Curriculum

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Sensory testing of foods

1 lesson, 2 files
What senses are involved in our experience of food? This unit describes scientific ways of describing our experiences with food via sensory testing.
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Selective Breeding and GMOs

3 lessons, 5 files
What is genetic modification? How does it dffer from selective breeding? A lot of questions surround definitions of genetic modification. This unit models two different techniques of genetic modification and tries to help students understand the terms and the consequences …
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pH in soil

3 lessons, 5 files
What is the variability in pH of soils across a field? Soil tests show the pH and nutrient amounts in a field. Soil chemistry determines the amount of root growth, the amount of nutrients that can be held in the soil, and the ability of plants to take in …
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Rise of the mutant weed: weeds and herbicide resistance

2 lessons, 5 files
How do farmers reduce competition for their crops? What weeds are resistant to herbicides? How does the mechanism of resistance work? Weeds present problems in farm fields—they rob sunlight, nutrients, and water from the crops. What can farmers do? Herbicides are one answer, but they may not do enough as some weeds have developed …
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Market to Market

1 lesson, 4 files
Did you know that about 50% of the soybeans harvested in Ohio are exported? How do soybeans get from farmers to their destination? Students act as logistics decision makers, choosing routes and attempting to make the most profit in this game of moving soybeans from origination to destination.
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Let’s eat! Exploring food science

4 lessons, 18 files
How is science in everything we eat? What is your favorite food? Chances are a soybean product is being used to process it or, if it’s a meat dish, was used to feed the animal. Other living things (microbes) help to make our food, too. …
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International trade in agriculture

3 lessons, 4 files
Why do we engage in trade with other countries? What are the ways in which this trading occurs? Trade in agricultural products is big business. In Ohio nearly 50% of soybeans are exported. In this unt, students learn about the customers for Ohio's ag products and how these goods are traded.
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Honey and biotechnology

4 lessons, 12 files
What can we learn by investigating honey? Using biotech skills, students will determine potential locations where pollen was collected and test the qualities and characteristics of a honey sample, including the sugar content and pH.
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Discovering and diagnosing honey bee killers

3 lessons, 7 files
How can we identify pathogens that are causing honey bee deaths? You may have heard about Colony Collapse Disorder, a syndrome likely caused by multiple factors that results in the deaths of many honeybee colonies. Become a diagnostic researcher and use …
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H2Know digital case study

1 lesson, 1 file
How might water quality be improved? The H2Know case study invites students to investigate water quality in Lake Erie. Students will gather information about the problem, consider potential contributors and environmental factors, review …
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Growth and development of pigs

3 lessons, 6 files
What do you know about pigs? Pigs are one of the largest consumers of soybeans! In this unit, students explore the habitat, growth, and feed of pigs.
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Aquaculture

3 lessons, 6 files
How does aquaculture meet the global demand for protein? Students discover the science and challenges behind global fish farming by completing these three lessons.