Ohio State gives agriculture teachers full lesson plan during week-long session

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Twenty middle and high school agriculture teachers from across the nation have a full year’s curriculum they can take home to their students.

It’s a unique learning experience since Ohio State University is one of just six schools to host this professional development institute.

Agriculture, both directly and indirectly, is the source of a lot of food, but some don’t realize just how many people it takes for everything to run smoothly.

“Agriculture is one of the top industries in Ohio and across the nation and we need students for those jobs,” Dr. Kellie Claflin, an agriscience professor at Ohio State, said.

That’s why agriculture teachers said Ohio State’s institute is such a great opportunity. Starting in the fall, middle and high school teachers will be able to educate their students about how agriculture works and the array of jobs available in the field.

“The curriculum is inquiry-based so lots of labs and hands-on learning, so it really gets students involved and take accountability for their learning, which is great,” Kaitlyn Wasilewski, who teaches agriculture in northern Morrow County, said. “They have fun in the classroom when they’re doing hands-on learning.”

The goal is for the teachers to have a year’s curriculum ready to go so they can focus on educating students instead of planning lessons.

“The whole point of this is to make teachers’ lives easier and make sure students are aware of the potential of careers in agriculture as well as becoming agriculturally literate and understanding the science in agriculture,” Claflin said.

Wasilewski said she hopes this course piques the interest of some of her freshmen students who take the class in the fall. She said many of them won’t end up in careers in the field, but she hopes they understand how the industry works.

“I hope they get excited about agriculture and want to take more courses throughout high school, and I hope that they come to my classroom ready to do hands-on learning and have some fun,” Wasilewski said.

The program lasts five days. In the end, the teachers will head back to their districts with a new curriculum and new relationships with other teachers in their industry.