Agricultural Education Commons^™

Lesson-1 On Mni Wiconi (Water Is Life): Understanding The Problem Of Water Contamination, Reycel Jugo, Madhav P. Nepal

iLEARN Teaching Resources

Students investigate a scenario of water contamination in a fictional community. They define the engineering problem of dirty water and explore the cultural and ecological significance of water through the lens of indigenous principles. This lesson introduces students to the concept of water contamination and the need for purification, grounding the learning in a real-world problem and connecting to Indigenous knowledge about the land and water.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Scenario: Students receive a letter from a fictional community whose water source has become cloudy and is making people sick. They are tasked with becoming “Water Engineers” to investigate the …

Soil Health Analysis (Lesson 2), Mara Johnson, Madhav P. Nepal, Jiyul Chang

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students will build on the previous lesson (reading and analyzing the Three Sisters chapter from Braiding Sweetgrass) by experimenting on soil in their schoolyard. Students will collect soil samples from multiple locations around their school grounds and evaluate soil texture, structure, infiltration, color, organic matter, and pH. Students Through field observations and laboratory analysis, students examine how soil characteristics influence plant growth and ecosystem health. Students connect modern soil science with Indigenous agricultural knowledge, particularly the Three Sisters planting system described in Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. By exploring how healthy soil supports sustainable agriculture, …

Deploying Live Dashboard Data Using Usda Data Apis To Inform Farmers/Producers, Indira Fuyal, Paurakh Paudel, David Zeng

SDSU Data Science Symposium

The main objective of this project is to provide the farmers/producers and small business owners with a data intensive information hub to better understand the market trends and patterns in an interactive way to help make informed decisions. This technology is part of a larger project that includes AI powered data services to provide users with decision making support for real time data solutions. Together with Natural Language Generation, there is a huge potential to deploy this technology. In this small demo of this hugely beneficial technology, we make use of the publicly available Open Data Services – ESR Data …

Curriculum Development Of Agricultural Educators In South Dakota, Mercedes Lemke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Curriculum development is an essential component of teaching. Understanding how agriculture education teachers utilize, develop, and adapt content to curriculum can benefit teachers to spend less time on curriculum development. Recognizing the way agriculture education teachers use content in curriculum implementation will allow curriculum developers to create materials that can effectively be used by teachers. This study also looked at the affects of how COVID19 pandemic affected the way teachers locate and develop curriculum. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the way agriculture education instructor’s usage of content for curriculum development, implementation decisions and the affects of the …

Small Gas Engines Interactive Notebook, P. Troy White

STEM & Agricultural Education Curriculum Resources

A Small Gas Engines interactive notebook to help prepare students for the Briggs & Stratton Master Service Technician Exam 1.

School Gardening In America And A Survey Of South Dakota Schools, Aminah Hassoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School gardening has a longstanding history in American education, dating as far back as the mid-1800s. Despite fluctuations in popularity throughout the twentieth century, school gardens have grown into an established method for hands-on teaching. This paper builds upon a historical framework of school gardening in American public education with particular focus on the connections between school gardens and agricultural education. This study offers a descriptive portrait of contemporary K-12 school gardens in South Dakota. Schools across the state were surveyed about their gardens to gain a better understanding of garden-based teaching in practice both in general education and agricultural …

Teaching Natural And Artificial Selection In Production Agriculture, Madhav P. Nepal, Clayton W. Scott

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students will learn how natural selection and artificial selection impact both production agriculture and biological sciences. A natural selection is a mechanism that favors heritable traits that increase species survival and reproduction. Artificial selection is a selective breeding, where humans select for desirable traits in agricultural products.

Teachers' Perceptions Of Experiential Learning In The 3-Circle Agricultural Education Model, Jon C. Schreurs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to describe teachers’ perceptions of experiential learning and its effects on student learning, understanding, and engagement through agriculture education's three-circle model. This paper explores teachers’ perceptions of the value and importance of experiential learning in agriculture education instruction, FFA, and supervised agricultural experience. Further, I explore experiential learning, constructivism, and hands-on learning as the foundational instructional practices used in agricultural education. Agricultural education teachers from southwest Minnesota were surveyed to determine how they are using experiential learning in their agriculture education programs, including classroom instruction, FFA, and supervised agricultural experiences.

Using Drones For Precision Agriculture, Jiyul Chang, Madhav P. Nepal

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this teaching module, students will learn what Precision Agriculture is and how to apply drone into Precision Agriculture practices. To use data (images) taken by drone, students will learn the basic theory of Remote Sensing. Using images, students learn how to make NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) maps and how to apply drone (remote sensing technique) in agriculture.

Sustainable Agriculture Lesson For Middle School Classrooms, Sara Colombe, Madhav P. Nepal, Jennifer Mclaughlin, Matthew L. Miller, Larry B. Browning, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this lesson, students will learn about sustainability, where farmers/agriculturists can meet the needs of food, fiber, and fuel for the growing population. Students learn about growing population, its growth rate, major food source, sustainability barrel, potential ripple effects of positive impacts as well as the food waste and its effects.

Understanding Greenhouse Gases, Julie M. Mueller, Laura Edwards, Madhav P. Nepal, Larry B. Browning, Matthew L. Miller, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

Students will conduct hands-on experiments to see how greenhouse gases interact with the Earth’s atmosphere and how greenhouse gases affect temperature. This lesson introduces National Geographic’s Geo-Inquiry Process, where students will identify a Geo-inquiry question, collect data, and create a project around the answer to their question. Students will then present their findings to their peers and evaluate their Geo-Inquiry process.

Using A Case Study Approach To Teach Invasive Species And Climate Change, Amanda Hoover, Bradley Blaha, Jacob Englin, Madhav P. Nepal, Larry B. Browning, Matt L. Miller, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this teaching module, students will explore emerald ash borer (EAB), its impacts on the ash trees, and how warming temperatures could affect EAB populations. The emerald ash borer is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that causes devastating disease in ash trees.

Climate Change Within A Biome, Tyone Kruse, Lisa Forcier, Madhav P. Nepal, Larry B. Browning, Matthew L. Miller, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this iLEARN lesson, students will investigate impacts of climate change on the native plants and animals, as well as the fisheries, agriculture, and forestry, within a biome of their choosing, and then develop and refine a solution for one of the impacts resulting from the climate change.

Perceptions Of Wyoming Agriculture Teachers About The Importance Of Sae’S, Casey Styvar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural education in the United States after the Smith Hughes Act has always included a component of the home-based project method, which now is known as a supervised agricultural experience program (SAEP). This method of instruction teaches and provides students with a hands-on learning experience inside and outside of the classroom. The benefits that students receive with this form of the curriculum are second to none. Agriculture educators realize the benefits of SAE programs and how their students expand and grow in their education and skills from having an SAE. Due to changes in student and teacher culture, it is …

Parents In Urbanized Areas And Their Perception Of 4-H Youth Development Programs, Matthew Ryan Olson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions held by parents living in the urbanized area of Rapid City, South Dakota, to determine if artificial barriers to joining 4-H PYD programs existed. Through snowball sampling methods, nine participants were recruited to engage in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts from the interviews were coded utilizing in vivo and axial coding methods. Four themes emerged from the interviews: characteristics of youth development programs, program promotion through school flyers, barriers to joining youth development programs, and 4-H and its connection to agriculture. The major recommendation for 4-H professionals is to focus on leadership, life skills, and character development …

Preservice Agricultural Education Majors’ Perceptions Of Integrating Science Into Agriculture, Kasey Trocke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural science has seen a rise in secondary agricultural classrooms and many studies have been done with regards to integrating science into agriculture. Several recommendations have been to assist preservice agriculture education majors with science integration. Preservice agricultural education majors could influence the future of agricultural science due to their perceptions of integrating science into agriculture into the classroom. The purpose of the study was to assess preservice teachers’ perceptions of integrating science into agriculture curriculum based on the theory of planned behavior. An online survey was administered to the population of agricultural education majors at South Dakota State University. …

Three Sister Crops: Understanding American Indian Agricultural Practices Of Corn, Beans And Squash, Sara Colombe, Madhav P. Nepal, Larry B. Browning, Matthew L. Miller, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

American Indians have practiced an inter-planting system to produce corn, beans, and squash, for generations. These crops are known as the “Three Sisters”. In this lesson developed for secondary agriscience curriculum, students will understand the past, current and future production practices of the three important crops. Students will also apply their knowledge to understand the crop selection process and relate to the changing environment.

Parliamentary Procedure Interactive Notebook, Amie Carter, P. Troy White, Laura Hasselquist, Madhav Nepal

STEM & Agricultural Education Curriculum Resources

These resources were developed as an undergraduate student research experience. During the summer and fall of 2018, the Agricultural Education faculty in the Department of Teaching, Learning & Leadership recruited teachers and students to pilot and suggest revisions to these resources and to report their effectiveness in promoting engagement and learning of Parliamentary Procedure.

This item contains three downloadable files. Student and teacher notebooks are designed to be printed on 8.5"x14" pages in booklet format. The cutouts are on standards letter size paper.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities In The Precision Agriculture Workforce: An Industry Survey, Bruce Erickson, Scott W. Fausti, David Clay, Sharon Clay

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Precision agriculture encompasses a set of related technologies aimed at better utilizing crop inputs, increasing yield and quality, reducing production risks, and enabling information flow throughout the crop supply and end-use chains. As agricultural businesses invest in precision offerings, their capacity to provide these products and services will depend on their ability to hire and retain employees with appropriate proficiency as defined in their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). A 2015 survey of agricultural retailers examined the minimum educational requirements retailers were seeking in their hires, along with the importance of a list of KSAs for the various positions that …

Effects Of Standards-Based Grading On Students In Agricultural Education, Matthew Tripp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Standards-based grading is being discussed more frequently in the field of education as school districts either explore or adopt this grading method. This study examined the effects of standards-based grading on achievement and perceptions of students enrolled in high school agricultural education courses. This nonequivalent quasi-experimental study focused on how students’ perceptions of classroom feedback, abilities, and opportunities to redo assessments were affected by the implementation of a standards-based grading method. Participants in this study were students who enrolled in a quarter long Home Maintenance course that used standards-based grading methods to assess student mastery on specific content standards in …

Wetland Issues Affecting Waterfowl Conservation In North America, Heath M. Hagy, Scott C. Yaich, John W. Simpson, Eduardo Carrera, David A. Haukos, W.Carter Johnson, Charles R. Loesch, Fritz A. Reid, Scott E. Stephens, Ralph W. Tiner, Brett A. Werner, Greg S. Yarris

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

This paper summarises discussions by invited speakers during a special session at the 6th North American Duck Symposium on wetland issues that affect waterfowl, highlighting current ecosystem challenges and opportunities for the conservation of waterfowl in North America. Climate change, invasive species, U.S. agricultural policy (which can encourage wetland drainage and the expansion of row-crop agriculture into grasslands), cost and competition for water rights, and wetland management for non-waterfowl species were all considered to pose significant threats to waterfowl populations in the near future. Waterfowl populations were found to be faced with significant threats in several regions, including: the Central …

Farm And Home Research: 50-2, Larry Tennyson, Jerry Leslie, Jaimi Reimer, Stephanie Misar

Farm and Home Research: 1999 - 2007

In this Issue:

[Page] 2- Director’s comments

[Page] 3- President’s comments

[Page] 4- ‘Hope’: Edgar McFadden’s legacy: a bountiful harvest and bread for the world

[Page] 8- Break the sell-cheap, buy-high syndrome: State yearly loses millions in wages and other incomes by shipping out raw commodities

[Page] 10- Lessons and labs: Students jump-start their careers by working in SDSU labs

[Page] 12- Our ‘helping hands’ : A salute to technicians, students, secretaries—the research work crew

[Page] 14- Forewarned to forearmed: In climatology, knowing the past is key to predicting the future

[Page] 17- Wheat streak mosaic virus: In normal year, …

Farm And Home Research: Celebrating 50 Years Of Farm And Home Research, Mary Brashier, Jerry Leslie, Jaumi Reimer, Stephanie Misar

Farm and Home Research: 1999 - 2007

In this Issue:

[Page] 2- Director’s comments: International exchange of plants and people

[Page] 4- ‘Steppe by Steppe’: N.E. Hansen’s impact on agriculture

[Page] 8- ‘On the March’: Siberian native at home on the range

[Page] 10- SPA: enterprise analysis

[Page] 14- A small plant grows smaller: Faculty and students gain global perspective

[Page] 17- Potential danger in dugout . . . if water isn’t freshened by annual runoff

[Page] 18- ‘Timing is everything’. . . in grazing western wheatgrass pastures

[Page] 20- Turfgrass research is new at SDSU . . .to match state’s range in soils and climates

[Page] …

Changes In Eastern South Dakota Crops Patterns: 1950s To 1990s, Thomas L. Dobbs, Lisa M. Carr

Economics Pamphlet Series (1985-2016)

This report contains background data for a study on possible impacts of the 1996 Farm Bill ("Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996") on crop system diversity. The study, being conducted by the Economics Department at South Dakota State University (SDSU), is focused on the 7-county area of eastern South Dakota shown in the map on the following page. This area constitutes a major portion of the Big Sioux River drainage area in South Dakota. The aquifer underlying the Big Sioux River in these counties provides drinking water for a significant portion of the State's population. Therefore, agricultural practices …

The First 50 Years: Agricultural Engineering, Henry H. Delong

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Publications

This is a history of the first 50 years (1925-1975) of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at South Dakota State University, including lists of departmental projects and faculty members.

Chapter I: Introduction
Chapter II: The Beginning of Our Department
Chapter III: Progress in the 40's
Chapter IV: The Growth Picture of the 50's
Chapter V: The Expanding 60's
Chapter VI: The Unique Project of Rammed Earth Construction
Chapter VII: Agricultural Extension Work by the Agricultural Engineers
Chapter VIII: Ag Engineers Take Part in Experiment Station

A Study Of The Farm Shop Curriculum, Robert B. Fall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The building of a course to teach the principles underlying mechanical operations on farms has been and still is under criticism, and probably will continue to be for some time to come; but it is such an important brench, or part, of farming that was thought that any contribution which could be made to assist in a better understanding of the problem would be worth while, hence this study.