現代農業（時間彈性）

The students will learn about farming practices used today, technology and what it is like to be a farmer through games and teacher instruction.  I will also use the songs that the Peterson Farm Brothers use to teach about agriculture in a fun way.  

The whole class will consist of 4 weeks of activities, videos, mini lessons and farming game.  
The first week we will discuss old farming methods and what farmers still use today such as cover crops and crop rotation.  We will compare and contrast what has changed for farming.  We will also discuss what types of farms there are and what a day in the life of a farmer is like.  We will discuss subsistence agriculture and commercial farming along with livestock and crop farms. 
I will introduce how to play our farming game.  The farming game will simulate the economics of a small farm.  The students will learn how to keep track of their farming experiences through bookkeeping using google sheets that I will provide.  They will also design their own farm. 

In the second week, the students will learn about different technology such as GPS and drones used for farming.  We will also look at different types of occupations involved in farming.
The students will discuss in the classroom how they did in the farming game.  They will also discuss what technology they would use on their farm.  We will continue to play the farming game.

The third week we will focus on why we should care about the future of farming and how farming impacts everyday life. We will also look at the farming game and how everyone did as farmers.  The students will complete a project about how they can show they care about farming in real life. 

The fourth week will be a complete discussion of what we learned in the previous weeks.  The students will have a Q and A session in the classroom.  We will also finish the farming game and discuss how they did in the game.  The students will answer what they did well and what they would have changed.  

No farming background is needed for this class.  Everyone is welcomed to join.  I will post mini lessons and assignments every Monday and/or Tuesday. I will also post fun facts about farming and agriculture in the classroom portal.  The only homework the students will have will be the farming game and discussion topics.  Throughout the week, I will post what happened on the farm that day. The students can discuss what happens on their farm in the classroom and can keep track of what happened in their google sheets.  Examples of what happens on the farm:  hail storms, getting stuck in the mud, and also good things like getting a head start on planting.  
It will be the students responsibility to check the classroom and their Outschool email throughout the week.  

This course is scheduled in flex time for your convenience.  Flex class means there will be no live meetings.  The work is asynchronous and all activities will take place in the classroom portal not in zoom.  The course is great for busy families.  The student may access the materials at anytime during the course.  The teacher will be available for 1 on 1 or group meetings upon request and will answer emails try to answer within 24 hours.