Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture National Award Program

2017-2018New Mexico Agriculture in the Classroom

Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture

Award Application

Application adapted from Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture National Award Program National Ag in the Classroom

Submission Deadline:

November 1, 2017

Sponsored by New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau

1 New Mexico Ag in the Classroom Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award Application (Adapted from the National Ag in the Classroom Application) What is the NM Ag in the Classroom Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award? One award will be given to an educator (or team of teachers with a designated team leader) currently engaged in classroom instruction at the PreK-12th grade levels. This award will recognize a NM teacher (or teacher team) for his or her integrated efforts to teach students about the importance of agriculture. An educator will be presented with the award at the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau Annual meeting November 17, 2017 in Las Cruces. The award winner will then receive the honor of representing New Mexico in the run for the National Ag in the Classroom Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award. The award-winning educator (or team) will receive a stipend to helpwith travel and registration costs for the National Ag in the Classroom Conference June26-29, 2018 in Portland, Maine. Who is eligible? District certified teachers currently engaged in integrating agricultural concepts into non-vocational agriculture classroom settings at the PreK-12th gradelevels are eligible. This may be an individual teacher or team of teachers (with designated team leader). Note: Teachers of high school agricultural education or career and technical education are not eligible for this award. What are the criteria for selection? Teachers must integrate/utilize agricultural information within their classroom curriculum in an effort to assist students in learning the importance of agriculture. Instruction may include, but is not limited to: understanding the importance and value of agriculture in students’ daily lives; understanding the relationships among agriculture, food and fiber productions, animals, health, energy systems, technology, economics, and the environment; identifying and understanding the connections between academic subjects and agricultural careers including, but not limited to, STEM careers; understanding the overall connectedness between STEM and agriculture. Innovative, integrated, and interdisciplinary programs are encouraged. Note: Prior winners of this award are ineligible for future awards under this program. Unsuccessful nominees from previous years may be resubmitted. How do you apply? 1. Complete the application form (included in this document). Applications should contain all requested information and appropriate signatures. 2. Complete all of the teacher application components as listed below. 3. Include the following supporting documentation: a. Endorsement by an Administrator: A letter (signed and dated) by a school administrator should substantiate the candidate’s excellence in and dedication to the teaching role. 4. Please read the entire application thoroughly, and ask questions well before the submission deadline.

2 Components of the Teacher Application: Please note that this application replicates the National Ag in the Classroom Application since the winning application from NM will compete in the national competition. (It is designed to help you only have to do one application.) Helpful hint: Visit lessons on the Curriculum Matrix for good examples of existing lessons at nmaitc.org.

A. Exemplary Lesson Plan: Note: Any lessons submitted may be added to the National Curriculum Matrix regardless of the applicant’s award status. (Be sure to give credit to the appropriate sources, if applicable.) Please submit one lesson plan (four page limit), which illustrates your agricultural literacy teaching method as described in the narrative section below. Evaluation criteria include use of standards-based, formal education practices for teaching agricultural literacy, which are integrated into standing subjects rather than used as a stand-alone lesson. Evaluation also includes critical thinking aspects, ones that encourage problem solving by learners for a deeper understanding of agriculture issues. Please include the following content, according to the order below, in your lesson plan: 1. Applicant’s name and state 2. Title of the lesson 3. Brief purpose of the lesson 4. Grade level(s) addressed 5. Time/ length of lesson 6. Objective of the lesson 7. Standards addressed (limit addressed state standards list to no more than one-half page) 8. National Ag Literacy Outcomes (NALOs) addressed: See p. 4,6,8,10 &12 at this link: http://www.agclassroom.org/get/doc/NALObooklet.pdf 9. Materials list 10. Vocabulary or keywords 11. Instructor procedure 12. Additional resources which you feel enhance the lesson 13. Assessment (list five essential questions that students should understand and be able to answer after having been taught the lesson) Note: Please be sure to give credit to the appropriate sources, if applicable. Lesson plans should not exceed four pages.

B. Educator Narrative: (four page limit) Share your method of integrating and instructing one or more of the following national agricultural literacy themes in your classroom. How did you use the theme (or themes) to increase agricultural literacy? Please note on the first line of your narrative which theme(s) you are addressing:

3 Helpful note: The one lesson plan you submitshould correspond with your narrative. 1. Agriculture &the Environment 2. Plants and Animals for Food, Fiber & Energy 3. Food, Health, and Lifestyle 4. Science, Technology, Engineering & Math 5. Culture, Society, Economy & Geography C. Documentation &Photos: Limit to 2 pages Applicants are encouraged to share photos and other documentation of instruction on agricultural literacy. Put as many photos on one page as you wish; use high-resolution photos, and add a brief caption at the bottom of each photo to describe the activity. Please save this file as a PDF. D. Statement of Release: One page Complete the provided statement of release for the use of photographs, lesson plans, and other materials by NMF&LB Foundation for media publications. How are applicants evaluated? All applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges familiar with agriculture, education, and Agriculture in the Classroom.

Evaluation Criteria: Evaluation Sections: Weight Educator Narrative: The degree to which an educator exemplifies leading instruction on accurate agriculture knowledge, attitudes, and skills, and demonstrates teaching excellence in gaining student understanding of a selected agricultural literacy theme(s). Grants, 25 community extensions, professional development relating to the narrative topic for other educators, and awards for teaching about narrative content will also be considered. (4 page limit) Lesson Plans: The degree to which accurate agricultural concepts have been integrated into a standards-based education plan, which includes a critical thinking element and demonstrates for the learner a deeper 25 understanding of the relationships between agriculture systems, individuals, and the world. (4 page limit) Formal Education: The degree to which the educator utilizes formal education practices for an integrated, standards-based lesson plan with demonstrated understanding of accurate agricultural literacy. 25 Documentation, Photos &/or Curriculum Map: The degree to which photos and other documentation exhibit excellence in agricultural literacy methods used by the applicant, to include but not limited to: news articles, bulletin board examples relating to agricultural literacy, community 20 outreach, school newsletters, grant award letters, etc. (2 page limit) Formatting of application: The degree to which the applicant has 5 completed the application in accordance to the instructions. (See below)

4 Formatting the application for submission: 1. Please use a 12-point font, double-spaced on the narrative and single-spaced on the lesson plan (double-space may be used on the lesson plan where you feel appropriate). Useone-inch margins. Each applicant should clearly label the parts of their application and submit them with the following format for each electronic file (PDF or Word document): Label each part: Name, state abbreviation, and document title Example: Jane Doe, NM, Letter of Endorsement by Administrator Jane Doe, NM, Application Form Jane Doe, NM, Narrative Jane Doe, NM, Lesson Plan Jane Doe, NM, Documentation & Photos Jane Doe, NM, Statement of Release *Please do not submit video or CD ROM presentations. Formatting the application for submission (continued): 2. Electronic submissions are used exclusively for submissions of applicant’s files. All files should be properly named as described in part 1on page 4. You must submit your application as a PDF. If your application is very large (greater than 5 MB) and has large images, please consider reducing the image sizes in the file to make your overall file smaller. If this is not possible you may submit more than one PDF file, noting in your e-mail that you are sending separate e-mails and attachments. If you prefer to use Dropbox, please e-mail [email protected] and I will provide you with a link. We will notify you within 24 hours (Monday-Friday) of receiving your application and will note which files we received. If you do not hear from us please call; we want to make sure that everyone is successful in submitting his or her application, and we will work with you on the electronic submission. Note: Please do not submit video or CD-ROM presentations

How are applications evaluated? All applications will be evaluated by a panel of judges familiar with agriculture, education, and Agriculture in the Classroom. The judges will be provided with the judging rubric you will find included in this application.

Deadline for submission: The application must be received by 11:59 p.m.Wednesday, November 1, 2017.

Where to submit: Please submit your application to: [email protected] Questions: Contact Traci Curry, e-mail: [email protected] or 505-238-2425

All applicants will be notified of results by Monday, November 6th, 2017.

5 Checklist:

Have you attached the following documents to your electronic submission? Make sure you named your files as directed (name, state abbreviation, document title).

______Endorsement Letter by an Administrator (1 page) ______Application Form (2 page limit) ______Narrative (4 page limit) ______Lesson Plan (4 page limit) ______Documentation/Photos (2 pages) ______Release Form: for general use of the lesson plan and/or any photos submitted for use in NMF&LB Foundation publications (1 page)

Please Note: Applications should not exceed 14 pages, and additional pages will not be considered.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to incorporating agricultural literacy into your curriculum.

6 Materials & Photo Release I, ______, hereby grant New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau (“NMFLB”) and New Mexico Ag in the Classroom (“NMAITC”) permission to use my photographs, lesson plans and all other materials that I have included in the NM Teacher of Excellence application. I understand that this information may be used in all of its publications, including social media and website entries and that I will receive no compensation for my appearance or participation in said media.I guarantee that I have received written permission from parents for any photo(s) included in the application that show students and that I have maintained that documentation on file. I understand and agree that these materials will become the property of NMFLB and NMAITC and will not be returned. I hereby irrevocably authorize NMFLB and NMAITC to edit, alter, copy, exhibit, publish or distribute without restriction these documents for purposes of publicizing NMFLB's programs or for any other lawful purpose.

In addition, I waive the right to inspect or approve the finished product, including written or electronic copy, wherein my likeness appears. Additionally, I waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising from or related to the use of the photograph(s).

I am of full age (eighteen and older) and have the right to contract in my own name. I have read the release before signing below and fully understand the contents of this release. This release shall be binding upon me and my heirs, legal representatives, and assigns.

______Applicant’s Name (printed)

______Applicant’s Signature Date

Application Form

7 Name ______Home Address______Phone (____) ______City______State ______Zip______School Name______School Address______Phone (____) ______City ______State ______Zip ______E-mail Address ______Grade Level ______Subject(s) taught ______Numbers of years teaching experience ______Number of years at current school______Education Institution Year Degree/Certification ______Professional Experience Position School/Organization Date Average # of students taught per year ______Awards & Honors Related to Teaching ______Other Recognition or Honors ______

Application Form (continued)

8 Membership in Professional Organizations: ______One-paragraph Biographical Sketch: ______

Applicant’s Name (printed): ______

Signature of Applicant: ______Date: ______

Phone: ______Cell Phone: ______

9 Appendix A Rubric: Evaluation Criteria To accompany the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization “Excellence in Teaching about Agriculture” Application Section X.A: Exceptional: 21-25 pts. Skilled: 16-20 pts. Proficient: 11-15 pts. Developing: 6-10 pts. Inadequate: 1-5 pts. Narrative The degree to which an Educator puts forth a Educator puts forth a Educator meets most of Educator meets a few of Educator narrative does educator exemplifies compelling, well- strong claim the points asked for in the the points asked for in the not really reflect the leading instruction on organized claim demonstrating how they educator narrative criteria, educator narrative criteria; subject to be addressed accurate agriculture demonstrating how they meet all points asked for including demonstration of however, the narrative is in the narrative criteria, knowledge, attitudes, meet all points asked for in the educator narrative integrating agricultural unclear as to whether and there is no and skills, and in the educator narrative criteria, including literacy into academic agricultural literacy is connection to demonstrates teaching criteria, including demonstration of content areas consistently consistently instructed in integrating agricultural excellence in gaining demonstration of integrating agricultural during the school year. academic content areas literacy into academic student understanding integrating agricultural literacy into academic Narrative meets one or during the school year. content areas of selected agricultural literacy into academic content areas consistently more of the criteria in Narrative meets one or consistently during the literacy themes(s). content areas consistently during the school year. section X.A of the more of the criteria in school year. Applicant Grants, community during the school year. Narrative meets one or application. section X.A of the appears to have taught extensions, Narrative meets one or more of the criteria in application. agricultural literacy as professional more of the criteria in section X.A of the a "one and done" event. development relating to section X.A of the application. the narrative topic for application. other educators, and awards for teaching about narrative content will also be considered. (4-page limit) Section X.B: Lesson Exceptional: 21-25 pts. Skilled: 16-20 pts. Proficient: 11-15 pts. Developing: 6-10 pts. Inadequate: 1-5 pts. The degree to which Lesson plan clearly and Lesson plan sufficiently Lesson plan somewhat Lesson plan somewhat Lesson plan has little accurate agricultural convincingly illustrates illustrates educator’s illustrates educator’s illustrates educator’s or nothing to do with concepts. have been educator’s agricultural agricultural literacy agricultural literacy agricultural literacy the narrative and lacks integrated into a literacy teaching method teaching method as teaching method as teaching method as in critical thinking and standards-based as described in the described in the narrative. described in the narrative. described in the narrative. integration into education plan, which narrative. Lesson plan is Lesson plan is mostly Lesson plan has some Lesson plan links to academic content areas. includes a critical clearly driven by driven by standards-based links to standards-based standards-based formal Lesson plan may not

10 thinking element and standards-based formal formal education formal education education practices, and contain the elements demonstrates for the education practices. practices. Agricultural practices. Agricultural agricultural literacy is required in Section learner a deeper Agricultural literacy is literacy is integrated into literacy is integrated into integrated into academic X.B. understanding of the clearly integrated into academic content areas academic content areas content areas rather than relationships between academic content areas rather than used as a rather than used as a used as a stand-alone Continued… agricultural systems, rather than used as a stand-alone lesson. Lesson stand-alone lesson. Lesson lesson, but the lesson is individuals, and the stand-alone lesson. Lesson plan includes a critical plan includes a critical difficult to distinguish. world. (4-page limit) plan includes critical thinking aspect--one that thinking aspect--one that Lesson plan does not thinking aspects--ones that encourages problem encourages problem include a critical thinking encourage problem solving by learners for a solving by learners for a aspect. Some of the solving by learners for a deeper understanding of deeper understanding of required content for the deeper understanding of agricultural issues, agriculture issues, lesson plan (Section X.B) agricultural issues, agricultural systems, agricultural systems, is contained in lesson plan agricultural systems, individuals, and the world. individuals, and the world. (order of required content individuals, and the world. All of the required content Some of the required is up to applicant). All of the required content for the lesson plan content for the lesson plan for the lesson plan (Section X.B) are (Section X.B) is contained (Section X.B) are contained in lesson plan in lesson plan (order of contained in lesson plan (order of required content required content is up to (order of required content is up to applicant). applicant). is up to applicant). Section X.A.B: Educ. Exceptional: 21-25 pts. Skilled: 16-20 pts. Proficient: 11-15 pts. Developing: 6-10 pts. Inadequate: 1-5 pts. The degree to which Educator demonstrates Educator demonstrates Educator demonstrates Educator demonstrates Educator has the educator utilizes exemplary formal sufficient formal education general knowledge of little knowledge of formal introduced a skeletal formal education education practices in practices in integrating formal education practices education practices in example of the practices for an integrating agricultural agricultural literacy into in integrating agricultural integrating agricultural agricultural literacy integrated, standards- literacy into standing standing subjects of math, literacy into standing literacy into standing subject matter in based lesson plan with subjects of math, science, science, social studies, art, subjects of math, science, subjects of math, science, teaching the lesson. demonstrated social studies, art, reading, reading, writing, speech, social studies, art, reading, social studies, art, reading, The lesson could have understanding of writing, speech, nutrition, nutrition, etc. Educator writing, speech, nutrition, writing, speech, nutrition, been integrated into accurate agricultural etc. Educator clearly clearly demonstrates etc., but misses etc. and misses more subjects. literacy. (2-page limit) demonstrates under- under-standing of accurate opportunities or does not opportunities or does not standing of accurate agricultural literacy and use all resources easily use all resources easily agricultural literacy and seizes opportunities to available on agricultural available on agricultural seizes opportunities to bring the information to subjects to teach the subjects to teach the bring the information to the classroom. lesson. Educator some lesson. Educator misses the classroom. what demonstrates demonstrating

11 understanding of accurate understanding of accurate agricultural literacy and agricultural literacy and uses opportunities to bring uses opportunities to bring the information to the the information to the classroom. classroom. Section X.C: Photos Exceptional: 17-20 pts. Skilled: 13-16 pts. Proficient: 9-12 pts. Developing: 5-8 pts. Inadequate: 1-4 pts. The degree to which Documentation and photos Documentation and photos Documentation and photos Documentation and photos Documentation and photos and other clearly and concisely sufficiently exhibit are geared toward are geared toward showing photos are geared documentation exhibit exhibit excellence in excellence in agricultural excellence in agricultural one classroom event in toward the teacher's excellence in agricultural literacy literacy teaching methods literacy teaching methods, agricultural literacy. general classroom but agricultural literacy teaching methods and and dedication of the but lack showing Documentation is do not methods used by the dedication of the educator educator to ongoing dedication of the educator somewhat organized and indicate a clear link applicant, to include to ongoing agricultural agricultural literacy to ongoing agricultural labeled, and demonstrates with the narrative or but not limited to: news literacy integrations integrations throughout the literacy integrations one to two links between lesson plan. Evidence articles, bulletin board throughout the year. year. Documentation is throughout the year. this and the narrative, for community examples relating to Documentation is well generally well organized Documentation is lesson plan, and educator's extensions with agricultural literacy, organized and concisely and demonstrates most generally well organized program. Educator agricultural literacy are community outreach, demonstrates links links between this and the and demonstrates a few demonstrates little missing. school newsletters, between this and the narrative, lesson plan, and links between this and the community involvement to grant award letters, etc. narrative, lesson plan, and educator's program. narrative, lesson plan, and extend agricultural literacy educator's program. Educator demonstrates educator's program. to community. Educator demonstrates community involvement to Educator demonstrates community involvement to extend agricultural literacy little community extend agricultural literacy to community. involvement to extend to community. agricultural literacy to community. Section XIII: Format Exceptional: 5 Skilled: 4 Proficient: 3 Developing: 2 Inadequate: 1 The degree to which Each part of the Each part of the Each part of the All sections were correctly The application was the applicant has application was included application was included application was included labeled, but the documents missing a section(s) completed the and correctly labeled. and correctly labeled. and correctly labeled. were sloppy and contained and generally lacked application in Application was perfectly Application was formatted Application was formatted numerous spelling and any cohesiveness. accordance to the formatted per per specifications (Section per specifications (Section grammar errors. Little instructions. specifications (Section XIII.A). Punctuation and XIII.A) in most areas. cohesiveness. XIII.A). Punctuation and spelling errors were non- Cohesiveness lacking. spelling errors were non- existent. All parts were existent. All parts were clearly labeled, but

12 clearly labeled, cohesive, cohesiveness could have and engaging. been improved.