Search

This brief discusses growing cells in a microgravity environment for grades 9-12. Students are provided with plans for building a classroom bioreactor that can then be used with the included activity on seed growth in a microgravity environment. Additional experimental ideas are also suggested along with a history and background on microgravity growth environments. (MVL)

This student manual is presented in its first revision, providing a current, basic text for those preparing for greenhouse and floriculture work. Its fourteen chapters are: Overview of the Greenhouse Industry; Greenhouse Structures; Controlling the Greenhouse Environment; Greenhouse Equipment and Lighting; Greenhouse Irrigation Systems; Root Media and Containers; Nutrition; Integrated Pest Management; Plant Height Control by DIF; Bedding Plant Production (including Geraniums); Flowering Potted Plant Production--Poinsettias, Chrysanthemums, and Easter Lilies; Minor Potted Crops; Cut Flower Production; and Greenhouse Perennial Production. Listed at the beginning of each chapter are competencies that can be achieved as the result of studying information in that chapter. Related math and science concepts are also included at the beginning of each chapter. The list of "terms to know" provides familiarity with the industry terms used in that chapter and improves communication. At the end of each chapter, students can take a self-check on the information they have learned by using review questions. Page references are included for the information needed. Appendixes include 18 references, a glossary of terms, and an index. (YLB)

This document contains materials about and from a workshop that was conducted to help Ohio horticulture teachers learn to document student competence through effective performance assessments. The document begins with background information about the workshop and a list of workshop objectives. Presented next is a key to the 40 performance assessments that are included. A blank performance assessment form is provided for use in developing assessments for competencies not included in the document. A performance critique is provided to assist teachers in evaluating existing and newly developed performance assessments. The remainder of the document consists of the 40 performance assessments, which were developed by Ohio horticulture teachers and which contain the following components: Ohio Competency Analysis Profiles (OCAP) program name; unit number and title; competencies addressed by the performance assessment; terminal performance objective (outcome); competency builders/pupil performance objectives (criteria); list of applied academics competencies; list of equipment, supplies, and other resources to be provided; and list of preparations before the assessment starts. The following are among the agriscience and horticulture topics for which performance assessments are included: marketing and sales; floral design; greenhouse plant production; turf and landscape operations; nursery and garden operations; and soils. (MN)

These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following components for each skill defined: performance area; performance skill; skill standard; and performance elements and assessment criteria. This publication contains skill standards for retail garden center occupations defined on eight levels (parking lot attendant; delivery person; stock person; salesperson; hard goods and gifts manager; indoor plant manager; outdoor plant manager; and garden center manager) by increasing level of difficulty. Thirty skill standards are included in the areas of payment points; customer service; merchandising; maintaining tools and equipment; clean-up; displaying merchandising; soils; waste disposal; plant delivery; loss control; weed and insect control; emergency procedures; financial analysis; stocking and pricing merchandise; maintaining facilities; plant care; plant arrangements; landscape design; wreaths and Christmas trees; signs; aquatic plants and animals; accident and insurance reports and claims; and consumer complaints. The following items are appended: glossary; lists of Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcouncil, and Retail Garden Center Standards Development Committee members; Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcouncil Retail Garden Center Cluster Recognition Proposal; and a list of workplace skills. (KC)

This document, which reflects Mississippi's statutory requirement that instructional programs be based on core curricula and performance-based assessment, contains outlines of the instructional units required in local instructional management plans and daily lesson plans for horticulture I and II. Presented first are a program description and course outlines. Section I contains curriculum frameworks for both courses, and section II contains outlines of the instructional units required in each course. Units in course I are as follows: horticulture careers and orientation, leadership development, plant structure and growth, plant classification and identification (taxonomy), plant growth media and nutrition, horticulture structures, basic plant propagation, horticulture chemical and pest management, basic principles of floristry, greenhouse crops, olericulture production, and interior plantscaping. Units in course II include the following: horticulture careers, nursery and landscape plant identification, advanced plant propagation, horticulture marketing and business procedures, container and field crop production, floriculture crop production, landscape design, landscape installation and construction, landscape maintenance, turfgrass installation and maintenance, pomology production, and advanced floral design. Each unit includes suggested time on tasks, competencies and objectives, teaching strategies, assessment strategies, and resources. Recommended tools and equipment are listed in section III. Appended are lists of related academic topics and workplace skills for the 21st century and student competency profiles for both courses. (YLB)

Growing Ideas, the National Gardening Association's series for elementary, middle, and junior high school educators, helps teachers engage students in using plants and gardens as contexts for developing a deeper, richer understanding of the world around them. This volume's focus is on hydroponics. It presents basic hydroponics information along with suggestions for helping students discover concepts on their own, and includes numerous examples from actual classrooms where teachers explore this growing technique with their students. Also included are suggestions for supporting students' varied learning styles in both cooperative and individual activities. Chapter titles are: "The What and Why of Hydroponics"; "Meeting Plant Needs"; "Choosing and Nurturing Plants"; "Exploring Hydroponics in Your Classroom"; "Choosing Systems"; "Simply Super School-Made Soilless Systems"; "Resources and Suppliers"; and "Appendix: Homemade Nutrient Mix." (MKR)

The "Kids for Trees" program described in this guidebook is a hands-on natural resource management experience where students raise trees from seedlings to harvest and manage other natural resources in a sustainable manner. Sections of the book include key concepts, getting started, needs of different kinds of trees, learning about potential growing sites, caring for the tree, raising willows, maximizing the educational value, and keeping the program going. Appendices contain a discussion of record keeping and a list of resources. (MKR)

This manual is intended primarily to train seed collectors, seed-plant managers, seed analysts, and nursery managers, but can serve as a resource for any training course in forest regeneration. It includes both temperate and tropical tree species of all intended uses and covers the following topics: seed biology, seed collection, seed handling, seed-quality evaluation, seed protection, seed basics for nurseries, seed programs, and practical exercises. Contains 91 references. (Author/JRH)

Developed through a modified DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) process involving business, industry, labor, and community agency representatives in Ohio, this document is a comprehensive and verified employer competency profile for floriculture and greenhouse occupations. The list contains units (with and without subunits), competencies, and competency builders that identify the skills needed to enter these occupations. The occupational, academic, and employability skills for this occupation or occupational area are included. Within the outline are three levels of items: core, advancing, and futuring. Core items identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for entry-level employment. These items are required to be taught and will be the basis for questions on the state vocational competency tests. Advancing items identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to advance in the occupation; futuring items identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to enter and remain in a given occupation 3 to 4 years from now. Titles of the eight units are as follows: general safety precautions; equipment maintenance; marketing and sales; merchandise handling; business management; floral design; greenhouse plant production; and employability skills. (YLB)

These lesson plans are intended for use in conducting classes on sexual plant reproduction. Presented first are an attention step/problem statement and a series of questions and answers designed to convey general information about sexual plant reproduction/propagation. The following topics are among those discussed: sexual and asexual plant propagation, seeds and seed parts, types of seeds, monocot and dicot seeds, germination, stages of germination, seedling parts, environmental conditions needed for germination, plant media, germination rate, planting depth, and the relationship between soil temperature and planting depth. Also provided are the following: a glossary of pertinent scientific terms, 3 worksheets, answers to the worksheets, a quiz and quiz answers, 14 overhead transparency masters, and lesson plans for teaching students to test seed for germination percentage and sow seeds. Each lesson plan includes an objective, list of equipment needed, student activity record sheet, and detailed steps for completing the activity. (MN)

These lesson plans are intended for use in conducting classes on asexual plant reproduction. Presented first are an attention step/problem statement and a series of questions and answers designed to convey general information about asexual plant reproduction/propagation. The following topics are among those discussed: plant reproduction methods, advantages of asexual reproduction, seven types of asexual reproduction, environmental factors needed for taking cuttings, favorable conditions for taking cuttings, processes occurring when a stem cutting is made, and steps in taking successful cuttings. Also provided are the following: a glossary of pertinent scientific terms, four worksheets, answers to the worksheets, two quizzes, answers to the quizzes, eight overhead transparency masters, and lesson plans for conducting learning activities on making a propagation pot, propagating plants by stem cuttings, and checking and caring for cuttings. Each lesson plan includes some or all of the following: objective, list of equipment needed, student activity record sheet, and detailed steps for completing the activity. (MN)

This outline is intended for use in a unit of 10-12 lectures on plant growth and development at the introductory undergraduate level as part of a course on organismal biology. The series of lecture outlines is structured around the life cycle of rapid-cycling Brassica rapa (RCBr). The unit begins with three introductory lectures on general plant biology entitled: (1) "What It Means to Be a Plant"; (2) "The Plant Life Cycle"; and (3) "Seeds and Seed Dormancy." Students plant RCBr seeds at the beginning of lecture 4 and observe their plants at each successive class period, as the lecturer discusses aspects of plant development in the context of the RCBr life cycle. The remaining lecture titles are: (4) "Seed Germination"; (5) "Utilization of Food Sources"; (6) "Environmental Effects on Plant Growth and Development"; (7) "Hormonal Integration of Plant Growth and Development"; (8) "Hormonal Mediation of External Signals: A Case Study"; (9) "Flowering and Alternation of Generations"; and (10) "Photoperiodism and Flowering." Lectures 7 and 10 can be split to create 12 lectures. Figures referenced throughout the document are found in Appendix A. Appendix B includes a question set to assist students in their study and understanding of the unit. Appendices C and D are intended to provide students with some perspective in their approach to the unit. A bibliography includes 9 references. (MDH)

This activity guide provides children in grades kindergarten through six with hands-on learning experiences while they nurture an acorn into a young oak tree. Each of 10 activities and numerous extensions help students gain awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the important role oaks play in the natural and cultural history associated with the California landscape. The activities build on themes, concepts, and learning processes outlined in school district and state-adopted curriculum frameworks. Curriculum connections are made with science, social studies, language arts, mathematics, and the arts. In addition, the skills of learning, such as being able to make observations, comparisons, and inferences, and to organize, relate, apply, and communicate information are built into each activity. The guide contains an introduction with suggestions for implementing the project, a checklist of materials needed, and recommended assessment method. Each of 10 activities contains objectives, methods, curriculum materials, background information, activity procedures, follow-up activities, evaluation methods, references, and worksheets. Three appendices contain suggestions for: (1) encouraging student observation and information gathering; (2) planning a tree-planting ceremony; and (3) agency, organization, and additional materials resources (25 entries). (LZ)

This guide contains 45 program standards for the environmental horticulture program conducted in technical institutes in Georgia. The standards are divided into 12 categories: foundations (philosophy, purpose, goals, program objectives, availability, evaluation); admissions (admission requirements, provisional admission requirements, recruitment, evaluation and planning); program structure (curriculum design, program numbering system, program consistency, exit points, credentials, course code, course consistency, course sequence, electives, course transferability); program evaluation and planning (program evaluation; program planning; enrollment, graduation, and placement levels; attrition levels; student performance); instructional program (course content; course objectives; course instruction; occupation-based instruction; evaluation of students; grading system; laboratory management; equipment, supplies, and materials; physical facility); academic skills (academic requirements); employability skills (job acquisition, job retention and advancement); staff (faculty qualifications and responsibilities); advisory committee (function, membership, meetings); special needs (commitment); equity (commitment); and health and safety (commitment). Each standard consists of these components: standard statement, explanatory comment, and evaluative criteria. (KC)

This program guide contains the standard environmental horticulture curriculum for technical institutes in Georgia. The curriculum encompasses the minimum competencies required for entry-level workers in the environmental horticulture field. The general information section contains the following: purpose and objectives; program description, including admissions, typical job titles, and accreditation and certification; and curriculum model, including standard curriculum sequence and lists of courses. The next three sections contain the courses: general core courses (English, mathematics, interpersonal relations and professional development); fundamental technical courses (horticulture sciences, woody ornamental plant identification, herbaceous plant identification, greenhouse management I, horticulture construction, nursery production, landscape design, landscape installation, pest control); and specific technical courses (greenhouse management II, landscape management, garden center management, environmental horticulture internship). Each course consists of the following: a course overview (description, competency areas, prerequisites, credit hours, contact hours); course outline with student objectives and class and lab hours; and resource list. An appendix to the guide lists equipment needed for the program. (KC)

This packet contains six science learning activities that can be used in agricultural education courses. The activities cover these topics: (1) determining the effects of soil drainage on plant growth and development; (2) determining the effect of soil compaction on plant growth and development; (3) inoculating legume seeds to promote nodule formation; (4) propagating plants; (5) determining the effects of rhizobium japonicum and nitrogen fertilizer on nodulation and plant growth; and (6) determining effects of frost/hail damage on plant growth. The lesson plans for the activities consist of the following elements: agricultural subjects and science principles included in the lesson, agricultural applications, student objectives, activity length, group size, vocabulary, materials required, instructional strategies and procedures (overview and results), key questions, and evaluation. One to three references are given for each activity, and each includes a data record and observation sheet. (KC)

Introduces the plant Amaryllis, which is the common name for the Hippeastrum species. Describes how to grow and bloom Amaryllis in soil using hydroponics. Introduces experiments investigating the anatomy of the bulb, growing and elongation rates, the flower, and foliage. (Contains 21 references.) (YDS)

Presents the history and explains the basics of hydroponics. Discusses the two categories of hydroponic systems, water-culture systems and media-based systems. (YDS)

Discusses Knob's solution, which was considered the ideal plant growth solution in 1865, and recommends eliminating Knob's solution from active teaching. Describes solution culture basics including nutrient solutions, containers and aeration, and plants and light. (Contains 12 references.) (YDS)

Describes an experiment in which students design the experiment and observe different liquids' effects on germination. Presents directions for laboratory writings. (YDS)

Presents three activities using pearl onion bulbs to illustrate plant growth and plant propagation under various conditions. (WRM)

This manual, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the Point Four program, presents critical features and principles of using bamboo as a building material. Information provided in the manual includes the following: parts of a house for which bamboos are suitable, bamboo reinforcement of concrete, geographical distribution of bamboos, differences among species, some bamboos used in housing, shortcomings of bamboo and how to overcome them, preservation, skill requirements, tool requirements, differentiation and evaluation of species of bamboo, and collecting specimens for identification. A list of the salient features of different types of bamboo species is included. The publication is illustrated with line drawings and photographs. A list of references completes the manual. (KC)

This manual is intended for use by Peace Corps volunteers as a resource for gaining an understanding and knowledge of basic horticultural principles and practices of orchard management. Addressed in the individual units of instructional text are orchard soils; botany of horticultural plants; insect and disease control in orchards; pome, stone, citrus, vine, and tropical fruits; and nuts. Appendixes to the manual contain a series of practical exercises dealing with photosynthesis, plant reproduction, and transpiration. (MN)

The booklet, intended to acquaint students or visitors with the herb garden at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center (Rockville, Maryland), describes 25 herbs and suggests ways to extend learning further by providing historic background and other information about the herbs. Each herb is described on a separate page, with each listing including a drawing, common and botanical name, type (perennial, biennial, annual, shrub, or tree), brief history, cultivation preferences, uses (culinary, medicinal, aromatic, and ornamental), and suggestions for preservation. Herbs covered are lemon balm, sweet basil, sweet bay, chamomile, chive, dill, garlic, scented geraniums, hyssop, lamb's ears, lavender, sweet marjoram, apple mint, oregano, parsley, pennyroyal, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage, santolina, savory (winter and summer), French tarragon, thyme, and lemon verbena. (MH)

This agricultural curriculum guide on horticulture for secondary students is one of six developed for inservice teachers at Marianas High School in Saipan. The guide provides the rationale, description, goals, and objectives of the program; the program of studies and performance objectives by levels; samples of lesson plans for effective delivery of instruction; and a listing of references. Concepts covered include orientation to horticulture, terminology, plant classification, horticulture mechanics, pest control, plant propagation, field preparation, and soils. Classroom activities are combined with gardening experiences. Appended materials include lesson plans, student activities, and tests. (CT)

This curriculum guide contains five units with relevant problem areas for horticulture. These problem areas have been selected as suggested areas of study to be included in a core curriculum for secondary students enrolled in an agricultural education program. Each problem area includes some or all of the following components: related problem areas, prerequisite problem areas, occupational tasks addressed, learning assessment plan sheets, instructor's guide, information sheets, student worksheets or assignment sheets and keys, demonstrations, transparency masters, and a discussion guide for transparencies. Suggestions are made for use of the core materials, including specific suggestions for using the different components of a problem area. The five units are as follows: (1) horticultural business operation and management; (2) horticultural science and production; (3) horticultural mechanics; (4) landscaping; and (5) floral design. (NLA)

This Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) unit challenges students to grow plants and to determine some purpose for their use (transplanting, selling, gifts). The challenge is general enough to apply to many problem-solving situations in mathematics, science, social science, and language arts at any elementary school level (grades 1-8). The Teacher Resource Book for the unit is divided into five sections. Section I describes the USMES approach to student-initiated investigations of real problems, including a discussion of the nature of USMES "challenges." Section II provides an overview of possible student activities with comments on prerequisite skills, instructional strategies, suggestions when using the unit with primary grades, flow charts illustrating how investigations evolve from students' discussions of an advertising problem, and a hypothetical account of intermediate-level class activities. Section III provides documented events of actual class activities from grades 2/3, 5, and 6. Section IV includes lists of "How To" cards and background papers, bibliography of non-USMES materials, and a glossary. Section V consists of charts identifying skills, concepts, processes, and areas of study learned as students become involved with investigations. (JN)

This curriculum guide includes teaching packets for 21 problem areas to be included in a core curriculum for 10th grade students enrolled in a rural agricultural program. Covered in the four units included in this volume are crop science (harvesting farm crops and growing small grains); soil science and conservation of natural resources (understnading soils, judging land-use capability, buying and using fertilizers); horticulture (identifying trees, shrubs, and flowers; propagating plants sexually and asexually; and growing and caring for indoor plants); and agricultural mechanics (developing arc and acetylene welding skills, surveying in agriculture, and developing basic shop skills). Each problem-area packet includes some or all of the following components: suggestions to the teacher, teacher's guide, information sheet, student worksheets or assignment sheets and key, demonstrations, job sheets, transparencies, discussion guide for transparencies, and sample test questions and teacher's key. (MN)

Developed for use by vocational agriculture teachers in Iowa, this instructional unit provides information about the growing and marketing of sod for lawns. This document is one of three manuals making up a single package. (The other two are Christmas Tree Production and Marketing and Sod Production and Marketing). The manual includes an instructional plan and related technical information. The instructional plan features objectives, interest approach, a listing of materials needed, and teaching procedures. The technical information section provides concise information related to sod production and marketing. A reference list is included for teachers wishing additional information on the topic. Transparency masters and activity sheets are provided and coded to the unit. A list of 10 slides for use with the instructional materials is also provided. Eleven fact sheets from the Iowa Cooperative Extension Service discuss various aspects of turfgrass care. (KC)

This curriculum guide provides the plant science components of the vocational agriculture curriculum for Regional Vocational Agriculture Centers. The curriculum is divided into exploratory units for students in the 9th and 10th grades and specialized units for students in grades 11 and 12. The five exploratory units are: agricultural pest control; care and management of a vegetable garden; greenhouse business management; soils and fertilizer; and plant anatomy, physiology, and classification. production and marketing; floral design; fruit production; greenhouse crop production and marketing; greenhouse structures; interior landscaping; landscape construction; landscape design; landscape maintenance; nursery management; operation and care of horticultural equipment; perennial plant identification, production, and marketing; plant nutrition; plant propagation; retail flower shop management; turf management; vegetable producing and marketing; beekeeping; plant tissue culture; and hydroponic culture. Each unit contains these components: length (time); objectives; related job titles and relevant competencies; content outline; teacher and student activities; evaluation suggestions; bibliography; and individual teacher unit review. Validated competency lists and job descriptions for relevant job titles are appended. (YLB)

This manual is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions as tree care professionals. Addressed in the individual chapters of the guide are the following topics: the tree service industry; clothing, eqiupment, and tools; tree workers; basic tree anatomy; techniques of pruning; procedures for climbing and working in the tree; aerial lifts; tree identification; identification and treatment of tree problems; and other tree care operations. Appendixes to the manual contain first aid procedures and lists of selected common plants of North America, followed by references and a glossary. Each chapter begins with a set of objectives followed by instructional text. (MN)

This teacher's guide is designed for use in a vocational horticulture course designed to prepare students for jobs as nursery workers. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are the following topics: the nursery industry; soils; plant growth; plant nutrition; plant propagation methods; nursery field practices; pest control; techniques for storing, grading, and marketing nursery stock; and procedures for keeping records and accounts. Each unit contains some or all of the following: performance checklists, suggested learning activities, a study guide in the form of key questions, a list of technical vocabulary, crossword puzzles, word mazes, quizzes or tests, answers to the quizzes or tests; and transparency masters. A glossary concludes the guide. (MN)

This document, which is intended for use by community and junior colleges throughout Mississippi, contains curriculum frameworks for the course sequences in the horticulture technology programs cluster. Presented in the introductory section are a framework of programs and courses, description of the programs, and suggested course sequences for horticulture technology and landscape management technology. Section I lists baseline competencies for the program. Section II consists of the curriculum guides for these courses in the horticulture cluster: horticulture/landscape management core courses, horticulture courses, landscape management courses, related vocational-technical courses, and related academic courses. Each course outline contains some/all of the following: course name and abbreviation; course classification; course description; prerequisites; and competencies and suggested objectives. Recommended tools and equipment are listed in section III. Appended are lists of related academic topics and workplace skills for the 21st century and student competency profiles for both courses. (YLB)

Describes the topics and teaching strategies employed in an Issues in Biology course. Discusses flowers, plant breeding, potatoes and tomatoes, the chocolate tree, weeds, Arabidopis, gene transfers, and plant genes/human genes. Contains 22 references. (JRH)

These supplemental teaching resources promote awareness about health, family life, and cultural diversity for children in kindergarten through third grade, and offer a variety of concrete, visual activities to help young children understand how life begins for all living things. The format of each lesson is designed to help classroom and daycare center teachers introduce children to different kinds of plant and animal babies, laying the foundation for future lessons about human reproduction. Reproducible masters for student activity sheets and teacher patterns, and suggestions for integrating the activities into art, science, math, and other areas of the primary curriculum, are found at the end of each lesson. Activities include creation of eggshell gardens, collages, mobiles, biographies, and other hands-on projects as children learn: (1) all living things begin as babies; (2) all living things make more babies (reproduce); (3) some babies begin life from a seed (plants); (4) some babies begin life from an egg; (5) baby seeds grow into flowering plants; (6) every baby is unique; and (7) babies need special care to grow strong and healthy. A discussion of the beginning of human reproduction and babies is optional contingent upon the school district's family life education policy. (LL)

Designed to provide an introduction to as many of the subject areas in Oklahoma agricultural education programs as possible, this curriculum for Grade 8 contains 15 units that highlight many career areas in agriculture. Because this course may be a student's first exposure to production agriculture subjects, the curriculum begins with basic material upon which the instructor can build and localize. Each instructional unit includes some or all of the basic components of a unit of instruction: performance objectives, suggested activities for the teacher, extensions and options, information sheets, job sheets, practical tests, written tests, and answers to assignment sheets and written tests. Units of instruction are designed for use in more than one lesson or class period of instruction. Introductory materials include information on teaching basic skills and information on using the written tests as pretest and posttest. Units cover the following: introduction to agricultural industry; record keeping; agricultural communication; plants and soils; horticulture; forestry; field crop production; animal production; agricultural products and processing; agricultural power; agricultural construction; agricultural sales and service; agricultural ecology and the environment; natural resources--parks and recreation; and natural resources--wildlife and fisheries. A basic skills documentation matrix correlates skills with units of instruction. (YLB)

This document is the teacher's edition of a module containing 16 instructional units covering competencies for students with career aspirations in horticulture. It is designed to provide high school students with an in-depth perspective of both the technical and the commercial aspects of running a greenhouse. The 16 units cover the following topics: designing and constructing greenhouses; controlling the greenhouse environment; preparing growing media; propagating plants; maintaining plant nutrition; producing a crop; using chemicals in the greenhouse; identifying and controlling pests in the greenhouse; marketing greenhouse products; shipping and receiving greenhouse products; customer relations; performing general office work; maintaining greenhouses; servicing and maintaining equipment; managing the business; and applying safety regulations. Each instructional unit follows a standard format that includes some or all of these 13 basic components: performance objectives, suggested activities, basic academic skills taxonomy, handouts, information sheets, supplements, transparency masters, assignment sheets, assignment sheet answers, job sheets, practical tests, written tests, and written test answers. (KC)

This publication is designed to provide a core of instruction for the many different fields in agricultural/horticultural education. This course contains 21 instructional units that cover the following topics: introduction to horticulture; beginning a career in horticulture; hand and power tools; introduction to safety; growing facilities; greenhouse watering; plant growth and responses; introduction to floral design; introduction to deciduous plants; chemical safety; introduction to plant growth media; elementary study of soils; introduction to fertilizers; plant propagation; introduction to indoor plants; repotting greenhouse and indoor plants; introduction to evergreens; introduction to transplanting; introduction to pruning; introduction to fruits and vegetables; and introduction to garden flowers. Each instructional unit follows a standard format that includes some or all of these basic components: performance objectives, suggested activities for teachers and students, information sheets, supplements, transparency masters, activity sheets, assignment sheets, job sheets, practical tests, written tests, and answers to assignment sheets, activity sheets, and written tests. Units are illustrated with drawings and photographs. (KC)

These student and instructor materials for a one-semester course intended for high school juniors and seniors teach the following 24 lessons: (1) the scope and development of greenhouse production; (2) the economic importance of greenhouse crops; (3) careers in greenhouse operation and management; (4) greenhouse parts, structures, and coverings; (5) greenhouse environmental control; (6) interior layout; (7) energy conservation; (8) plant parts, structures, and functions; (9) plant processes; (10) environmental effects on plant growth; (11) growth regulation; (12) floriculture plant identification; (13) sexual plant propagation; (14) asexual plant propagation; (15) growing media; (16) containers; (17) watering; (18) fertilizers and plant nutrition; (19) common greenhouse pests and diseases; (20) techniques and equipment used to apply pesticides; (21) pesticide safety; (22) marketing floricultural crops; (23) recordkeeping in greenhouse management; and (24) legal considerations. The instructor materials include 24 student objectives; 24 competencies; suggestions for motivating students; evaluation suggestions; 38 references; a competency profile on which to record student performance; transparency masters; job sheets; assignment sheets; and appendices that contain a production schedule for potted plant crops and crop culture sheets for nine common greenhouse crops (chrysanthemums, foliage plants, bedding plants, Easter lilies, tulips, geraniums, calceolaria, cineraria, and poinsettias). The student reference includes information sheets for the 24 lessons that contain text, line illustrations, diagrams, and references. The student reference concludes with a two-page glossary. (CML)

Describes the creation of and benefits from a tree nursery on school grounds. Provides details on how to plant seeds and care for seedlings, and offers advice for long-term care of young trees. (AIM)

This packet contains six units of informational materials and transparency masters, with accompanying scripts, for teachers to use in a plant science course in vocational agriculture. Designed especially for use in Texas, the first unit introduces the course through the following topics: economic importance of major crops, major areas of production, and major uses of crops. The second unit covers plant growth, including plant parts and their functions, seed germination, and how plants make, use, and store food. The third unit covers classification and selection of field crop plants, while unit 4 covers sexual and asexual plant reproduction. The fifth unit discusses seedbed preparation, including the following four topics: disposing of previous residue, land preparation, application of fertilizer, and irrigation. The final unit on planting covers selection of seed and equipment and methods in planting. Each topic section of the units contains information sheets, scripts for transparencies, references, and transparency masters. (KC)

The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This teaching guide contains instructional strategies for exercises which consist essentially of observing and recording changes in the development of organisms. These exercises provide the practical background to concepts presented in the ZIM-SCI units E1 ("Life: Beginning and Growing") and E2 ("Reproducing by Flowers and Seeds"). Although methods to study the development of the frog, mosquito, housefly, bean, and maize are provided, similar methods may be applied to other organisms of choice (depending on time of year and organisms available in a given area). Since no student study guide accompanies this teaching guide, it is strongly recommended that unit be read before starting and that exercises be presented in the order in which they appear. (JN)

This curriculum guide contains guidesheets for the ornamental horticulture production occupations. Each guidesheet provides a job-relevant task; performance objective, with task, performance standard, source of standard, and conditions for performance of task; enabling objectives; a list of resources; teaching activities; a criterion-referenced measure; performance guide; and evaluation checklist. A total of 165 performance objectives are categorized into seven duties: (1) performing administrative functions; (2) preparing soil and growing media; (3) propagating horticultural plants; (4) growing plants; (5) performing maintenance operations; (6) harvesting plants; and (7) performing sales. Appendixes include a task list and job titles, definition of terms, tool and equipment list, 234-item bibliography, 13-item state-of-the-art literature bibliography, and 22-item sources of standards bibliography. (YLB)

As part of an updated series of activity oriented educational materials dealing with aspects of the Guam environment, this publication focuses on backyard gardening and nursery methods. Included in this "How to Do It" learning resource are such agricultural techniques as hydroponics, grafting and budding, and fertilizing. This publication includes many practical activities that can be used by junior and senior high school students in almost any location to set up and maintain outdoor or indoor gardens and nurseries. The effects of World War II on agriculture in Guam are summarized, along with the benefits of home gardening. A farm and garden equipment list is suggested and some information is given on setting up a school nursery. (MR)