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Ag Foundation offers free educational resources to Kansas teachersKansas The average household in the United States spent only about 10 percent of their disposable income on food in 2007--a fairly low number compared to many other countries. But with the recent surge in rising food prices, more people are becoming interested in where the food they buy in their local grocery store is actually coming from. Many of today's children and teens, however, are at least one generation removed from the farm and may not be able to make the connection between agriculture and the food on their plate, or the dozens of other products they use each day. The Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom is working to change that by using activities and resources that make learning about agriculture fun. Cathy Musick, executive director of the non-profit organization said that KFAC's mission is to connect Kansas classrooms to agriculture. To achieve that goal, the organization provides teachers with the tools and resources necessary to teach students about the basics of agriculture--farm animals, crops and natural resources--the science behind it and the ways that it affects their daily lives. KFAC offers a variety of educational resources for teachers and students including teacher guides and lesson plans, student magazines and school assembly programs, she said, all designed with state curriculum standards in mind. Each fall, the Foundation offers its free educational resources (educator guides and student magazines) to Kansas teachers. KFAC has three educator guides that include teacher lesson plans and student activity worksheets which follow Kansas curriculum standards so they will fit right in with what teachers are already teaching, Musick says. The Exploring Kansas Farm Animals guide is designed for kindergarten through second grade; the Exploring Kansas Crops guide fits third and fourth grade standards; and the newest guide, Exploring Kansas Natural Resources, is available for fifth grade teachers. There are also three correlating Kansas Kids Connection magazines that go with the educator guides and provide additional activities for students as well as more fun facts about agriculture. As a non-profit 501c3 organization, KFAC relies on funding from donors to pay for the printing and postage of these free educational resources. One of the Foundation's major fundraisers is its Agri-Tag License Plate program. Agri-Tags are specialized license plates available through the state that help promote Kansas agriculture. There is a tax deductible donation to KFAC of $25 per tag, which is renewable upon a yearly basis. In 2007, there were 405 Agri-Tags on the road. KFAC is working to increase this number so it can ensure that it's able to continue to offer these great resources for free to teachers in the coming years. Several Kansas businesses, such as Frontier Farm Credit and ICM Incorporated, also purchase these tags each year for their company fleet vehicles. Agri-Tags are also often purchased as birthday or holiday gifts. To purchase an Agri-Tag, interested persons can download a purchase form off of the KFAC website at www.ksagclassroom.org, or call the office toll free at 1-866-759-8031. More information about KFAC's free educational resources is also available on its website or by calling the office. 9/15/08 Date: 9/11/08 Advertisement
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