South Dakota Elementary Programs Available
To accommodate classrooms currently not accepting classroom visitors, we offer many of these lessons virtually. When signing up please indicate if you would like your lesson online or in-person.
Kindergarten – Playdoh Animals. – (K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, KCC.5, KG, K.G.6.1) Students will learn about different livestock species raised on farms, what they produce, how they live, and how we use agriculture in everyday life. Students will use their fine motor skills to construct shapes out of playdoh. The Riverview classroom presenter will read a book.
Kindergarten - Shapes in Agriculture. - (KG.1, KG.2, KG.6, K-ESS3-1, K.G.6.1) Shapes in Agriculture - Students will identify and cut out shapes to design a farm scene. Students will learn about agriculture, and identify items from their homes that originate from agriculture. The Riverview classroom presenter will read a book.
1st Grade – From MOO to You! – (1.E.1.2, 1.E.1.1, 1-LS1-1) Students will learn about products farm animals produce and the steps in getting those products from the farm to our home. Students will play a matching game to learn the names used for the female, male and young of each species and make their own cow. The Riverview classroom presenter will read a book.
1st Grade - How did that get in my lunchbox? (1-LS1-1, 1-LS3-1, 1-LS1-2) Students will understand that all food comes from either a plant or an animal and the steps it takes for food to get to their lunchbox. They will complete a memory/matching activity to describe the cheese making process. The Riverview classroom presenter will read a book.
2nd Grade – Connecting Life Science Standards to the Farm. - (2-LS2-1, 2-LS4-1, 2.E.1.1) Students will be introduced to plant parts and germination requirements using soybeans as the example. We will discuss the different life cycles that both plants and animals go through and how they are connected. In groups, students will grow their own soybean plant and record its growth progress.
2nd Grade – Food Packaging Experiment. – (2-PS1-2, 2-PS1-3) In this lesson students will learn how product packaging is a balance between function, food safety, and economics by designing a protective package for shipping perishable fruit. They will then test their packaging. Students will also play the “Playing it Safe” game which will teach the importance of food safety.
3rd Grade - Livestock By-Products. - (3.E.1.1, 3-LS1-1, 3-E.5.1) Students will learn how livestock are raised and cared for. They will complete an activity to learn where common products they use come from and how agriculture impacts their daily lives.
3rd Grade - Shake Things Up Butter Making! - (3.E.1.1, 3.ET.CT.1, 3.ET.OC.1.2) - Students will learn the process in making butter and follow the story of milk from the farm to the processor. Students will make their own butter and then eat their product.
4th Grade - South Dakota Cheeseburger - (4.H.2.2, 4.H.3.1, 4.H.4.2, 4-LS1-1, 4.E.5.1) Students will learn how their cheeseburger is raised. Students will explore how agriculture has played an important role in South Dakota history and its current role in local communities and the economy.
5th Grade - The Earth as an Apple - (5-ESS2-2, 5-ESS3-1, 5.NF, 5-PS3-1, 5-LS1-1, 5.G.2.1) Students will get hands on with different soils. Students will learn how the soil and climate affect what region of the country certain crops are grown. Students will use fractions to learn about the earth’s water availability and how farmers recycle and use those resources.
5th Grade - Rock n’ Roll Ice Cream - (5.ET.CT.1.1, 5-PS1-4, 5.E.5.1) - Students will learn the process in making ice cream and follow the story of milk from the farm to the processor. Students will make their own ice cream and then eat their product.
Other options - Most lesson plans can be customized to fit any grade. If there is a lesson listed for another grade area that would fit your curriculum, please let us know and we can work on incorporating it in your classroom.