Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month – Teacher Registration

Grade 3 students will learn about the farming industry and agricultural careers from guest speakers. Guest speakers will also help students plant mystery seeds, which will remain in the classroom. This activity supports Grade 3 Science and Math Curriculum outcomes.

Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month takes place each year in March with the goal of connecting students with farmers and other agricultural professionals. Learning where their food comes from is a topic that every student will engage with. These speakers will be recruited by the Department of Agriculture to visit Grade 3 classrooms to tell students the story of their farms and agricultural careers, using pictures, videos and/or artefacts from their farms or businesses.

The Department of Agriculture recruits guest speakers from the agricultural industry to visit classrooms. Department of Agriculture staff will match guest speakers with participating teachers and allow them to coordinate when the classroom visits will take place.

The Department of Agriculture has developed a mystery seed activity to accompany the guest speakers. This experiential, inquiry-based activity will allow students to explore differences in plant growth in the classroom, and connect how plants are grown in pots to how plants are grown on a farm via the video series.

Teachers can create opportunities for developing competencies such as such as Communication, Critical Thinking, Connections, Mental Mathematics and Estimation, Visualization, Technological Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning while meeting curriculum outcomes in Science and Mathematics for Grade 3.  
Provided with the program are:

  • a Nova Scotian farmer or agricultural professional guest speaker, prepared with a presentation, videos and/or artefacts from the farm or business to show the students
  • a mystery seed kit with all necessary supplies for growing plants included, as well as instructions for planting and care
  • a lesson plan with curriculum connections, background information, guiding questions and a list of online resources
  • a mystery seed video series that connects the seeds grown in the classroom to a Nova Scotia vegetable farm
  • staff support to answer questions

This program will take place in late February and March each year.

Teachers should take into consideration:

  • guest speaker availability will vary for each school
  • the program is intended for grade 3 but other elementary grades can be accommodated depending on guest speaker availability.
  • the mystery seed kit comes in a self-contained plastic container that measures 16” x 13” x 5.5”. There must be an available surface to keep the container near an electrical outlet. A small grow lamp is included so the surface does not need to have access to natural light. The plants must be watered regularly.

Eligibility

Elementary School teachers specially grade 3, in Nova Scotia public schools. Private schools will be accepted based on resource availability. 

How to apply

  1. Determine if the Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month program is a good fit for your classroom.
  2. Complete the application form by 15 January.
  3. The Department of Agriculture will review all applications and match each classroom with a guest speaker.
  4. Guest speakers will contact each teacher by early March.
  5. Visits to take place between 15 February and 31 March.

How long it takes

Teachers will be notified within 5 days that their application has been received. Teachers will then be contacted by the guest speaker they have been matched with by early March to arrange the classroom visit.

Cost

There is no cost to participate in this program.

Before you apply

Make sure your school principal is aware of your intention to apply to the program and supports your participation.

Important dates

Applications open

1 September

Applications close 30 January
Classroom visits take place 15 February – 31 March 

Apply online

Start now

Other ways to apply

If you are unable to apply online, contact the Agricultural Education office at 902-893-6575 or

Contact

Agricultural Education Office
74 Research Dr.
Bible Hill, NS B6L 2R2

Phone: 902-893-6575