Colorado Agriscience Curriculum
Section: / Intro to AgribusinessUnit: / Careers in Agriculture
Lesson Title: / Learning the Careers in Agriculture
Colorado Ag Education Standards and Competencies / Standard 9.1 The student will comprehend the scope of careers in agriculture
Competency 1-2 Careers in Ag
Colorado Model Content Standard(s): / English Standard 2.2
Conveying technical information in a written form appropriate to the audience
English Standard 2.3
Supporting an opinion using various forms of persuasion (factual or emotional) in speaking and writing
Student Learning Objectives: / Objective 1: The leaner will identify what a career is.
Objective 2: The leaner will identify and categorize the scope of the different careers into agriculture pathways.
Objective 3: The learner will identify skills necessary to be successful in the pathways for the agricultural industry.
Time: / One 50-minute lesson.
Resource(s): / FFA LifeKnowledge Lesson HS.31
CareerCenter;
Instructions, Tools, Equipment, and Supplies: / Print off and cut apart attachment A, one per class
“What is a job description?” Worksheet B, one per student
Italicized words are instructions to the teacher; normal style text is suggested script.
Interest Approach: / Good day class! Welcome back to Ag Ed! Today we are going to discover ways that you can stay involved in this amazing industry for the rest of your lives! How has the agriculture industry changed from the time that your parents were this age? Remember now, only 2% of the population is involved directly in production agriculture today. How is it, then that all of you may be involved in this industry?
(Allow students to provide examples of ‘other agricultural pursuits’ as identified in the FFA creed). Feel free to engage the students in how the jobs and professions in agriculture have evolved over the years.
It is possible for each and every one of you to be involved in agriculture if you understand the scope opportunities available to you in this industry! This is such an incredible time for each of you to refine your agriculture career interests!
To get us started today I am going to divide you into seven groups. Each of these seven groups will be given an agricultural career area, called pathways. I would like you to take a look at the list for 20 seconds. Then you will be given three minutes to find something in the ag room and ag shop, greenhouse (etc.) that best represents the careers in this area. You will have to present your item to the class, and justify why you think this item best describes this career pathway in agriculture. You will be given only three minutes to find this item. Are you ready? Divide quickly divide into your groups. Do not look at the career area until you are told to do so.
Divide the class into seven equal groups. Give each group (this can be done as individuals as well) a section of the handout attached to the back of this lesson (attachment A). When all the groups are ready, proceed!
Are you ready? Do your best here – find an item that BEST represents your career pathway. You will have 20 seconds to look at the list, and three minutes to locate your item. When time is called, immediately return to the classroom! Ready, set…GO!
After three minutes call “TIME”. When students return, have them elect a reporter from their groups to present their item, and justify why it is the best item in the ag shop to represent the careers listed in their pathway. Keep the class moving along; allow only one or two minutes per group to present.
Great job students! Give your teammates a high-five!! We will discuss all of the career areas in today’s lesson. But first, who can tell me the difference between a job and a career?
Transition to the lesson portion. You may want to have students grab their notebooks and capture the key questions and notes from the PowerPoint into their notes.
Objective 1: / Objective 1: The leaner will identify what a career is.
Show PowerPoint Slides #2 and #3
- Remind students that career’s are chosen. They have the power to change and develop their careers. They are typically utilized to make a living, but most people realize that their careers can be a fulfilling endeavor that impacts their entire life.
- How many of you would like to have jobs in agriculture? We hope by the end of the lesson today that all of you would choose a career with an agriculture focus! Capture the key points regarding your understanding of the difference between a career and a job in your notebooks.
Objective 2: / Objective 2: The leaner will identify and categorize the scope of the different careers into agriculture pathways.
Use slides 4-19…
Now that we have our symbols to remember each of the career areas from our introduction earlier today, let’s spend a little bit of time learning more about all seven of the career areas. Please capture the key pieces in your notes.
Proceed through the PowerPoint slides on the seven career areas. After each one, have a student act out without any noises, one of the jobs listed on each slide. This will assist in helping students to reinforce the key components of each lesson.
As we do this, we are going to implement the Marcel Marceau moment to reinforce the information that you are learning. One person will need to volunteer to mime one of the jobs listed on each of the pathways! You may not use any words or noises during this phase. As a group, try to guess which job it is! Ready? Who is our first volunteer?
Objective 3: / Objective 3: The learner will identify skills necessary to be successful in the pathways for the agricultural industry.
Okay – great job on learning the seven career areas. Just as a refresher, remind me one job from the Natural Resources area. Who can tell me one job from the Animal Systems pathway? How about the Power, Structural and Mechanical Systems pathway? Great – you have it!
Use the Me-You-Us Moment to reinforce the learning for the next objective.
Project slide number 20 and 21.
What skills do you think are necessary to be successful in any of these areas? You need to think of three skills. Do that now. Now turn to your neighbor and share your skills. Allow students to do so. Did you have the same skills? Why? One member of the group should share with the entire class. What are the skills that your pair believed were necessary? Are they the same as are listed on the PowerPoint? Which skills are necessary in each pathway? Which skills are specific to a particular pathway? After students have shared their answers, include them and those on the PowerPoint Slides. Have students capture the information in their notebooks.
Review/Summary: / Do you wonder which of the career areas that we covered today will be in the highest demand in the future? Give me your best as to which career hold the most potential and give an explanation regarding why you believe this is the profession for the future. Allow students to share verbally with you the pathway that they believe will be in the highest demand and ask them to explain if they would change their profession based upon their thoughts.
Application--Extended Classroom Activity: / Break the students into groups of five or six. Have students fold a paper in half lengthwise and list the each of the group members on one side. On the other side have the students match each person (individually) with the career pathway that they believe will be the best for each person, and have them give an explanation of why their classmates would be great for that pathway. When all students have completed the activity they should share the results with their group-mates.
Application--FFA Activity: / Utilize the Job Description from the Evaluation while working on the Job Interview CDE contest.
Application--SAE Activity: / Have students develop a new SAEP that relates to the career path that the students believe they would like to do, or that their classmates believe they are best suited for.
Evaluation: / Use student evaluation, Attachment B
Students should create a job description regarding one job of interest that was covered today. They should do quick research and fill in the job description form that is attached to this lesson.
Evaluation Answer Key: / Varies by student
Other: / None
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture 1
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Attachment A – Use with Interest Approach
Agricultural Sales ● Agricultural Communications Specialists ● Business-Educators ● Food Scientists ● Meat Processors-Toxicologists ● Biochemists-Nutritionists-Dieticians ● Food Brokers-Food Inspectors ● Meat Cutters-Meat Graders ● Meat Science Researchers ● Food Meal Supervisors ● Cheese Makers ● Microbiologists ● Produce Buyers ● Bacteriologists ● Food & Drug Inspectors ● Bioengineers ● Biochemists ● Food & Fiber Engineers ● Food Processors ● Storage Supervisors● Field man ● Quality Control Specialists / Bioinformatics Specialists ● Plant Breeders and Geneticists ● Biotechnology Lab Technician ● Soil & Water Specialists ● Crop Farm Managers ● Agricultural Educators ● Plant Pathologists ● Aquaculturalists ● Sales Representatives ● Botanists ● Tree Surgeons ● Education & Extension Specialists ● Agricultural Journalists ● Commodity Marketing Specialists ●Grain Operations Superintendents ●Custom Hay/Silage Operators ● Forest Geneticists ● Golf Course Superintendents ● Greenhouse Managers ● Growers ● Farmers ●Ranchers / Agricultural Educators ● Livestock producers ● AI Technicians-Aquaculturalists ● Animal Caretakers-Poultry Managers ● Equine Managers-Veterinarians ● Veterinary Assistants-Feedlot Specialists ● Animal Scientists ●Embryo Technologists ● Livestock Buyers ● Feed Sales Representatives ● Vivarian Technicians ● Wildlife Biologists ● Livestock Geneticists ● Animal Nutritionists ● Dairy Producers● Livestock Inspectors ● Feed Sales Specialists ●Animal Health Salespersons ●Meat Science Researcher ●Reproductive Physiologists ● Embryo Transfer Technicians ● Pet Shop Operators ●USDA Inspectors / Machine Operators ● Electronics Systems Technicians ● Agricultural Engineers ● Agricultural Extension Engineering Specialists ● Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technicians ● Recycling Technicians ● Waste Water Treatment Plant Operators ● Equipment/Parts Mangers ● Welders ● Machinists ● Communication Technicians ● Agricultural Applications Software Developers/Programmers ● Database Administrators ● Computer Service Technical Support Technicians ● Information Lab Specialists ●GPS Technicians● Remote Sensing Specialists / Cartographers ● Wildlife Managers ● Range Technicians ● Ecologists Park Mangers ● Environmental Interpreters ● Fish and Game Officers Loggers ● Forest Technicians ● Log Graders ● Pulp and Paper Manager Soil Geology Technician ● Geologists ● Mining Engineers Fisheries Technicians ● Water Monitoring Technician ● Hydrologists ● Fish Hatchery Manager Commercial Fishermen ● Fishing Vessel Operators ● Vessel Crew / Pollution Prevention and Control Managers ● Pollution Prevention and Control Technicians● Environmental Sampling and Analysis Scientists/Technicians● Health and Safety Sanitarians● Environmental Compliance Assurance Managers● Hazardous Materials Handlers ● Hazardous Materials Technicians / Managers● Water Environment Managers ● Water Quality Managers● Waste Water Managers● Toxicologists● Solid Waste Disposers / Recyclers● Solid Waste Technician● Solid Waste Managers ● Solid Waste Specialists / Salesperson ● Sales Manager ●Banker/Loan Officer ● Field Representative for Bank, Insurance Company or Government Program● Farm Investment Manager
● Agricultural Commodity Broker
● Agricultural Economist ● Farmer /Rancher/Feedlot Operator
● Farm Manager ● Livestock Rancher / Breeder ● Dairy Herd Supervisor (DHIA) ● Agricultural Products Buyer ● Animal Health Products Distributor ● Livestock Seller ● Feed and Supply Store Manager ● Produce Commission Agent ● Ag Lenders
● Agricultural Chemical Dealer ● Field Service Representative ● Chemical Sales Representative
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture 1
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Job Description Worksheet
Attachment B
Student Evaluation
Name:
Job title:
______
Accountability (to whom does this position report to?):
______
What are the main responsibilities and duties of the job, with a detailed breakdown of skills (such and how and when skills and tasks should be performed), if this is appropriate. Include only tasks that are genuinely part of the job.
______
What education, skills and training are required for the job?
______
What are the conditions for employment (including starting date and duration, if the job is for a fixed period, or the fact that it is temporary if the job is not intended to be permanent but a fixed ending date has not yet been set, summary of the main conditions of employment, including salary range, increments, hours of work, holiday, probationary period, arrangements for supervision)?
Date on which job description was last updated and approved; schedule for future reviews.
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture 1
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