals at Maple Hill Farm sense the changing seasons and respond to the changes.
Tillie Lays an Egg
Unlike the other hens at Little Pond Farm, Tillie isn’t one to wait her turn to lay her eggs. And she’s certainly not one to stay cooped up all day. Off she goes! Author Terry Golson and photographer Ben Fink invite you to join Tillie on her first eggs-straordinary adventure. Come along as she explores the cozy world of Little Pond Farm—and lays her eggs in the unlikeliest of places! This book is perfect for engaging young students.