Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) is continuing to grow with the addition of its Environmental Science Issues (ESI) course. This course focuses on current environmental issues facing the agriculture industry.
To develop this course, CASE convened a team of agriculture teachers and CASE staff to discuss important topics to be covered. The group identified three content issues to specifically address; biodiversity, renewable energy, and chemical cycling.
As the course's title reveals, the primary focus will be current environmental issues in agriculture, such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and fertilization management. Students will develop a broad set of lab and research skills, along with an increased understanding of conflict/resolution scenarios as they pertain to our environment.
The Environmental Science Issues course is sponsored by Growth Energy, who has played an integral part in the course development. It is their goal to see that the course covers the significant advancements made in the agriculture industry over the last five years, with regards to energy and the environment.
"We had heard that people needed updated agriculture industry information. At Growth Energy, we want to make certain that consumers are being provided correct data and information," said Kelly Manning, Growth Energy Vice President of Development. "Through the ESI course, students will have a better understanding of the agriculture industry which will help us clean up any erroneous messages and become better stewards of the land and industry we work in."
The ESI course is the third tier of the natural resources CASE pathway and will prepare students for their research project in the Agricultural Research Development (ARD) Capstone course.
"This is going to be a very interesting and unique course because of its focus on current environmental issues. There will be lots of opportunities for student exploration and independent work, along with inquiry-based learning," said John McGinity, CASE Natural Resources Pathway Coordinator.
Training for the ESI course will be offered through a summer 2016 Field Test Institute. Roughly 15 agriculture teachers will be involved in the field test. Additional opportunities for teacher involvement may be available. Contact John McGinity or Marlene Jansen for more information about the ESI Field Test Institute.