Principles of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources is a CTE eighth-grade course that covers different sectors of agriculture throughout the year. Students are exposed to many different areas of agriculture, which gives them the opportunity to find out what their interests might be.
Students do many hands-on activities. For example, students brought in samples of soil from their homes to determine the texture by using a Soil Texture Triangle, which they learned about in a soil unit. Students were able to analyze the sediment layers at the bottom and draw conclusions.
This semester students will work in teams and build ag mechanics projects such as building raised planters in which students will plant and grow vegetables. In addition, students will work on building a structure where they will budget and plan by determining the cost and materials needed for their structure and create a building proposal. Stay tuned to the RJH Newsletter to see these projects.
By being enrolled in Principles of Agriculture, which is a CTE/ High School credit, students have the opportunity to join Rockdale FFA. In the first six weeks, students cover all aspects of FFA in class. If students decide to join FFA, they have opportunities to compete in various events such as speaking events, career development events and leadership development events. They also can raise and show livestock or build an ag mechanics project for various shows throughout the year, including the Rockdale Fair and Milam County Junior Livestock Show.
These events help our students develop important qualities that employers look for when they join the workforce, whether the job is in agriculture or not. A bonus of taking Principles of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources in eighth grade is that students are able to have an 'extra year' in FFA and are able to compete and participate in more events throughout high school.
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