Agricultural Education at The Great Frederick Fair
Fair of Dreams…Country Nights & Carnival Lights! September 15-23, 2017. The Great Frederick Fair is Frederick County’s largest agricultural classroom and internationally recognized for agricultural education efforts. Take advantage of The Great Frederick Fair’s agricultural learning opportunities and experiences. Over 240,000 guests that include pre-kindergarten through high school students experience our event annually, participating in the non-traditional learning centers located throughout the entire fairgrounds.
Programs:
School Tours/Chaperone’s Guides: Chaperone Guides are used for the elementary school field trips during The Great Frederick Fair. Approximately 6,000 elementary school students attend the fair and chaperones use the approved curriculum during field trips visiting the 5 areas of learning.
Area 1: The Milky Way, It’s Fiber: Functional & Fun! The Birthing Center, Swine Barn
Area 2: City Streets, Country Roads, Machinery Row, My Plate Garden
Area 3: Beef Cattle, Equine Expo, Longhorns/British Breeds
Area 4: Farm and Garden, Poultry & Rabbits, 4-H & FFA, Home Arts & Crafts Building
Area 5: Lunch in the grandstand
Spuddy Buddy: Spuddy Buddy is an educational tool, teaching students the 5 senses. From feeling the different textures from a variety of animal fleeces to hearing concerts in the grandstands! Following their game board/map of the fairgrounds, students will delight in the sights, tastes, smells, touch and sounds at The Great Frederick Fair!
One Foot, Two Foot, Great Frederick Fair Foot: “One Foot, Two Foot, Great Frederick Fair Foot” is a learning activity promoting and encouraging reading and writing and math skills, built on the theme of The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss.
It’s Fair Game: It’s Fair Game…Banking on Agriculture’s Future, is a sticker brochure that students, teachers and parents use as they visit different learning stations highlighted on the fairgrounds.
Fair In A Box: Put a Fair in a Box and what do you get? Science. Technology. Engineering. Mathematics. … STEM. Put a Fair in a Box learning kit in a school classroom and what do you get? Students THINKING, WRITING, TALKING and READING like a scientist.
80 classrooms, K- second grade, are outfitted with Fair in a Box kits filled with artifacts and materials focusing on the fair’s 44-acre scientific “mini labs.” For the pre-fair classroom tours, each Fair in a Box kit contains items including but not limited to feed corn, straw, toy farm machinery, pre-packaged coffee creamers, hay, sweet feed, livestock ear tags and, horse hair.
Ag…It’s What’s For Lunch: Ag… It’s What’s for Lunch! is a third grade curriculum. Learning box kits are placed in third grade classrooms, complete with fun and engaging learning tools of matching food groups/ingredients with specific recipe cards for two to four players each.
My Plate Garden: A demonstration garden for the community, teaching the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s balanced diet, promoting a healthier lifestyle and educating the importance of agriculture in our lives. The garden models the USDA’s MY Plate daily nutritional recommendation diagram, divided into five sections: fruits, grains, vegetables, proteins and dairy. Walkways allow the guests the opportunity to view the plants and their educational signage.
Agri-Theater: The fair-going public has the unique opportunity to see an actual life-size grain bin and walk inside for an education on the grain industry!
All program resources can be found on the fair’s website, www.thegreatfrederickfair.com: under the Ag Education tab. They are also available at the Guest Relations Centers for public use during fair.
