Agriscience Syllabus 2024-2025

Instructor: Laura Moss Email: mossl@henryk12.net Classroom: Room 510

Google Classroom Code: 1st Period: 32bxxqq

3rd Period: 76wgnt3

FFA: uitviy5

Remind Code: FFA: @parisffa28

Class: @510fall24

Course Description: Agriscience is an introductory laboratory science course that prepares students for biology, subsequent science and agriculture courses, and postsecondary study. This course helps students understand the important role that agricultural science and technology plays in the 21st century. In addition, it serves as the first course for all programs of study in the Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources cluster. Upon completion of this course, proficient students will be prepared for success in more advanced agriculture and science coursework.

Methods of Instruction: Lecture, group discussion, guest lecturers, group activities. This is a project-based class so projects will count at least 60% of your grade each mini-quarter with tests, quizzes and classwork comprising the other 40%.

Classroom Policy:

*All school policies outlined in the student handbook will be enforced.

*Plagiarism and/or cheating will result in a failing grade and will be reported to the Administration.

*Students are responsible for getting assignments after being absent.

*Late Work will be accepted with grade reductions. Ms Moss reserves the right to grade late work at the end of the Mini-Quarter.

The following classroom rules will be enforced:

1. Obey the Golden Rule:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

2. I am not your mama! Clean up your own messes.

3. If in doubt, ask yourself, “What would Thumper say?” Wise Thumper from the movie Bambi says, “If you cant say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

4. Watch your language. Just because you are in an Agriculture class, doesn’t mean that you can’t have class.

The following is a listing of the standards that you will learn during the semester:

Course Standards

1. Agriscience Safety and Careers

1.1 Safety: Identify and explain general laboratory safety procedures including, but not limited to, prevention and control procedures in agriscience laboratories and agriculture workplaces. Demonstrate safety procedures and complete safety tests with 100 percent accuracy.

1.2 Careers: Explore and compare local, regional, state, national, and global career opportunities in the agriscience industry. Use multiple print, online, and/or personal interview sources, to capture at a minimum the following:

a. job description;

b. essential knowledge and skills;

c. program or path of study to reach occupational goals, starting with high school through postsecondary and/or military options;

d. credentialing and/or licensure requirements;

e. non-educational job requirements such as minimum age, experience in the field, physical fitness tests, background checks, or other notable evaluations; and f. resume writing.

2. Agriscience Investigation and Overview

2.1 Overview: Articulate important historical and current events impacting the agricultural industry and agricultural youth development. Include landmark laws, theories, and practices such as, but not limited to, the Morrill Act, the Smith-Lever Act, the Smith-Hughes Act, and influential figures such as John Deere, Henry Groseclose, Booker T. Washington, and important government agencies in the promotion of knowledge and technology of agricultural science, biotechnology, and key technological developments.

2.2 Economic Impact: Analyze information to summarize the agricultural industry's economic impact. Explain the major agriculture commodities produced in Tennessee and their importance to Tennessee, the United States, and the global economy. Develop a foundational Supervised Agricultural Experience program that provides growth into an immersion SAE with an opportunity to implement multiple science and engineering practices:

a. AQDP – asking questions and developing problems;

b. MOD – developing and using models;

c. PCI – planning and carrying out investigations;

d. AID – analyzing and interpreting data;

e. UMCT - using mathematics and computational thinking;

f. CEDS – constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering);

g. EAE – engaging in argument from evidence; and

h. OECI – obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

2.3 Solutions: Define the criteria for successful solutions to common agricultural problems and identify relevant constraints (including social and political constraints). Include problems at the local, state, national, and global levels. Evaluate solutions to these problems and how the solutions meet the defined criteria and constraints. For example, how to efficiently and profitably grow larger quantities of safe high-quality food on less land to feed the growing population.

3. Fundamentals of Environmental Systems

3.1 Systems: Research a variety of controlled environment systems including, but not limited to, aquaponic systems, hydroponic systems, wildlife habitats, greenhouses, etc. Design a controlled environment that accounts for the inputs, outputs, and stability of flows of matter within the major biogeochemical cycles – such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water.

3.2 Models: Develop models for the flow of energy and matter (inorganic forms and overall biomass) in various ecosystems impacting agricultural and environmental systems. Using these models, calculate rates of productivity by analyzing the major components of a food chain. Employ mathematical models to explain growth patterns and rates, both density dependent and density-independent factors, observed in ecosystems energy and nutrients flow.

3.3 Biodiversity: Evaluate the impact of habitat fragmentation, destruction, and other environmental pressures, such as invasive species, overharvesting, pollution, and climate change on local and global biodiversity (genetic, species, and ecosystems.) Distinguish between types of pollution (point and not-point sources) and their sources to predict the effects on environmental conditions (e.g., water, soil, and air), animal populations, and plant populations from various kinds of human activity.

4. Fundamentals of Cell Structures and Processes

4.1 Cell Structures: Explain the major events of the eukaryotic cell cycle which accounts for a single cell growing into a multicellular plant or animal that may have its own reproductive capacity. Compare and contrast cell division in various eukaryotic cell types in plants and animals.

4.2 Processes: Gather evidence to support the arrangement of cells into tissues, organs, and systems that meet the needs of an entire organism. For example, the distribution of water and nutrients to all cells in plants and animals

5. Fundamentals of Genetics, Genomics, and Heredity

5.1 Role of Genetics and Genomics: Evaluate the roles of genetics and genomics in understanding health and disease. Describe the impact genomics has made in the food and fiber industry. Compare and contrast the important connections between these advancements, including, but not limited, to clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeater (CRISPR) technology and consumer's views about the way these technologies impact food products.

5.2 Genetic Data: Analyze and interpret data (e.g., pedigrees, genetic markers, birth weights) that supports how sexual and asexual reproduction in plants and animals contributes or limits genetic variation in populations.

6. Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology

6.1 Animal Systems: Identify and describe the major animal body systems (skeletal, muscular, respiratory, digestive, nervous, circulatory, and reproductive). Develop explanations for the relationships between the structure of individual parts and their function in the larger system for common livestock, companion animal, and wildlife species. (e.g., Tendons transfer muscle movements to the skeletal system by attaching bones and muscles together.)

6.2 Form and Function: Apply the selection for specific traits to common animal breeds with different intended or domesticated uses, such as but not limited to draft horse versus light horse and meat cattle versus dairy cattle. Relate the form of domestic and wild animals to their intended uses or their adaptive environmental niche(es).

7. Fundamentals of the Biochemistry of Animal Digestion

7.1 Digestion: Explain the sequential organization of the different types of digestive systems in domestic animals and compare and contrast anatomical and physiological differences between monogastric versus ruminants and herbivores versus carnivores. Analyze the stages of digestion and associated processes, including enzymes and hormones, for simple and multi-chambered stomachs.

7.2 Nutritional Deficiencies: Develop a solution to eliminate dietary deficiencies identified through the analysis of feedstuffs. Solutions should adhere to specified criteria for proper nutrition based on animal purpose, age, lifespan, and relevant constraints such as environmental factors and expense.

8. Fundamentals of Plant and Soil Science

8.1 Fundamentals of Plant Growth: Apply concepts related to basic cellular and biochemical process to accomplish the following:

a. Create a graphic illustration of the parts and functions of plant cells.

b. Use quantitative reasoning to balance chemical equations related to plant processes.

c. Interpret the role of physics within the cohesion/tension theory and its significance to plant life.

d. Examine the roles of photopigments and the effects of different colors of light on plant growth.

8.2 Fundamentals of Soil Science: Analyze models to explain the correlation between plant nutrient deficiencies and soil composition. Conduct basic soil analysis to determine the chemical elements and nutritional levels available in various soils that are essential for plant growth. Predict the ability of soils to meet the nutritional requirements of plants based on chemical composition, physical structure, and biological activity.

9. Fundamentals of Plant and Animal Reproductive Systems

9.1 Fundamentals of Plant Reproductive Systems: Compare and contrast the basic reproductive structures of plants, drawing out key differences between sexual and asexual reproductive processes.

9.2 Seed Anatomy: Using various seed models, analyze the structure and function of each to predict their roles in plant reproduction and propagation.

9.3 Fundamentals of Animal Reproduction Systems: Identify and describe the organs of the male and female animal reproductive systems that provide physiological function. Compare and contrast the differences in the reproductive systems small and large animal species.

10. Fundamentals of Power and Energy Systems

10.1 Energy: Use models to evaluate the changes in energy that occur in agricultural applications.

a. Define types of energies and objects present in a system.

b. Analyze the relations between changes in energy and work done on/by the system.

c. Use evidence to support that simple machines use a tradeoff in force for distance to accomplish the same amount of work, while obeying the law of conservation of energy.

d. Evaluate inefficiencies in designed systems that result from energy transfers to the surroundings.

e. Explain energy transfers through radiation and how energy transferred from the sun can be stored and transferred for later use.

10.2 Safety: Identify different models of producing electrical energy. Discuss safety hazards as well as prevention and control methods relevant to electrical power models. Predict strategies to prevent or manage electrical hazards and evaluate the efficacy of the prevention measures.

10.3 Energy Consumption: Summarize methods and compare units used to benchmark energy use. Utilize the appropriate instruments needed to calculate and measure voltage, amperage, resistance, and calculate wattage.

11. Fundamentals of Engines

11.1 Engine cycles: Develop models that explain how changes in chemical energy, thermal energy, and states of matter allow the operation of small gasoline and diesel engines.

11.2 Horsepower: Using mathematical models, calculate horsepower and thermal efficiency for a variety of internal combustion engines.

Agriscience: Fall 2024

I have read the syllabus and do understand the expectations of being enrolled in this class.

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PARENTS: The Paris FFA Chapter has a website (http://paristn.ffanow.org), Instagram (paris_ffa), and Facebook accounts (Paris TN FFA) that we use each year. It will have updates about classroom and FFA activities. For legal reasons, we need a media consent form for each student. Please read, sign and return the form below.

Parental/Legal Guardian Media Consent Form

I hereby consent to the use of any photographs/video taken of my child by the Paris FFA Chapter or the media for the purpose of advertising or publicizing events, activities, facilities and programs of the Henry County High School Agriculture Department in newspapers, newsletters, website, other publications, television, radio and other communications and advertising media.

By law, the Paris FFA Chapter protects the privacy of the students and is prohibited from releasing students’ personal information.

From time to time representatives of the news media are invited to campus to cover events at our schools. When this happens there is a possibility your child/children may be photographed, videotaped, or interviewed for a news story.

Please mark one of the choices below and return to school.

_____ Yes, I allow my child/children to be identified in any news or school publication.

_____ No, I do not want my child/children identified in any news or school publication.

Student’s Name:_________________________________________________

Signature:________________________________________________

Parent or Guardian if above person is under 18:

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E.W. Grove School

Laura Moss

9th Grade Agriscience

Paris FFA Advisor

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