Agriculture Education

Advanced Biological Animal Science

Advanced Animal Biological Science is a one-unit course for upper-level students that addresses biological science standards. Content includes taxonomy, anatomy and physiology, body systems, heredity and genetics, reproduction, hormonal and immune systems, nutrition, health, and well-being. FFA and supervised experience may be included as appropriate. Applications of animal biotechnology may also be included.

Advanced Biological Plant Science

Advanced Plant Biological Science is a one-credit course for students with interests in higher-level, science-based plant agriculture. Course benchmarks include those of biological science. Content includes principles of plant growth, cell structure and functions, heredity and genetics (molecular biology), plant breeding and improvement, hormones and growth regulators, chemical nature of plant life, flower structure and function, seed formation and germination, DNA and biotechnology, and emerging technologies. Students will use the scientific methods to investigate a plant problem. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Ag Power and Technology

This is a one-credit course that builds upon the Introduction to Agricultural Mechanics and Power course. It is for students who wish to develop knowledge and skill in tractors, implements, engines, and related technologies. Major content includes meaning and use of agricultural power; personal and occupational safety; kinds, uses, and maintenance of agricultural tractors; kinds and uses of crop production equipment (including tillage, planting, application, and harvesting equipment); internal combustion engine principles and maintenance, including those using gasoline, diesel, and alternative fuels; tractor power trains; electronics, including sensors, controllers, and onboard computers; and electric motors. FFA and supervised experience will also be included as appropriate.

Ag Structures

This is a one-credit course that develops knowledge and skill in planning, constructing, and maintaining agricultural structures. Content includes the kinds and importance of structures; personal and occupational safety; sketching, drawing, and plan reading; selection, use, and maintenance of hand and power tools; laying out structures; placing and finishing concrete and masonry units; lumber and other wood building materials, including fasteners and hardware; using metal and plastics in structures; framing agricultural buildings; installing plumbing and electrical systems; roofing and ventilation systems; and applying paint and other coatings. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Agriscience Exploration and Orientation

This course is intended as an eighth grade offering that focuses on developing student awareness and providing opportunities for students to assess their interests as related to agricultural education. Much of the content focuses on the seven pathways available to students who enroll in high school agricultural education courses. Content also includes the meaning and role of agricultural education, the importance and nature of the agricultural industry, the role of food production and processing, relationships of agriculture to natural resources and the environment, and the strong undergirding of science in the study of agriculture. Personal development, FFA, and supervised experience will also be initiated.

Introduction to Ag Communications

This is a one credit course that introduces the broad field of agricultural communications and provides for the development of knowledge and skill in specific areas related to communications theory and practice. Content includes the meaning and process of communication, the role and history of print and electronic media, legal aspects of agricultural communications, news and feature writing in agriculture, news photography, layout and design, and ethics in agricultural communications. Content may also include web design and broadcast journalism in agriculture. Students will be encouraged to begin developing a portfolio in an area of interest such as print media, electronic media, or public relations. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Introduction to Ag Power and Technology

This is a one-credit course to develop knowledge and skill in the fundamentals of agricultural mechanics and power equipment. Physical science and mathematics principles will be integrated throughout the course. Major areas of content include the meaning and importance of agricultural mechanics and power; personal and employability safety; identifying, using, and maintaining common hand and power tools; planning and organizing facilities and shops; using measuring devices; selecting and using wood and metal materials; using fasteners and hardware; preparing and using simple project plans; metal fabrication; and machinery and engines. FFA and supervised experience will also be included as appropriate.

Introduction to Agriscience

Introduction to AgriScience is a one-credit, foundational course offered at the ninth grade level. Course content emphasizes science-based approaches to the agricultural industry, natural resources, animal science, plant/horticulture and soil science, agricultural safety, agribusiness and economic principles, careers, and agricultural mechanics. Supervised experience and FFA are included in the course. Students would typically complete this course before enrolling in courses in the career pathways.

Introduction to Animal Science

The Introduction to Animal Science course is a one-unit course structured to provide a sound foundation for advanced courses. The course is designed for students interested in learning the fundamentals of science-based animal agriculture. The content includes the importance and scope of agricultural animals, taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, reproduction, nutrition, health and disease management, facilities and equipment, and production practices of popular species. Evaluation, fitting, showing, and marketing are included. Animal ethics and safety are also included. FFA and supervised experience are integral in the course, as appropriate.

Introduction to Horticulture

Introduction to Horticulture is a one-credit course that is offered as the first course in the pathway in schools with a horticultural emphasis. It is for students who wish to develop knowledge and skills related to ornamental horticulture, including floristry, landscaping, turf, and greenhouse production. Content includes species and importance of horticultural plants, plant safety, plants as living organisms, sexual and asexual reproduction, plant growth, and cultural practices, including the use of greenhouses and other growing structures. Disease and pest management, plant nutrition, and growth regulation are included. FFA and supervised experience are included as appropriate.

Introduction to Natural Resources & Environmental Science

As a one-unit course, Introduction to Natural Resources and Environmental Technology is for students with interests in the overall use and stewardship of natural resources and the environment. Course content includes the meaning, kind, and importance of natural resources, issues associated with preservation and conservation, kinds of resource use, human population demands, recycling, reusing, sustainability, ecology, Earth and the solar system, weather and climate, biosecurity, soil, water, air, wildlife, land and land description, energy, minerals, rangeland, owner responsibilities, and waste management. FFA and supervised experience will also be included as appropriate.

Introduction to Agribusiness

Introduction to Agribusiness and Management, a one-credit course, is the first course in the Agribusiness and Management Pathway and is for students with interests in managing and operating agricultural businesses. Major topics include the nature and importance of agribusiness and agricultural industry; the meaning and role of management; economic systems and ways of doing business; the meaning and nature of entrepreneurship; obtaining and using resources; risk management; starting an agribusiness; developing a business plan; complying with legal regulations; records and financial analysis; personal development; careers and employability skills; FFA; and supervised experience.

Agricultural Sales and Marketing

This is a one-credit course that typically builds on the Introduction to Agribusiness and Management course and is for students interested in marketing processes, particularly selling and distribution. Major topics include the meaning and importance of marketing, the role and functions of agricultural commodity marketing, international agricultural marketing, agricultural input marketing, preparing marketing plans, promotion and advertising, personal selling, agribusiness communication, technology in sales and marketing, leadership and personal development, FFA, and supervised experience.

Livestock Production

Livestock Production is a one-unit course that is offered in schools where there is strong interest in livestock and their economic importance is high. The course is sequenced to follow the Introduction to Animal Science course. Major areas of content include livestock species and breeds, biology of species, genetics and breeding, nutrition and feeding, health and disease management, facilities, and production practices. FFA and supervised experience are included as appropriate.

Small Animal and Vet Assisting

This one-unit course focuses on animals kept as service, companion, and laboratory animals, including dogs and cats. Content includes species and importance of small animals, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and feeding, disease and health management, reproduction, facilities, and well-being. Content areas related to veterinary assisting include asepsis, animal restraint and safety, animal positions and terminology, vital signs, equipment, laboratory testing, and administration of medications. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Equine Science

Equine Science is a one-unit course that is appropriate for inclusion where interest and emphasis on horses and other equine species merit its offering. Content includes importance of equine, classes, breeds, anatomy and physiology, nutrition and feeding, facilities, production practices, and disease and pest control. Content also includes care, grooming, equitation, tack, and safety. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Introduction to Plant and Soil Science

A one-credit course, Introduction to Plant and Soil Science is the first course in the pathway in schools with an agronomic crop emphasis. It is for students who wish to develop knowledge and skills in plant and soil science and may be a prerequisite to other courses in the Plant and Soil Science pathway. Content includes species and importance of plant crops, plants as living organisms, sexual and asexual reproduction, plant growth, and cultural practices in plant crop production, including disease and pest management. Content on soil science includes the meaning, composition, and importance of soil as well as fertility, sustainability, and moisture management. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Agricultural Crop Production

This is a one-credit course for students interested in crop production practices, with emphasis on important agricultural crops in Oklahoma. Content includes the importance and identification of major crops; cultural practices with grain, fiber, forage, and other important crops; implementing sustainable practices in crop systems, including irrigation, pest management, and resource conservation; use of precision technologies and remote sensing information; and record keeping and other farm management practices. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Greenhouse Production and Floral Design

This is a one-credit course for students with interests in acquiring knowledge and skill in greenhouse plant production and floral design. Content includes the role and importance of greenhouse production and floral design, safety, plant anatomy and growth, plant propagation, growing structures, climate control, automation, media and plant nutrition, watering, disease and pest management, and cultural practices with bedding plants, including cuttings and layering, bulbs, corms, tubers, and seed-borne flowering crops. Content also includes the history and importance of floral design, care and handling of fresh flowers, principles and practices of design, floral tools and supplies, containers, corsages, boutonnieres, centerpieces, and holiday arrangements. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate. The units and benchmarks are organized so that the course may be offered in two semester-length courses. One semester course would be greenhouse production; the other would be floral design. Units GFD1, GFD2, GFD3, and GFD4 would be shared in the semester courses to cover content appropriate to the subject of the course. Units GFD5, GFD6, GFD7, GFD8, GFD9, and GFD10 would be taught in the semester-long greenhouse production course. Units GFD11, GFD12, GFD13, and GFD14 would be taught in the semester-long floral design course.

Landscape and Nursery Production

This is a one-credit course for students with interests in acquiring knowledge and skill in landscape design and installation, including maintenance, and the production of nursery stock. Content includes the importance of the landscape industry, landscape safety, materials used in landscaping, principles of design, xeriscaping, nursery production in fields and containers, plant selection, disease and pest management, establishing plant materials, landscape plant nutrition and fertilization, irrigation, and pruning and otherwise managing nursery and landscape materials. Fundamentals of landscape and nursery business management will also be included. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate. The units and benchmarks are organized so that the course may be offered in two semester-length courses. One semester course would be landscaping; the other would be nursery production. Units LNP1, LNP2, LNP3, and LNP4 would be shared in the semester courses to cover content appropriate to the subject of the course. Units LNP5, LNP6, LNP7, LNP8, and LNP9 would be taught in the semester-long landscaping course. Units LNP10, LNP11, LNP12, and LNP13 would be taught in the semester-long nursery production course.

Agricultural Leadership and Personal Development

This is a one unit course that is designed to further develop leadership and personal skills. Content will include leadership theory and attributes, developing leadership skills, conflict resolution, planning and carrying out meetings, using parliamentary procedure, preparing and making speeches, organizing communication campaigns, managing tasks and teams, loyalty, personal appearance and health, and ethics. FFA and supervised experience will be included, as appropriate.

Print and Broadcast Journalism in Agricultural Communications

This is a one credit course that introduces print and broadcast journalism in agricultural communications and provides for the development of specialized knowledge and skill. Content includes the meaning and processes of print and broadcast journalism, the role and history of print and broadcast media, career entry and advancement, computer applications in print and broadcast journalism, journalistic writing skills, photojournalism, radio and television production, videography, and trends and issues in the agricultural industry. Content may also include web design. Students will be encouraged to begin a portfolio or expand an existing one in an area of interest, such as print and broadcast media. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Wildlife Science and Management

Wildlife Science and Management is a one-credit course for students interested in wildlife and its conservation and ecology as well as enjoying wildlife through sport hunting and fishing. Course content includes meaning and importance of wildlife species, history of wildlife conservation, safety with wildlife, species identification, endangered species, wildlife biology and ecology, habitat protection and establishment, protection of wildlife (animals, plants, and other species), legal regulations, and hunter safety. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Forestry

: Forestry is a one-credit course for students with interests in forest and tree farm production, management, protection, and harvesting. Course content includes the meaning and importance of forestry, history of forestry, tree products and benefits, legal aspects of forestry, forestry safety, kinds of forest land, urban forestry, tree biology and growth, dendrology, tree health and nutrition, fire protection, prescribed burning, tree and wood measurement, land surveying, cruising, remote sensing and geographic information systems, silviculture, reforestation, harvesting, and wood products. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Introduction to Food Science

A one-credit course, Introduction to Food Science is intended to serve the needs of students who are interested in the food industry. Content includes the meaning and importance of food, careers in the food industry, food safety principles, food and nutrients, world hunger, microbiology, food processing and preservation, transportation, storage and merchandising, the food service industry, and product development. FFA and supervised experience will also be included as appropriate.

Food and Biotechnology

Food and Biotechnology is a one-credit course for students interested in advanced applications of science in food. Content includes food quality, sanitation, microbiology and spoilage, food chemistry and physics, food manufacture, the meat industry, beverage industry, cereal industry, vegetable industry, and biotechnology and the future of food products. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Pasture and Range Management

This is a one-credit course that will be offered in schools serving communities where pasture and range management is important. Major topics in the course include identification and importance of pasture and range plants, ownership and property, land surveying and description, range ecology, use of rangeland, types of rangeland, rangeland as wildlife habitat, and sustainable rangeland management practices, including grazing programs, seeding and fertilizing, pest management, and fire prevention. FFA and supervised experience will be included as appropriate.

Employment in Agribusiness

This course is designed for worksite agricultural learning experiences. Worksite learning locations must relate to selected agricultural career pathway. This course is offered to seniors only. This course is not part of any particular pathway or career major.

Agriscience II

This course is not a part of the career pathways, but can still be offered as a course to introduce students to the content that leads to a Career Development Event. A student can specialize in five areas: Animal Science, Plant and Soil Science, Food Science, Ag Power and Technology, and Agricultural Communications and Leadership.