Farmers Union Enterprises Launches Ag-Based STEM Curriculum for K-12 Classrooms

Miranda Letherman, North Dakota Farmers Union youth education specialist, said the curriculum also exposes students to potential careers, everything from computer coding and three-dimensional (3D) printing to developing agricultural commodities. In one STEM:IT AG challenge, students create a tool that could be used to harvest a crop, while another challenge asks them to design a solar oven from a shoebox, tinfoil and black paper to heat up food using the sun’s energy.

 “The hands-on challenges incorporate recycled materials and things you’d typically find in a classroom, so the activities aren’t costly,” Letherman said. She noted that some of the filaments used in the 3D printing actually come from farm byproducts. “All of us use engineering and design skills in our everyday lives without consciously knowing it. It’s good old-fashioned problem solving, and the curriculum works to hone those skills.”

STEM exercises will be incorporated into Farmers Union state youth programming.

“Educating youth on agriculture is one of the key focuses of Farmers Union, as our organization works to support family farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” Sombke said.

Intuitively designed to integrate seamlessly into existing K-12 curriculum and compliment all topics, whether its STEM, social studies, history or language arts, the digital STEM:IT AG curriculum aligns with state and national standards and works across all platforms. To learn more, contact Rachel Haigh-Blume, South Dakota Farmers Union Education Director at 605-352-6761 ext. 125 or [email protected]. To order STEM:IT AG, visit www.stemfuse.com  or call STEM Fuse’s National Sales Director Stephanie Spaan at 605-521-9213.