Ag Education I
Colorado Agriscience Curriculum
Section:
Intro to Agribusiness
Unit:
Careers in Agriculture
Lesson Title:
Learning the Careers in Agriculture
Colorado Ag
Education
Standards and
Competencies
Standard 9.1 The student will comprehend the scope of careers in agriculture
Colorado Model
Content
Standard(s):
English Standard 2.2
Conveying technical information in a written form appropriate to the audience
Student Learning
Objectives:
Objective 1: The leaner will identify what a career is.
Competency 1-2 Careers in Ag
English Standard 2.3
Supporting an opinion using various forms of persuasion (factual or emotional) in
speaking and writing
Objective 2: The leaner will identify and categorize the scope of the different
careers into agriculture pathways.
Objective 3: The learner will identify skills necessary to be successful in the pathways
for the agricultural industry.
Time:
One 50-minute lesson.
Resource(s):
FFA LifeKnowledge Lesson HS.31
Career Center; www.ffa.org
Instructions, Tools,
Equipment, and
Supplies:
Print off and cut apart attachment A, one per class
“What is a job description?” Worksheet B, one per student
Italicized words are instructions to the teacher; normal style text is suggested
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture
1
script.
Interest Approach:
Good day class! Welcome back to Ag Ed! Today we are going to discover ways that
you can stay involved in this amazing industry for the rest of your lives! How has the
agriculture industry changed from the time that your parents were this age?
Remember now, only 2% of the population is involved directly in production
agriculture today. How is it, then that all of you may be involved in this industry?
(Allow students to provide examples of ‘other agricultural pursuits’ as identified in the
FFA creed). Feel free to engage the students in how the jobs and professions in
agriculture have evolved over the years.
It is possible for each and every one of you to be involved in agriculture if you
understand the scope opportunities available to you in this industry! This is such an
incredible time for each of you to refine your agriculture career interests!
To get us started today I am going to divide you into seven groups. Each of these
seven groups will be given an agricultural career area, called pathways. I would like
you to take a look at the list for 20 seconds. Then you will be given three minutes to
find something in the ag room and ag shop, greenhouse (etc.) that best represents
the careers in this area. You will have to present your item to the class, and justify
why you think this item best describes this career pathway in agriculture. You will be
given only three minutes to find this item. Are you ready? Divide quickly divide into
your groups. Do not look at the career area until you are told to do so.
Divide the class into seven equal groups. Give each group (this can be done as
individuals as well) a section of the handout attached to the back of this lesson
(attachment A). When all the groups are ready, proceed!
Are you ready? Do your best here – find an item that BEST represents your career
pathway. You will have 20 seconds to look at the list, and three minutes to locate your
item. When time is called, immediately return to the classroom! Ready, set…GO!
After three minutes call “TIME”. When students return, have them elect a reporter
from their groups to present their item, and justify why it is the best item in the ag
shop to represent the careers listed in their pathway. Keep the class moving along;
allow only one or two minutes per group to present.
Great job students! Give your teammates a high-five!! We will discuss all of the career
areas in today’s lesson. But first, who can tell me the difference between a job and a
career?
Transition to the lesson portion. You may want to have students grab their notebooks
and capture the key questions and notes from the PowerPoint into their notes.
Objective 1:
Objective 1: The leaner will identify what a career is.
Show PowerPoint Slides #2 and #3

Remind students that career’s are chosen. They have the power to change
and develop their careers. They are typically utilized to make a living, but
most people realize that their careers can be a fulfilling endeavor that impacts
their entire life.

How many of you would like to have jobs in agriculture? We hope by the end
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture
2
of the lesson today that all of you would choose a career with an agriculture
focus! Capture the key points regarding your understanding of the difference
between a career and a job in your notebooks.
Objective 2:
Objective 2: The leaner will identify and categorize the scope of the different
careers into agriculture pathways.
Use slides 4-19…
Now that we have our symbols to remember each of the career areas from our
introduction earlier today, let’s spend a little bit of time learning more about all seven
of the career areas. Please capture the key pieces in your notes.
Proceed through the PowerPoint slides on the seven career areas. After each one,
have a student act out without any noises, one of the jobs listed on each slide. This
will assist in helping students to reinforce the key components of each lesson.
As we do this, we are going to implement the Marcel Marceau moment to reinforce
the information that you are learning. One person will need to volunteer to mime one
of the jobs listed on each of the pathways! You may not use any words or noises
during this phase. As a group, try to guess which job it is! Ready? Who is our first
volunteer?
Objective 3:
Objective 3: The learner will identify skills necessary to be successful in the
pathways for the agricultural industry.
Okay – great job on learning the seven career areas. Just as a refresher, remind me
one job from the Natural Resources area. Who can tell me one job from the Animal
Systems pathway? How about the Power, Structural and Mechanical Systems
pathway? Great – you have it!
Use the Me-You-Us Moment to reinforce the learning for the next objective.
Project slide number 20 and 21.
What skills do you think are necessary to be successful in any of these areas? You
need to think of three skills. Do that now. Now turn to your neighbor and share your
skills. Allow students to do so. Did you have the same skills? Why? One member of
the group should share with the entire class. What are the skills that your pair
believed were necessary? Are they the same as are listed on the PowerPoint? Which
skills are necessary in each pathway? Which skills are specific to a particular
pathway? After students have shared their answers, include them and those on the
PowerPoint Slides. Have students capture the information in their notebooks.
Review/Summary:
Do you wonder which of the career areas that we covered today will be in the
highest demand in the future? Give me your best as to which career hold the
most potential and give an explanation regarding why you believe this is the
profession for the future. Allow students to share verbally with you the pathway
that they believe will be in the highest demand and ask them to explain if they
would change their profession based upon their thoughts.
Application--
Break the students into groups of five or six. Have students fold a paper in half
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture
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Extended
Classroom Activity:
lengthwise and list the each of the group members on one side. On the other
side have the students match each person (individually) with the career pathway
that they believe will be the best for each person, and have them give an
explanation of why their classmates would be great for that pathway. When all
students have completed the activity they should share the results with their
group-mates.
Application--FFA
Activity:
Utilize the Job Description from the Evaluation while working on the Job
Interview CDE contest.
Application--SAE
Activity:
Have students develop a new SAEP that relates to the career path that the
students believe they would like to do, or that their classmates believe they are
best suited for.
Evaluation:
Use student evaluation, Attachment B
Students should create a job description regarding one job of interest that was
covered today. They should do quick research and fill in the job description form
that is attached to this lesson.
Evaluation Answer
Key:
Varies by student
Other:
None
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture
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Attachment A – Use with Interest Approach
Agricultural Sales ● Agricultural
Communications Specialists ●
Business-Educators ● Food
Scientists ● Meat ProcessorsToxicologists ● BiochemistsNutritionists-Dieticians ● Food
Brokers-Food Inspectors ● Meat
Cutters-Meat Graders ● Meat
Science Researchers ● Food
Meal Supervisors ● Cheese
Makers ● Microbiologists ●
Produce Buyers ●
Bacteriologists ● Food & Drug
Inspectors ● Bioengineers ●
Biochemists ● Food & Fiber
Engineers ● Food Processors ●
Storage Supervisors● Field man
● Quality Control Specialists
Bioinformatics Specialists ●
Plant Breeders and Geneticists
● Biotechnology Lab Technician
● Soil & Water Specialists ●
Crop Farm Managers ●
Agricultural Educators ● Plant
Pathologists ● Aquaculturalists
● Sales Representatives ●
Botanists ● Tree Surgeons ●
Education & Extension
Specialists ● Agricultural
Journalists ● Commodity
Marketing Specialists ●Grain
Operations Superintendents
●Custom Hay/Silage Operators
● Forest Geneticists ● Golf
Course Superintendents ●
Greenhouse Managers ●
Growers ● Farmers ●Ranchers
Agricultural Educators ●
Livestock producers ● AI
Technicians-Aquaculturalists ●
Animal Caretakers-Poultry
Managers ● Equine ManagersVeterinarians ● Veterinary
Assistants-Feedlot Specialists ●
Animal Scientists ●Embryo
Technologists ● Livestock
Buyers ● Feed Sales
Representatives ● Vivarian
Technicians ● Wildlife Biologists
● Livestock Geneticists ●
Animal Nutritionists ● Dairy
Producers● Livestock
Inspectors ● Feed Sales
Specialists ●Animal Health
Salespersons ●Meat Science
Researcher ●Reproductive
Physiologists ● Embryo Transfer
Technicians ● Pet Shop
Operators ●USDA Inspectors
Machine Operators ●
Electronics Systems
Technicians ● Agricultural
Engineers ● Agricultural
Extension Engineering
Specialists ● Heavy Equipment
Maintenance Technicians ●
Recycling Technicians ● Waste
Water Treatment Plant
Operators ● Equipment/Parts
Mangers ● Welders ●
Machinists ● Communication
Technicians ● Agricultural
Applications Software
Developers/Programmers ●
Database Administrators ●
Computer Service Technical
Support Technicians ●
Information Lab Specialists
●GPS Technicians● Remote
Sensing Specialists
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture
Cartographers ● Wildlife
Managers ● Range Technicians
● Ecologists Park Mangers ●
Environmental Interpreters ●
Fish and Game Officers
Loggers ● Forest Technicians ●
Log Graders ● Pulp and Paper
Manager Soil Geology
Technician ● Geologists ●
Mining Engineers Fisheries
Technicians ● Water Monitoring
Technician ● Hydrologists ●
Fish Hatchery Manager
Commercial Fishermen ●
Fishing Vessel Operators ●
Vessel Crew
5
Pollution Prevention and Control
Managers ● Pollution
Prevention and Control
Technicians● Environmental
Sampling and Analysis
Scientists/Technicians● Health
and Safety Sanitarians●
Environmental Compliance
Assurance Managers●
Hazardous Materials Handlers ●
Hazardous Materials
Technicians / Managers● Water
Environment Managers ● Water
Quality Managers● Waste
Water Managers●
Toxicologists● Solid Waste
Disposers / Recyclers● Solid
Waste Technician● Solid Waste
Managers ● Solid Waste
Specialists
Salesperson ● Sales Manager
●Banker/Loan Officer ● Field
Representative for Bank,
Insurance Company or
Government Program
● Farm Investment Manager
● Agricultural Commodity
Broker
● Agricultural Economist ●
Farmer /Rancher/Feedlot
Operator
● Farm Manager ● Livestock
Rancher / Breeder ● Dairy Herd
Supervisor (DHIA) ● Agricultural
Products Buyer ● Animal Health
Products Distributor ● Livestock
Seller ● Feed and Supply Store
Manager ● Produce
Commission Agent ● Ag
Lenders
● Agricultural Chemical Dealer
● Field Service Representative
● Chemical Sales
Representative
Job Description Worksheet
Attachment B
Student Evaluation
Name:
Job title:
_______________________________________________________________
Accountability (to whom does this position report to?):
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What are the main responsibilities and duties of the job, with a detailed
breakdown of skills (such and how and when skills and tasks should be
performed), if this is appropriate. Include only tasks that are genuinely part of the
job.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What education, skills and training are required for the job?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What are the conditions for employment (including starting date and duration, if
the job is for a fixed period, or the fact that it is temporary if the job is not
intended to be permanent but a fixed ending date has not yet been set, summary
of the main conditions of employment, including salary range, increments, hours
of work, holiday, probationary period, arrangements for supervision)?
Date on which job description was last updated and approved; schedule for future
reviews.
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Learning the Careers in Agriculture
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