Noah Neiderhouse found that his students’ interest levels rose when they got outside the classroom. He used the “Growing Ohio” Yield Prediction Test with his Agriculture Business Management students at Oak Harbor/Penta Career Center.
Neiderhouse said, “My students love this activity because they get to use real-world applications outside the school walls! We discuss average corn yields in our area of Ottawa County, so when they estimate corn yields for their portion of the field, they can understand what is reasonable and what isn’t. This year a couple of the groups had estimates of over 300 bushels per acre, so I chuckled and said they’d better check their math!”
Oak Harbor has a school land lab, so this activity allows students to apply what is discussed in the classroom to the land lab. That area of the state had a tough growing year for corn due to lack of rain, so this activity gave students an opportunity to see what effects no rain has on kernel production. With this activity, students were able to get outside, work together, use mathematical principles, and estimate corn yields.
Neiderhouse attended the Ohio Corn & Wheat-sponsored 2-day Feed the World workshop, which provided useful resources for his classroom. “It was beneficial to talk and collaborate with other teachers from around the state to see how they might use these resources. I really enjoyed the farm dinner and the conversations I had with some teachers who were very eager to learn about agriculture.”
Watch our website and monthly newsletter for information about the next Feed the World workshop!