The lights dim, a hush falls over the classroom at Our Lady of Fatima school, and giggles erupt from a sea of third graders as a delightful little bee appears on the screen at the front of the room and asks ‘Auntie Bee’ to tell him a story. Auntie Bee, the narrator of An Almond Story, then takes the young students — and the little bee — on an adventure through the almond growing season.
Once the video ends, hands shoot up and every student has a question or comment about Auntie Bee’s story. Excited learners listen as Rebecca Bailey, Almond Board of California (ABC) program coordinator of Industry Relations, explains that after this harvest season almond trees go dormant in the winter, kind of like a hibernating bear.
Kimi Phippen, 2017 Industry Relations summer intern, shares the final stages of almond processing with elementary students.
While these third-graders are having fun, they’re also making an important connection by learning how almonds are grown and then travel from the orchard to their lunch boxes. Through ABC’s Ag in the Classroom program, which is an extension of the California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom, students participate in a hands-on, five-lesson unit that talks about all things almonds, from nutrition facts to almond processing and even uses for almond coproducts. In addition to the classroom experience, lesson plans coincide with the An Almond Story video and activity book, which gives students the opportunity to explore the global journey of California almonds through a visual experience.
“The Ag in the Classroom program allows students to develop a deeper appreciation for where their food comes from and the farmers and processors who care for it along the way,” said Jenny Nicolau, manager of Industry Relations at the Almond Board.
With students heading back to school, now is the perfect time to request this program be brought to your local school. If you’re interested in ABC’s Ag in the Classroom, please contact Rebecca Bailey at rbailey@almondboard.com to learn more. Additionally, copies of the activity book and lesson plans are available free of charge.
Bring Auntie Bee and Ag in the Classroom to your school and give kids the chance to cultivate an appreciation for the agricultural community they live in and, of course, to go nuts for almonds.
Nicolau shared the California almond story with eager third graders at last years’ San Joaquin County AgVenture day in Manteca.
