The Science Classroom Visit: Biology

https://www.amensupport.org/wp/2015/01/18/making-connections-at-aaes/

Last week, I was given the opportunity to sit in on a 10th grade biology class. This was a great fit for me because I lack confidence in biology and the teacher was a master. The day's lesson was on how plants obtain energy and the role of ATP in cellular activities. I was surprised to find myself familiar with the topic being discussed. The instructor seemed to have great rapport with his students, as well as all of the other teachers I have met. During the lesson, I could not stop thinking about how many of these biology concepts are also taught in the agriculture classroom. Agriculture is the ultimate course. It involves biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics, reading, writing, economics, and really any other subject you can think of. This got me thinking about different projects that could involve the agriculture classroom with other classrooms. What if the calculus students teamed up with the senior ag class to determine the needed flow rate of water for a new chicken barn? Or, what if the economics class teamed up with the farm management class to found a farmers market? Breaking barriers between classrooms can work to kill stigmas of what's cool and what's not.

The biology class also reviewed the scientific method during this class period, which made me smile. I had just gone over the scientific method with my electrical wiring students the friday before, in my lemon battery lab. It is important that students make these connections between different content areas and see the value in the higher level thinking that this often presents.