“Why are bees important to Wisconsin Agriculture?” is the topic of the essay contest from the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom program.
“Our 2015 Book of the Year is “The Beeman” by Laurie Krebs. The book and essay topic will allow us to educate students about bees and the important role they play in agriculture,” said Wendy Kannel, Ag in the Classroom Coordinator. “We will again link the book, the accompanying lessons, various Wisconsin educational resources, and other Ag in the Classroom lessons into resources for teachers, students and volunteers to use in promoting and preparing essays.”
Essay submissions must be between 100 to 300 words in length and will be judged on content, grammar, spelling and neatness. All contest rules, lesson plans, county contest coordinators and sample classroom activities are located at wisagclassroom.org or by contacting Kannel at 608.828.5719 or wkannel@wfbf.com. Participating students and schools need to submit essays by April 1 to their county Farm Bureau essay coordinator.
A state winner will be selected from nine district winners in May by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Committee. Each district winner will receive a classroom presentation in May for their homeroom or class. The contest is sponsored by Frontier-Servco FS, We Energies and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation. Last year, nearly 2,500 students participated in the contest.
In this year’s Book of the Year selection, “The Beeman”, introduces young readers to bees, beekeepers and the pollination process. The hardcover books come with an activity/lesson plan packet that teachers, students and home school parents can use to enhance the reading experience. Book order forms are found at www.wisagclassroom.org under “Order Forms”.
Ag in the Classroom is designed to help students in kindergarten through high school to understand the importance of agriculture. It is coordinated by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
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