www.GoodinEveryGrain.ca Good in Every Grain STEMTERPRISE — TEACHING AGRICULTURE A 2022 WESTERN University study of food literacy among Canadian children determined that more than half of those surveyed do not generally consume the recommended daily nutrients for good health. However, researchers concluded that children make better choices when they have food knowledge and can connect it to food skills like preparing food. They recommended programs that help teachers provide experiential food education, including bringing experts into the classroom. Good in Every Grain is listening! Our Good in Every Classroom program provides a range of activities, lessons, and products for Ontario educators. Through Good in Every Grain, more than 62,200 students know more about where their food comes from; 4,112 students have gotten their hands dirty growing their own plants; and 27,897 students have learned about Canada’s agricultural history from the Farmerettes, who represent a key moment in Canadian women’s history. Our newest offering is Ontario Farming STEMterprise, which teaches elementary students about growing grains in Ontario, how plants grow, what helps them grow, and the role of grains in our lives. Farming STEMterprise is a unique teaching resource centred around Ontario grain production. The program is based, with permission, on the award-winning Farming STEMterprise program produced by the National Farmers Union of Great Britain. Grain Farmers of Ontario is the only North American organization that offers this robust program. The program is project-based, cross-curricular, integrating STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) with transferable skills from other curriculum areas. Farming STEMterprise hits the mark in Ontario’s curriculum across Science and Technology, Health and Physical Education, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Language, including the most recent changes to the Language curriculum. Teachers can use Farming STEMterprise for the entire school year, applying it as a practical tool across the curriculum. Farming STEMterprise provides teachers with everything they need — lesson plans, teacher guides, worksheets, and PowerPoint presentations — all in one free digital package they can download. Teachers can also use Good in Every Grain’s What’s Growing ON? seed kits with STEMterprise. Farming STEMterprise engages students in meaningful ways. They become plant experts as they plant seeds, learn about plants’ requirements for growth, and track and record their plants’ progress. They become budding entrepreneurs as they conduct market research into existing granola bars and then design and create their own nutritious granola bars to meet consumer needs. They also create a name and logo for their product and design sustainable packaging. In a grand finale, they demonstrate what they have learned and sell their product in a “farm shop” at school. 30
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