Science and Agriculture Academy (SAA)

The SAA is a professional development experience designed to provide high school science and agriculture teachers with a rigorous program designed to teach real-world science through the context of Animal Science and inquiry-based teaching methods. The goals of the SAA are to 1) improve teachers’ content knowledge within the sciences, 2) improve teachers’ instructional approaches within the sciences, 3) increase teachers’ ability to use agriculture, specifically disciplines of Animal Science, as a context for teaching science, and 4) increase collaboration between science and agriculture teachers for the betterment of students. Inquiry based learning activities will be designed to connect high school level scientific concepts of biology, chemistry, and physics to real-life examples associated with agriculture and animal science.

1. If possible, participate with the science teacher in your school. If needed, we can pair science endorsed agriculture teachers with agriculture teachers from other schools.
2. Attend online opening session.
3. Complete 3 online modules prior to the face-to-face PD.
4. Attend a 5-day in person PD from July 18-July 22, 2022 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
5. Develop one inquiry-based lesson plan with the teacher you are paired with.
6. Teach 6 predeveloped inquiry-based lessons during the 2022/2023 school year.
7. Teach the inquiry-base lesson that you and your partner developed during the 2022/2023 school year.

We are excited to announce that the SAA PD is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. Each participant that completes the entire SSA PD outlined above will receive a stipend of $400 (paid in intervals during the yearlong PD). In addition, lodging, mileage, and food costs associated with attending the 5 day in person PD will be covered by the USDA grant. Each participant will receive a Inquiry based learning Activity Science and Agriculture Kit that will provide teachers with necessary equipment and/or supplies needed to teach the lessons in your classroom. Estimated value of the kit is $800. Additionally, there will be an option to receive UNL graduate credit for completing the SAA program. However, the participant is responsible for paying for their own graduate credit tuition and fees.

Please talk with your science teacher and then register using the link below. We only have 16 spots and I expect them to fill up quickly.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoYA8ipop-fpwJrpvMgjGq9yAAef_DQ36t90cJVUUG87l1mg/viewform?usp=sf_link

This is a collaborative project with the University of Tennessee, and a similar program will be conducted at the University of Tennessee.

Please contact Drs. Nathan Conner ([email protected]) or Bryan Reiling ([email protected]) if you have any questions.