Agriculture in the classroom

8 Pages·1993·3.7 MB·English

by  Alberta. Agricultural Education Branch

CANADIANA
SEP 2 1 1993
Agriculture The Agriculture Newsletter
in the
for Teachers
Classroom
FALL EDITION 1993
THE 1993
DARYL CHICHAK
AWARD OF MERIT
Institute grads recognized
for their achievements
yV year after the inception of the Daryl Chichak
Award of Merit, four deserving graduates of
the Summer Agriculture Education Institute were
honoured for their hard work in and dedication to
bringing agriculture into their classrooms. The latest
recipients of this award of merit, Annalee Heam,
Marilyn Lanz, Connie Dersch-Gunderson, and Betty
Hollinda, were thrilled at being recognized for their
accomphshments.
"I can hardly believe the magnitude of the
honour shown me as one of the first recipients" Hearn
admits.
But honour and recognition are the least that
can be given in return to these exceptional teachers
who have dedicated so much of their time and them-
selves tob ringing agriculture into the classroom.
Over the past year, Marilyn Lanz has gone in
leaps and bounds to bridge the apparent gap she sees
between city and country folk and life. Of her school
kids she admits, " B rentwood students are all town kids
Fourth Summer
and they don't get the opportunity to see what the rural
cont'd on Page 2
Agriculture Institute
INSIDE
A Success!
THIS
The 1993 Summer Agriculture But less time by no means meant
HAPPY G7R1A 0 "L _ A T' ME si j e"P a'ge^ " ^2^ Institute, this year in Olds, has gone less quality or less fun for the participants.
WHAT'S NEW Page 3 Lhrough another successful run - w ithout a One participant said contentedly, while
POSTER CONTEST W LNNERS Page 3 hitch! The thirty participants left Olds patting her full stomach after one of the
INTORMATION OVEKLOAD Page 4 College with happy but exhausted smiles many delicious meals provided by a n umber
KIDS STUFF Page 4 on their faces. This years Institute was of local sponsors, something along the lines
1994 AQ AMBASSADOR FAfR Page 5 shortened by a week. It was, as Institute of : " If they aren't busy running us off on
organizer Betty Gabert says, "...a tight oneof those wonderful c foanrtm' d t oounr s, P a wgee' r e2
and into-the-night schedule.".
Ibcrra
AGRICULTURE 2nd Floor, 7000- 113 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5T6
Education Branch
FAX (403) 438-3362 Phone (403) 427-2402
Award of Merit cont'd
life's all about.". Thanks to Lanz' hard share freely with fellow teaching enthu- Awareness Day in the Fort MacLeod
work, the local school children of siasts everything she has IciUTicd and area, says she has thoroughly enjoyed
Strathmore were treated to farm tours, experienced in agriculture over the past
being involved in the AITC program. "I
an Agriculture Fair, and a pilot farm am thrilled at being able to combine the
family exchange to mention only a few Although neither Connie Dersch- two things I l ove the most - t eaching and
of the many activities accomplished. Gyeuanrd.e rson nor Betty Hollinda were able
agriculture - into one.". Dersch-
As Annalee Hearn would likely to make it t o Olds to accept their awards, Gunderson 's latest award comes not
admit, many of the successes in her they too expressed extreme gratitude quite a year after having been honoured
classroom would not have been possible for the recognition. Betty Hollinda was at Edmonton's National Agriculture
had she not been able to attend the 1992 recognized primarily for her successful Conference in October of 1992.
Agriculture Education Institute in Ver- efforts in coordinating her entire Again, our congratulations go
milion. Hearn admits that she was very school's involvement at the 1992 Ag out to each of this year's Daryl
pleased to have been invited take part in Ambassador Fair in Medicine Hat. Chichak Award winners. We look
Connie Dcrsch-Gunderson, who is
a round table discussion at this year's forward to honouring the next year's
Institute in Olds where she was able to in the process of organizing an Ag worthy recipients.
by Clare Stott
A HAPPY GRADUATE
Annalee Hearn still reeling
from award presentation
Dear Betty, Cindy, Clare and the staff of Agriculture in the Classroom,
Peace Country
I a m still "orbiting" with the honour of receiving the Daryl Chichak Merit SCIENCE HOTLINE!
Award. Having met Daryl for the first time, I c an hardly believe the magnitude of
the honour shown me as one of the first recipients. Moreover, to be recognized
alongside Marilyn Lanz (an old friend from Etzikom) and Connie Dersch-Gunderson, Resource people available to
leaves me in awe. I m ust say also, my sincere thanks for including me in the round round up volunteers in the science
area answer teachers questions,
able sessions. I e njoyed sharing with the '93 participants far more than 1 e xpected.
Please call on me again as my programme seems to be in the "constantly improving" classroom presentations, act as field
mode. I m ay, someday, actually feel worthy of the honour I r eceived (at the banquet). trip leaders, science fair judging,
teacher workshops and career
counselling.
Annalee Hearn
CALL 1-539-9847
totally involved in one of the classroom SOnuec cofe tshes ma ncyo nltea'rndi ng high up with the local farm family that was
sessions, or else they are stuffing us with points was the Mini Agriculture Expo. later to escort them back to the home-
more of the great food!". Here participants were able to meet and stead for a night and full day of fun and
Whether running, sitting or eat- chat with 38 representatives from all farm experience. None of the partici-
ing all o f the participants will readily areas of the agriculture industry. The pants left their farms without a new,
admit they were constantly learning. participants were taken aback by the greater appreciation for farm life.
And that is exactly what the agenda caliber of the displays and the amount of By the time the week was up,
called for. The Institute, a j oint venture information made available to them.
and all was said and done, the partici-
between Alberta Agriculture, Food and They took much lime to glean as much pants and organizers were ready and
Rural Development's Ag in the Class- information from the displayers as pos- willing to collapse in a comer. Luckily,
room program. The United Farmers of sible. everyone was able to make it home to
Alberta, the University of Lethbridge their own comfy cozy beds.
After the Mini Expo, the 30 par-
and a participating college, was
ticipants and 200 other Institute con-
implimented as a means of educating tributors sat d own for an evening of by Clare Stott
the educators and raising awareness on feasting and entertainment. Here at the
matters of agriculture in Alberta. banquet, each Institute Participant met
What's New For You!!
AITC Resources for 1993-94
"Good things come to those who wait". And now, after the
long rainy summer, AITC has for you some brand new resources
to brighten those autumn days.
New!! AYailall?|g NOW
A comprehensive video and revised ... the 1991 Summer Agriculture
brochure on Ag in ihe Classroom Education Institute Teacher's
Program. If you or someone that you Handbook designed by real-live
know is not 100% sure what we 're all teachers! The 1992 Teacher's
about, get ahold of this new video Handbook available in the new
and brochure FYI.
year... 1994!
Afacg lift!! R^visgd and Rgadv!!
The 1994 Agriculture Ambassador
"Business of Agriculture"
Fair Prize List for Camrose, 1994 Come one, come all!
Teacher's Handbook for science 10,
has undergone some reconstructive 20,30, social studies 10, 20 and mi- Ag. Awareness Day
surgery, so get ahold of the new Prize cro-economics 30r eady for your pe-
Brought to you by W.A Day School in Fort MacLeod
List lest you and your class be left out rusal. and the Fort MacLeod Agricultural Society
in the cold in February. . . A nd believe
me! It c ertainly IS cold at that time of Last not i?a§t!! Where? Fort MacLeod Curling Arena
When? September 10th, 1993
year! The 1993/94 Agricultural Resource learning
Why? For a day full of fun and
Listing for a complete listing of the
above resources, plus a w hole bunch
Brand-spankin' New!! Who? Open to all students grades
The 1994 Summer Ag Institute 1 to 12, 10am to 3pm
more! All the info, you'll ever need
brochure and poster for Fairview, for the classroom in an easy to use
1994 soon to be hot off the press! booklet. Includes a grade and sub- Everyone welcome to attend an evening of
Keep your eyes peeled! ject suitability chart for quick and family fun, dancing and entertainment
painless resource hunting!! For more information contact
Connie Dersch-Gunderson at:
553-3555 or 553-3362.
Enjoy! Be sure to get in touch with the AITC program, Alberta
Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if y ou'd like any of these
resources. You know where to reach us!
County of Wheatland Schools Big Winners In
the National Soil Conservation Week Poster Contest
The County of Wheatland was the big winner in this year's National Soil Conservation Week Poster Contest. The county
held its own soil conservation poster competition and then submitted the posters to the Ag in the Classroom Soil Conservation
Poster Contest. Of the 760 entries submitted to the Ag in the Classroom competition, the winner and two runner-up entries were
from the County of Wheatland.
The winning cnU"y was submitted by Carla Dowhaniuk from Westmount School in Strathmore. Runner up entries were
submiiicd by Glen Van Bussel from Brentwood School in Su-athmorc and Barbara Waldner of Rocky ford. Chris Rourke from
Nelson Heights School in Cold Lake was also a runner-up in the contest.
The Hon. Butch Fischer and Bryan Hcarn, representing the Alberta Conservation Tillage Society, presented the students
with their awards at the gala opening to National Soil Conservation Week. The winner of the competition received $50.00 and
a book by Grant MacEwan. The runner-up entrants received $25.00 and a Grant MacEwan book.
The Soil Conservation Poster Contest is an annual event open to grade four to six students. The contest is sponsored by
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development's Conservation and Development Branch and Ag in the Classroom Program,
as well PFRA and ACTS.
by Barb Shackel
Information Overload: Part Two
Truth Is In the Eye of the Beholder
As a newspaper reporter, I reporters and camera crews at CFB issue. After all, a g ood debater learns to
learned a l esson that made me uneasy. It Cold Lake. We were spoonfed specific anticipate his or her opponent's
was my job to choose the spin that a pieces of information by the Colonel arguements by becoming famihar with
story would take when it appeared in who answered reporters and camera the other side's version of the "truth".
crews with refried versions of the same Unlike the debaters of ancient
print. Covering town council or school
board meetings that often stretched on information. Then we were ushered Greece, school children today have vaste
sources of information available to them .
for hours meant choosing which stories back out. This time the reporters weren't
to feature, which statements to quote. doing the selecting, but the information Information experts say that in the first
Depending on how I c hoose, issues — was just as filtered. thousand years of recorded history,
For whatever reasons, everyone available knowledge doubled once. Now
and the people associated with them —
would be viewed positively ornegitively has their own version of the "truth". it doubles every three to six months.
by the people who read my articles. Humans have always sought to Communication technology has ex-
I b egan to pay more attention to put a spin on information to sway the ceeded the h uman ability to absorb in-
news coverage in the paper and on tele- opinion of others. The ancient Greeks formation that m akes it a vailable.
vision.w I ondered about the stories that made an art out of it, a nd school debat- Therefore, it is the responsibil-
weren't told and the facts that were ing teams continue the tradition today. ity of t eachers to help their students
omitted so they could be boiled down to To view situations subjectively learn how to gain access to information,
a six paragraph story or a two minute is to be human, and we must recognize how topriorizeand select that informa-
feed from a live remote. the right of each of us to possess that tion, and then how to evaluate it.
Then the Gulf War broke out, subjectivity. But with that comes a
and one morning I f ound myself being responsibility - a responsibility to listen Next issue:
ushered into a briefing room full of before making our own decisions on an
PartThree: Searching for the "truth"
By Anne Mark Resta
A Young Agri-Historian
Stony Plain Student Picks Up the Golden Pen
StonysBerg Address
'By ' Wormifum Lincoln
Farm Fun Favorites !fo ur score and seven monllts ago our father micro- organisms
[irought forth, upon this soil a new, high quaUty topsoil, convinced
Some Stratlimore students got their chance to expe- that dl micro-organisms should care for s o^ as they did.
rience farm life during a weekend stay with local farm 'Hgw we art engaged in a g nat sod war. 'We have come to
dedicate a p ortion of i ts f inal resting place for those who gave their
families. They all had a blast!! Here's what some of
them liked the most: lives so this sod might be aSle to grow a crop one day. It is
altogether fitting and proper that we should do tltis.
Vanessa and Maggie:
Jeff and Graham:
'But in larger sense we cannot dedicate ■ we cannot consecrate -
♦dressing up like Hulterites
* p lane ride * making rugs we cannot hallow this ground. 11 i s f or us, the living micro-organism
* p laying with goats rather to k dedicated to their unfinished worfiwhicfi they have thus
* washing laimdry buckets
pliiying in liic quick
far s o nobly carried on.
sand in the canal
Kristie and Alberta: It is r ather for us to be dedicated to the great task^remaining
* seeing a calf bom before us - t hat from these honoured dead we tcd^e increased devotion
IMatthew:
* the bull rubbing on tlic truck U) t hat cause for which they here gave the last full measure of
*up at 5::M) pm * c hicken farm jails devotion - d ial we highly resolve these dead micro-organisms shall
* l urgcl shiH)ling not have died in vain; that this dirt shall have a new birth of
* d rove truck and motor bike
freedom; and that this government of m icro-organisms, by t he micro-
* b ottle feeding calves Sara and Hilda: organisms, fort he organisms, shall not perish from the earth.
Mitchell and Andy: * feeding sheep 'Wesley Moldowan, 11, grade 5
* butchering the pig and 9deridian iHeights School
* s leeping in the hay
saving the ear
* g opher hunting Stony 'Slain, MlBerta
* h orseback riding *♦ c saenpdjlu-iantgi n ge g tghse milk
In the Dead of Wlnter.-.Something to Look Forward To!
1994 Agriculture Ambassador Fair
As winter fast approaches, we can To add some more excitement to attending, be sure not to overlook the tear-
all look forward to those bright, crisp and the already bustling Fair atmosphere, spe- off registration form in this newsletter.
clear snow-filled days.. .or NOT!!! By cial agriculture education performances The past Agriculture Ambassador
the time Christmas holidays have come and hands-on activities will be on-going. Fairs have been huge successes and the up-
and gone cabin-fever will have hit the A new feature to this Agriculture and-coming Fair in Camrose is also sure to
classrooms. This is the perfect lime to Ambassador Fair is the initiative to twin please. We look forward to seeing you and
schools from both the Edmonton and your students there. Please read and share
start preparing your classes for this year's
Agriculture Ambassador Fair. Camrose areas. "This is a pilot project with your collegues the Prizelist included
In past years, the Agriculture that intends to explore the opportunities with this newletter. If you would like to
Ambassador Fair has been held in for rural and urban school children to get obtain further copies of the Prizelist, or if
Medicine Hat with over 900 students together and share their ideas and under- you just have general inquiries regarding
participating in the Agriculture themed standings of a griculture" says Betty the Fair or Mini Ambassador conference,
project competition. Gabcrt, AITC program Administrator and please contact the AITC Program office.
This year the agenda has changed. principal organizer to the Agriculture
The venue will be in Camrose, on Febru- Ambassador Fair. by Clare Stott
ary 17th and 18th, and it i s expected that As the reviews were so positive
participation will far exceed that of previ- for the first, an added, special event - a ^ Agrlcullure In The Classroom Mfwsl<?tt^r ^
PURPOSE: T(S pfovidd M)«rta arfycdWfs with a naiwojli-
ous years. Mini AmbassadorConference - w ill again
ing toot confaining current tntomiation on Ihe
As in past years, the Fair will be be hosted for any and all interested agfict'dure intiusify and reiatecf resource* thai
open for competition to all grade levels Agriculture Ambassadors. This will be a ^6 avttjiabte for ctassojOiTi use.
from K through 12. There are many time for Ambassadors to share all their CE<»W<TTWOBURT<;»{ S; CtCafrH&re S tScrtl) ott SaraEmorwl
project classes that students can enter experiences and achievements over their SartiShacksl Annalae Heam
based on their grade level. After the past year(s) as Ambassadors. All Ambas- PROOUCTlONt Juns Q\t^A!nin&© Mane Hi9»ta
winning entries have been chosen, all the sadors are s trongly encouraged to attend.
projects and displays with be open for Sharing information is definitely one of Ag In Th« Ctaaaroom Proj/ram
2nd Floor. 7000 - 1 13 Stroot
students and the general public to take a the best ways to learn and expand one's ectmoitton, Att>ert<» T6HST6
look at. resource bank. If you are interested in PHONe;403-427-2171 Of 427-2402
FAX: [phone]
5fe
REQUEST FOR REGISTRATION
MINI- AG AMBASSADOR CONFERENCE
Thursday February 17th - C amrose
In conjunction with the 1994 Agriculture Ambassador Fair
O YES! ! I w ould like a registration form and some more information on the Ambassador Conference! !
Name: School:
School
Address:
School
Postal Code: Phone:
O YES, I a m an Ag Ambassador O NO, but I w ould like to become one
Please note, a $25.00 registration fee refundable upon attendance will be required for registration.
Further information will be forwarded to you upon receipt of this form.
If you have any questions, just give us a call at 427-2402 or 427-2171.
Ag In the Classroom Program
Agricuitural Education and
Community Services Branch
Alberta AgricoSture, Food
and Rurai Development
Room 201, 7000 - 1 13 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5T6
Attention: Cindy