Agricultural Courses
Introduction Food, Agriculture, & Natural Resources
This course is for beginning agricultural education students. Students will be introduced to the world of agriculture. Throughout this course students will take part in activities to improve their employability skills and explore career and post-secondary opportunities in each area of the agriculture industry. Exciting “hands-on” activities, projects, and problems are key components to this course. Student’s experiences will involve the sciences of agriculture, plants, animals, and natural resources. Students will learn to solve problems, conduct research, analyze data, work in teams, and take responsibility for their work, actions, and learning. In addition, students will link classroom activities to Supervised Agricultural Experiences and FFA components that are important for the development of an agriculture education student. All students enrolled in one semester of agriculture education are able to be FFA members. Recommended for any student interested in FFA.
IC Introduction to Agricultural Business
This course focuses on business and economic principles applied to decision making and problem solving in the management of a farm business. Some of the topics include cash flow, partial, enterprise and whole farm budgeting. Information systems will be used for farm accounting, analysis, and control. Obtaining and managing land, capital, and labor resources will also be covered in this course. The Farm Game may be used to demonstrate record keeping and decision making. Other topics include risk management, agriculture, government policy, and foreign trade. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
Animal Science
This course informs students about the care and management of domestic and farm animals. Within this course we will cover basic animal nutrition, health, behavior, selection, reproduction, anatomy and physiology, facilities, product processing, and marketing. Students will study particular species such as swine, cattle, horses, fowl, sheep, and so on. Students will also learn how to care for and maintain livestock as a more inclusive study. Depending on the availability of resources, students may also have the opportunity to investigate real specimens and raise their own poultry. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
Advanced Animal Science
This course provides information, activities, and skills in the areas of scientific method,classification systems, production management, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and genetics. The course will be an in-depth study of beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and horses. The areas covered will be reinforced by hands-on experience through student projects.
Veterinarian Science
This course is primarily anatomy with some physiology. The primary purpose of this course is to learn basic gross anatomy of animals. You are expected to be able to list at least one physiological function for each anatomical component you learn. Most of the species discussed in this course are food animals such as swine, cattle, sheep and chickens. We will cover different systems such as circulatory, respiratory, reproduction, mammary, digestive, growth and development, and so on. This Veterinarian Science course will help prepare students who are interested in pursuing a degree in veterinary medicine. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
IC Survey of the Animal Science Industry
This course explores issues impacting the United States and the International Animal Industry. The main emphasis of the course is on different breeds, basic management, and marketing of farm animals. The animals include beef and dairy cattle, companion animals, horses, poultry, sheep, swine, and their products. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
Plant Science
Students will study the processes involved in plant growth, production and reproduction. The function of plant structures, as well as crop production, will be studied. We will explore genetic improvement of plants, plant diseases, and harvesting of crops. Students will also be able to identify a variety of crops, weeds, and seeds. As a part of this course, students will identify various agronomic practices. A main focus will be on soil science and natural resource management as it relates to the agriculture industry. *This course meets the science requirement for graduation.
Landscaping and Turf Grass Management
In this course, students will learn about plant structures and functions, soil management, basic plant growth, flower production, sod production, landscaping principles and careers in horticulture. Students will undertake a small landscaping project as a part of the class. The students will plan, budget, and implement their landscaping designs. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
Horticulture
This course will expose students to the art and science of growing plants, shrubs, trees, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. In doing so, they cover a wide variety of topics, including principles of plant science, greenhouse and nursery operations, soils and growing media mixtures, fruit and vegetable production, turf/ golf course management, interior and exterior plantscaping, irrigation systems, weed and pest control, and floral design.
IC Principles of Crop Procution
The course is a study of principles of plant, soil, and climate relationships and their impact on crop production and animal food supply worldwide. Other topics covered are plant identification, anatomy and growth, as well as tillage and planting, pest control, harvesting and storage. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
Natural Resources
Natural Resources combines the fields of ecology and conservation. Students will learn and plan for the efficient use and preservation of land, water, wildlife, and forest. Within the general area of natural resource management, this course covers specific topics and uses such as hunting or fishing preserves, forest production and management, wildlife preservation and human outdoor recreation. Students will also examine the importance of natural resources in our lives and how to manage them for our benefit. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.
IC Renewable Resources
This course will present an overview of soil, water, plants, and animals as renewable natural resources in an ecosystem context. Concepts of integrated resource management, history and organization of resource management will also be introduced. Students will investigate conservation practices and make recommendations to a prospective producer on ways to make their operation more environmentally friendly.
Agriculture Occupational Early Experience 1 & 2
This course provides students with the opportunity to gain work experience in an agriculture related career. Students will meet at the beginning and end of each semester as well as periodically throughout the course. During that time, they will complete resumes, cover letters, and job interviews for the agriculture related job of their choice. A record book system will be introduced to students for their use throughout the course to track their work experience. Lastly, students will set and achieve SMART goals as they pertain to their specific work experience. All students are encouraged to join FFA.
Agriculture Leadership
The purpose of this course is to enhance leadership skills through personal development. Students will learn the fundamentals of communications and leadership in agriculture. We will focus on understanding leadership, communication skills, leading individuals and groups, managerial leadership, personal development, and transitioning to work skills. All students are encouraged to join FFA and be involved in a Supervised Agriculture Experience project.