Before the Plate (1 hr 30 min) attempts to close the gap in perception between the urban consumer and farming in Canada. Modern consumers are increasingly interested in where and how their food gets to them, but accurate information isn’t always easy to come by and often feels out of reach. Before the Plate follows young farmers and industry experts in order to show the general population what a modern Canadian farm operation looks like, and answer the most pressing questions consumers have about their food.

Have you seen the Before the Plate documentary? Are you wanting to use it as a resource in your classroom? We have developed a comprehensive, curriculum-linked Documentary Viewing Guide for Grades 9-12 students that meets learning outcomes in Science, Social Studies, Health, Careers, PAA and more! Make sure you download the Before the Plate - Teacher Guide first to access the documentary, answer key, and for more information on the resource!

Have you seen the Before the Plate documentary? Are you wanting to use it as a resource in your classroom? We have developed a comprehensive, curriculum-linked Documentary Viewing Guide for Grades 9-12 students that meets learning outcomes in Science, Social Studies, Health, Careers, PAA and more! This resource includes full viewing access to the Before the Plate documentary.

To manage their businesses successfully, farmers and food production companies need to know what crops are in the ground and how well they are growing. A pair of easy-to-use online mapping tools provides this information for growing seasons in the past and present.

In an average year, Canada mourns the loss of over 100 adults and children due to agricultural fatalities. Canada’s agricultural sector is one of the most hazardous industries in which to work.
Producer groups, non-profits, government bodies, industry and researchers formed what is now the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) in 1993 to respond to issues of health and safety in agriculture.
As a national, non-profit organization, CASA promotes farm safety in the agricultural sector. CASA works with partners in government, business, and farming organizations across the country to support initiatives that equip producers, their families and their workers with the information and tools needed to make farms a safe place to live, work and play.
CASA is governed by a seven-person Board of Directors drawn from a membership base that includes individuals, organizations, governments and businesses.

Visit Agriculture in the Classroom Canada's Educator Matrix to search through 200+ curriculum-linked resources that focus on agriculture and food.

This resource provides more detailed information for older students interested in farming.

How about Canadian Food Stories – like What is Vertical Farming… and The Science Behind Beef Production

Order this free resource!

"A gamified learning experience where students explore their personal interests and learn about careers in agriculture. This game will demonstrate the diversity, variety, and importance of careers in agriculture. Through participation, students will begin to envision themselves and their diverse interests fitting into agriculture. Be sure to download the PPT."

Also explore Digital Agriculture careers that combine technology & agriculture

Videos featuring Case IH harvesting equipment, including Axial-Flow Combines, Module Express Cotton pickers, and more.

From weeks-long dry spells to extreme precipitation events, farmers face significant challenges in bringing crops to market. Here’s how one grower uses seasonal climate forecasts to increase his chances for success.

Ideas for integrating food into the classroom from guest blogger Sarah Anderson.
*Making personal placemats
*Narrative Writing
*Research Paper
*Mapping Foods
*Podcasts

This 13-minute video looks at the development of agriculture and writing in the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras of the Stone Age. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 67 of 85]

This 14-minute video lesson considers energy consumption required for tilling land. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 84 of 85]

This 13-minute video lesson ponders how we get calories from the land and the limits of human population density. [Cosmology and Astronomy playlist: Lesson 83 of 85]

Students learn how the process of soil solarization is used to pasteurize agricultural fields before planting crops. Soil solarization is a pest control technique in agriculture that uses the sun’s radiation to heat the soil and eliminate unwanted pests that could harm the crops. The approach is compared to other pest control methods such as fumigation and herbicide application, highlighting the respective benefits and drawbacks. In preparation for the associated hands-on activity on soil biosolarization, students learn how changing the variables involved in the solarizing process (such as the tarp material, soil water content and addition of organic matter) impacts the technique’s effectiveness. A PowerPoint® presentation and pre/post-quiz is provided.

"This video clearly shows what an average day is like for an agricultural technician apprentice. An agricultural technician is almost like a mechanic for agricultural equipment. They deal with everything from tractors to combine harvesters and potato planters."

In the growing season, farmers and ranchers keep a watchful eye for any sign of drought. Early warning information can increase their range of options for dealing with the lack of water.

This lesson is designed to supplement a high school English class reading The Crucible or a high school history class studying the Salem Witch Trials. Students will understand one theory of the cause of the witch trials and how they could have been prevented.

"Explore.org hosts live streaming videos from all over the world allowing learners to observe a variety of animals in their natural habitats.

The learning extends beyond the classroom offering a portal into the natural world with authentic exposure to a variety of species.

Applications of explore.org can include creating a center activity in which students observe animals in their natural settings to gather and record data as citizen scientists.

As the introduction to an animal research project, this resource can ignite curiosity and encourage further investigation.

Additionally, explore.org can serve as a gateway to compare and contrast different animals among diverse habitats." (AASL)

Observe animals all over the world! Exotic to pets to farm animals!

These four lessons accompany the FARMLAND Film and dive deeper into issue discussed in the film like Animal Welfare, Farm Risk, Farm Size, and GMOs. There are also facilitated discussion questions. Students will learn about the care of livestock on farms and consider regulations and government’s role in the industry. Students will understand farm-related risk and how it relates to the risk in everyday life. Students will explore farm size in the U.S. and how farmers are able to feed a growing population. Students will gain a basic understanding of genetically engineered crops and compare conventional and organic farming practices.