The 2017 Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom Book of the Year and annual essay contest comes from the heart and soul of cranberry country. Written by Wisconsin native Lisl H. Detlefsen, Time for Cranberries educates students about the state’s cranberry industry by highlighting the process, technology and traditions involved.
“It is quite an honor to have Time for Cranberries chosen to be Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom’s Book of the Year,” said Detlefsen. “Ag in the Classroom does an excellent job educating students about agriculture, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share the story of cranberry farming with students in my home state.”
This year’s essay contest topic, “Tell us about cranberry production in Wisconsin during one of the four seasons” is linked with the book. Accompanying lessons aligned to state standards and various Wisconsin educational resources are available within an Educator’s Guide for teachers, students and volunteers to use in promoting and preparing essays.
Essay submissions must be 100 to 300 words in length and will be judged on content, grammar, spelling and neatness. Participating students and schools need to submit essays by April 1 to their county Farm Bureau essay coordinator. A list of county essay coordinators, all contest rules, lesson plans and sample classroom activities are located at wisagclassroom.org.
A state winner will be selected from nine district winners in May by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Promotion and Education Committee. Each district winner will receive a classroom presentation in May for their homeroom or class. This year, Lisl H. Detlefsen, author of Time for Cranberries will present to the winning essay writer’s classroom.
“This book is a real passion project for me because it was inspired by my family’s life on our cranberry marsh,” Detlefsen said. “Cranberry harvest is such an interesting and beautiful process, and the book is a virtual field trip for readers who might not have the chance to see it in person.”
The essay contest is sponsored by Insight FS, We Energies and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation. Last year, more than 3,000 students participated in the contest.
The hardcover books come with an activity and lesson plan packet that tea
chers, students and home school parents can use to enhance the reading experience. Book order forms are found at www.wisagclassroom.org under ‘Order Forms’.
Questions can be directed to aitc@wfbf.com.
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