Destination Ag

State Educational Standards

The Destination Ag curriculum is tied to Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) along with the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) and incorporates principles of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). View the specific standards addressed under each lesson description or in the Program Guide.  

Program Types

Destination Ag offers a variety of programming options to suit different needs of educators. Review the available programs to determine what works best for your group. 

• On-Site Programs: Spend a day with Destination Ag at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture as students explore agriculture and natural resources in our outdoor classroom!
• Virtual Programs: Destination Ag staff provide live, online learning straight into your classroom!
• Outreach Programs: Bring Destination Ag to your classroom! Destination Ag offers educational programs for in-classroom experiences focused on an agricultural and natural resources topic. 

Field Experience

Customize your group’s visit by selecting up to three lessons for your Field Experience on-site at Destination Ag.

Details

• Each lesson is 30-minutes with time available for questions.
• Groups can select up to three of the lessons listed below. ANR Careers is included with all Field Experiences. 
• Lessons are adapted for grade level to ensure state educational standards are addressed.
• Available for up to four classrooms per day.
• Groups may bring sack lunches to enjoy a 30-minute break at the Opry Shelter pavilion.
• Groups may have time to visit the Drug Store, which provides ice cream and souvenirs for sale.
• Field Experiences are $7 per student and include up to four lessons. Teachers, and bus drivers do not pay Museum admission. All other adults must pay general Museum admission upon arrival ($7.00 + tax).

PreK-1st Grade Lessons

• Agriculture & Natural Resource Careers: The career lesson will enable students to define agriculture, describe the roles and responsibilities of two careers, and experience demonstrations of career activities. For the 2020-2021 school year, the two feature careers are livestock veterinarian and fertilizer technician. Students will learn the tools that veterinarians use as well as the procedure for haltering a large animal in the livestock veterinarian lesson. In the fertilizer technician lesson, students will learn how fertilizer helps plants, how technicians mix fertilizer using a recipe, and how push and pull forces help technicians spread the fertilizer on crops.
• Bats, Birds, & Bees Walk: Students explore the world of pollination by taking a short walk and learning about our animal pollinators. This walk includes searching for native pollinators and discussing their role in our ecosystem and in agriculture. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC3.3a, SKL2, S1L1.
• Forest Flora, Fauna, & Fungi Walk: Students get the opportunity to learn about how fallen logs provide a home to many different creatures of the forest. Additionally, they get to meet some of the wild animals that might make a dying tree their home. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC3.4a, SKL1, S1L1.
• Chippers, Skidder, & Saws Walk: Students will learn about how machines use forces and motion to help the forestry and lumber industries. Students will take a walk that shows them both modern forestry machinery and the Museum’s historic sawmill. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC4.4a, CD-SC4.4b, SKP2, SSKH3, S1P1.

2nd-5th Grade Lessons

• Agriculture & Natural Resource Careers: The career lesson will enable students to define agriculture, describe the roles and responsibilities of two careers, and experience demonstrations of career activities. For the 2020-2021 school year, the two feature careers are livestock veterinarian and fertilizer technician. Students will learn the tools that veterinarians use as well as the procedure for haltering a large animal in the livestock veterinarian lesson. In the fertilizer technician lesson, students will learn how fertilizer helps plants, how technicians mix fertilizer using a recipe, and how push and pull forces help technicians spread the fertilizer on crops.
• Woods, Water, & Wildlife-Nature Walk: Students get the opportunity to take a short walk around the grist mill pond and the Langdale Nature Center to identify trees and meet some of the Museum’s wild animals. Students also learn about the water cycle and how the grist mill pond, trees, and wild animals are all involved in the different stages. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2L1, S3E1, S4E3, S5L1.
• Pondering Pollen-Pollination Walk: Students explore the world of pollination by walking throughout the site and discovering the different methods plants pollinate. This walk includes searching for native pollinators and discussing their role in our ecosystem and in agriculture. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2L1.c, S3L1.b.c, S4L1.a, S5L1.a.
• Agricultural Inventions-STEM Walk: Students will learn about simple machines and see the many ways they have been utilized in agricultural, from the founding of the United States to modern times. Students will take a walk that involves a visit to our historic cotton gin, comparing modern and historic tractors, and participating in a simple machine I-Spy among hundreds of agricultural inventions. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2P2, SS3E1, S4P3, SS4E1, SS5H1, S5P1.

Guided Live-Streaming Lessons

Experience Destination Ag from anywhere with Guided Live-Streaming Lessons!

Details

• Each lesson is 30-minutes with time available for questions.
• Available for up to four classrooms at one time.
• Groups can select one of the lessons listed below.
• Virtual lessons are provided using Google Meet.
• Lessons are adapted for grade level to ensure state educational standards are addressed.
• Destination Ag staff will email worksheets and additional resources for your selected program(s) prior to your scheduled date.
• Recording Destination Ag Virtual Programs is prohibited.
• $45 per lesson for up to four classrooms

PreK-1st Grade Lessons

• Agriculture & Natural Resources Careers: The career lesson will enable students to define agriculture, describe the roles and responsibilities of two careers, and experience demonstrations of career activities. For the 2020-2021 school year, the two feature careers are livestock veterinarian and fertilizer technician. In the livestock vet lesson, students will learn the tools that vets use as well as the procedure for haltering a large animal. In the fertilizer technician lesson, students will learn how fertilizer helps plants, how technicians mix it with a recipe, and how push and pull forces help technicians spread the fertilizer on crops.
• Animal Analyses : Students will meet two different animals (animals vary by day and season) and learn the many ways in which they are similar and different. Examples include learning about how animals change as they grow, what they eat, and fun facts about their anatomy. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: SKL2, SKL1, S1L1.
• Meet the Sheep: Students get to meet Destination Ag’s sheep and learn about the needs they have as animals. The wool industry is discussed as students learn about how wool is processed and the various products that the industry provides to humans. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S1L1b, SKL2, SSKE3.
  
• Cool Crops and Crawling Critters: Students discover how the vast variety of items they use every day are products from crops grown in Georgia. They also learn how plants are aided by the critters in the soil that help provide the nutrients they need to grow. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S1L1, ELAGSE1W8, CD-SD3, SKL2.
• Farm to Fridge: The process of how food starts at a farm and ends up in our refrigerator is the main topic of discussion in this lesson. Focusing on the cattle industry, students explore the various products produced as well as how important the process of buying/selling is to the industry. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC3, CD-SS4, SSKE2, SSKE3, SS1k1, SS1k3.
  

2nd-5th Grade Lessons 

• Agriculture & Natural Resource Careers: The career lesson will enable students to define agriculture, describe the roles and responsibilities of two careers, and experience demonstrations of career activities. For the 2020-2021 school year, the two feature careers are livestock veterinarian and fertilizer technician. In the livestock vet lesson students will learn about the tools that vets use as well as the procedure for placing a halter on a large animal. In the fertilizer technician lesson, students will learn how fertilizer helps plants, how technicians mix it using a recipe, and how push and pull forces help technicians to spread the fertilizer on crops.
• Aquaponics: Students will view a functioning aquaponics system featuring catfish and leafy green vegetables and discover how this symbiotic relationship is an ecosystem in itself. Life-cycles and food webs will be explored while math skills will be put to the test as students calculate the different parameters of the aquaponics system. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2L1, MGSE2.MD.1, MGSE2.MD.2, MGSE2.MD.3, MGSE2.MD.4, S3L1, MGSE3.MD.2, S4L1, MGSE4.OA.2, ELAGSE4RI7, S4CS2, S4CS3, MGSE4.NF.7, S5L4, MGSE5.NF.6.
• Georgia Georegions: Students explore Georgia’s geographic regions and discuss differences in agriculture, plants, and animals. A highlight of the session is meeting a live ‘region-specific’ animal and discussing its adaptations for survival. Students will come away with an understanding of how many products used daily do not originate from their own region. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: SS2G1, S3L1, S5L1, S4L1.
• Let’s Bee Pollinators: Explore the world of pollinators and learn about their vital importance in agriculture. Students glimpse into the lives of a popular pollinator, the honeybee, and learn about their life cycle. A virtual walk through the Museum’s pollinator garden may allow students an opportunity to see a pollinator in action! This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2L1, S3L1, S4L1, S5L4.
• Swept Away: Students will learn how weather, specifically wind and water, cause changes to the environment. Students will observe wind and water erosion using an erosion simulation table. Through this lesson, students will define erosion, understand the effects of weather on erosion, and explore how erosion can be reduced. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2E3, S3E1, S4E4, S5E1.

Museum Led Classroom Programs

Destination Ag staff can visit your school to provide educational and interactive activities focused on an agricultural and natural resources topic. 

Details

• Each program is 30-minutes with time available for questions.
• Destination Ag staff can visit up to three classrooms (90 students) in one day. 
• Groups can select two lessons from below to be taught by Destination Ag staff in their classroom. 
• Lessons are adapted for grade level to ensure state educational standards are addressed.
• Available for up to 30 students per session.
• Single classroom visits are $210 + mileage($0.58/mile) to/from the school. Each additional classroom program at the same school on the same day is $50. 

PreK-1st Grade Lessons

• Agriculture & Natural Resources Careers: The career lesson will enable students to define agriculture, describe the roles and responsibilities of two careers, and experience demonstrations of career activities. For the 2020-2021 school year, the two feature careers are livestock veterinarian and fertilizer technician. In the livestock vet lesson, students will learn the tools that vets use as well as the procedure for haltering a large animal. In the fertilizer technician lesson, students will learn how fertilizer helps plants, how technicians mix it with a recipe, and how push and pull forces help technicians spread the fertilizer on crops.
• Animal Analyses: Students will meet two different animals (animals vary by day and season) and learn the many ways in which they are similar and different. Examples include learning about how animals change as they grow, what they eat, and fun facts about their anatomy. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC3, SKL2, SKL1, S1L1.
• Meet the Sheep: Students get to meet Destination Ag’s sheep and learn about the needs they have as animals. The wool industry is discussed as students learn about how wool is processed and the various products that the industry provides to humans. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC3.4a, S1L1b, SKL2, SSKE3.
• Cool Crops and Crawling Critters: Students discover how the vast variety of items they use every day are products from crops grown in Georgia. They also learn how plants are aided by the critters in the soil that help provide the nutrients they need to grow. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S1L1, ELAGSE1W8, CD-SD3, SKL2.
• Farm to Fridge: The process of how food starts at a farm and ends up in our refrigerator is the main topic of discussion in this lesson. Focusing on the cattle industry, students explore the various products produced as well as how important the process of buying/selling is to the industry. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: CD-SC3, CD-SS4, SSKE2, SSKE3, SS1K1, SS1K3.

2nd-5th Grade Lessons

• Agriculture & Natural Resource Careers: The career lesson will enable students to define agriculture, describe the roles and responsibilities of two careers, and experience demonstrations of career activities. For the 2020-2021 school year, the two feature careers are livestock veterinarian and fertilizer technician. In the livestock vet lesson students will learn about the tools that vets use as well as the procedure for placing a halter on a large animal. In the fertilizer technician lesson, students will learn how fertilizer helps plants, how technicians mix it using a recipe, and how push and pull forces help technicians to spread the fertilizer on crops.
• Georgia Georegions: Students explore Georgia’s geographic regions and discuss differences in agriculture, plants, and animals. A highlight of the session is meeting a live ‘region-specific’ animal and discussing its adaptations for survival. Students will come away with an understanding of how many products used daily do not originate from their own region. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: SS2G1, S3L1, S5L1, S4L1.
• Let’s Bee Pollinators: Explore the world of pollinators and learn about their vital importance in agriculture. Students glimpse into the lives of a popular pollinator, the honeybee, and learn about their life cycle. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2L1, S3L1, S4L1, S5L4.
• Swept Away: Students will learn how weather, specifically wind and water, cause changes to the environment. Students will observe wind and water erosion using an erosion simulation table. Through this lesson, students will define erosion, understand the effects of weather on erosion, and explore how erosion can be reduced. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2E3, S3E1, S4E4, S5E1.
• Fire, Is it Good or Bad?: Students discover the world of fire ecology and the importance of fire to an ecosystem. Topics include the fire triangle, how fire changes an ecosystem, and how foresters use fire as a management tool. Students will see the different tools foresters use when managing a prescribed fire. This program addresses the following Georgia Standards of Excellence: S2L1.d, S3L1.c, S4L1.c, S5L1.b.

Traveling Trunks

As part of the Destination Ag and Georgia Farm Bureau partnership, Traveling Trunks were developed to teach children throughout the state of Georgia about agriculture and natural resources. Traveling Trunks provide a hands-on experience to engage students in a grade-specific & standards-linked interactive lesson. Georgia Farm Bureau houses the trunks within each of its 10 regions. Volunteers or local county office members can bring the trunks and present the provided lessons to groups at no cost! 

Contact your local Farm Bureau office to schedule a visit to your classroom today!

All About Trees 

All About Peanuts 

Winners

For each participating county in 2020-2021, a student winner will be awarded per bracket per county (Pre-K through First, Second through Third, and Fourth through Fifth) along with his/her teacher. Awards for students will be a $100 Visa gift card and awards for teachers will be a $500 check and the opportunity to attend a professional development workshop at no cost.

Details

Teachers will receive entry forms during their Destination Ag program. Each teacher is allowed one student entry. All entries will become the property of the GMA to use, produce, or transfer rights as its sole discretion.