Mobile Agriculture Education Science Lab

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General

• agriculture – farming; the occupation, business, or science of cultivating the land, producing crops, and raising livestock in order to provide food and products
• by-product – something of value produced during the making of another product
• conclusion – to bring to a close; to deduce by
• control – to regulate or restrain
• data – information; facts or figures used in analysis
• hypothesis – an educated scientific guess
• observation – to notice or record results in a science experiment
• procedure – a series of actions or steps completed in a certain order
• product – something that is manufactured or refined for sale
• properties – a characteristic or quality of something
• scientific method – a process that scientists use to study and learn about the world around them; a tool that scientists use to find the answer to questions by following a series of steps:

1. Identify Problem
2. Form a Hypothesis
3. Test the Hypothesis
4. Collect and Analyze data
5. Make Conclusions

• variable – something able to change or vary

Elementary

Colorful Bean

• biodegradable – readily decomposed or broken down through bacterial action
• hydrogenated – to treat a liquid vegetable oil with hydrogen and convert it into a solid fat
• non-renewable – a resource or product that cannot be renewed or recycled
• petroleum – a thick, dark, flammable liquid that occurs naturally below the surface of the earth and is processed into such products as natural gas, gasoline, kerosene, and fuel oils
• renewable – a resource able to be restored or made new again

Mighty Smooth Bean

• absorption – the process of taking in of a liquid or absorbing
• chemical change – to bring about a change in the chemical makeup of a substance
• embryo – the early developmental stage of an animal or plant
• roots – the base of a plant that usually grows underground
• seed coat – the protective outer covering of a seed
• stored sugars – food within a seed put away for future use

Glue from Milk

• casein – a milk and cheese protein used in foods and manufacturing plastics and adhesives
• curds – coagulated milk; to change from a liquid state to a thick, soft mass
• peel strength – the stress an adhesive can bear without tearing apart when it is pulled back along the surface
• shear strength – the stress an adhesive can bear without tearing apart when the stress is along the bond (pulling sideways)
• tensile strength – the stress an adhesive can bear without pulling apart when the stress is at a right angle to the bond (pulling apart)
• viscosity – property of fluids that causes them not to flow easily
• whey – a clear liquid that separates from the curd when milk is curdled

Cream to Butter

• agitation – to shake or move sharply and irregularly
• fat content – the amount per serving of dietary fat
• homogenized – milk that has been processed to break up fat globules and distribute them evenly throughout
• nutrition label – a source used to determine the amount of nutrition in a food product

How Well Do You Wash?

• bacteria – a division of microorganisms that cause various diseases
• friction – the rubbing of a surface or object against another
• germs – any microorganism, especially one that is harmful
• percentage – parts per hundred: a fraction or ratio out of 100

Snack Attack

• contamination – to pollute; to make impure
• fat – oily animal substance
• healthy – soundness of body or mind
• ingredients – the elements in a mixture
• nutrition labels – information found on all foods to indicate calories, fat, etc.
• processed – a series of changes in developing or manufacturing a product

Tree Story

• cambium – cell layer under bark of plants and trees from which new wood and bark grow
• dendrochronology – tree ring dating; an absolute dating technique using the growth rings of trees
  to determine the age of a stand of trees
• heartwood – the skeletal system of a tree made of dead sapwood that appears a darker color than new sapwood
• increment borer – a tool used by forestry workers to sample a tree and determine the age of the tree without cutting down the tree
• inner bark – the digestive system of a tree made of live phloem cells that carry the
  sugar/food made in the leaves throughout the tree
• outer bark – the skin of the tree made of dead phloem cells that split and shift in various patterns special to each tree
• phloem – plant tissue made of live cells
• sapwood – the circulatory system of a plant or tree made of xylem cells that carry minerals and water throughout the tree
• xylem – the woody vascular tissue of a plant or tree

Where’s the Juice?

• contamination – the action of making something impure
• nutritious – food with nourishing value

Pigment Power

• acid – a chemical substance that neutralizes alkalis
• base – a substance that reacts with an acid to form a salt and water
• chemical reaction – a reaction that happens when two or more molecules interact and something happens
• control – in an experiment, a substance not tested that remains in its original form
• neutral – having no strongly marked characteristics or features
• phytochemicals – naturally occurring plant chemicals that fight disease

Fungi Fun

• animals – multi-celled living things that consume organic matter as food for energy and are characterized by voluntary movement
• cap – the button or umbrella-like part of the mushroom that supports the reproduction process for the mushroom
• carbon dioxide – colorless, odorless gas that is produced when people and animals breathe out
• chlorophyll – green pigment present in plants that absorbs sunlight to make energy for the photosynthesis process
• classification – the process of organizing something according to shared qualities or characteristics. Classifications of living things start with categories called kingdoms
• flower – the part of the plant that is often brightly colored and allows for reproduction to occur
• fungus – a special classification of living things that lacks chlorophyll and vascular tissue that feeds on organic matter and reproduces by spores
• gills – the vertical plates arranged radially on the underside of mushroom caps that form spores
• kingdom – categorizing living things by the way they absorb, ingest, or produce food
• leaves – a flat green part that grows in various shapes from the stems and branches of a plant or tree and whose main function is photosynthesis
• mycelium – an underground mass of interwoven filaments that collect the nourishment for the mushroom
• oxygen – colorless, odorless gas that is necessary for the survival of living things
• photosynthesis – the process by which green plants use chlorophyll and sunlight to make foods from carbon dioxide and water that generates oxygen
• pistil – the long central part of the flower that produces the seeds
• plants – multi-celled living things that produce their own from inorganic matter through photosynthesis
• root – underground part of the plant that anchors the plant and absorbs nutrients and water for the plant
• seed – part of the plant, usually contained in the fruit of the plant, from which a new plant can grow
• spores – tiny, tiny parts of the mushroom that produce new mushroom caps from the spores
• stem – main body of a plant that carries water and nutrients for the plant and supports the leaves, flowers, and fruit of the plant
• stipe – short stem-like part of the fungus that supports the cap
• vascular tissue – the system of tubes that carry resources (water, nutrients, and food) throughout the plant
• yeast – a single-celled organism that converts sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide

Environmentally Friendly Farmer – My EFF

• buffer zones – strips of grass, trees, or shrubs that are planted along the edges of fields and/or waterways to decrease the amount of soil erosion (both by wind and water) and water pollution
• corn – a tall green plant that produces large grains, or kernels, set in rows on a cob that yield numerous products that are highly valued for both human and animal consumption
• cover crops – a crop that is planted between growing seasons to protect and enrich the soil
• crops – plant or plant products that are grown by farmers
• erosion – gradual breaking down
• fencing – a barrier enclosing or bordering a field or yard, usually made fop sots and wire, used to prevent entrance or confine animals to a particular space
• manure pit – a structure on livestock farms for the collection and storage of manure
• natural resources – materials or substances that are found in nature and are necessary or useful to humans
• non-renewable – a resource or product that cannot be renewed or recycled
• renewable – a resource able to be restored or make new again
• shrubs – a woody plant that is smaller than a tree and has several main stems starting at or near the ground
• silo – a tower on a farm used to store food (grain or grass) for farm animals
• soil – black or dark brown upper layer of earth consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles in which plants grow
• soybeans – a bushy plant in the legume family that produces a seed that contains a large amount of protein and is used as food sources for both humans and livestock
• wheat – a plant with thin yellow stalks that produces a small grain that is important in animal feeds and from which flour is made to produce breads, baked goods, pasta

Magical Bean

• biodegradable – decomposed or broken down through bacterial action
• renewable – a substance that can be made renewed or used again
• nonrenewable – a substance that can not be renewed or used again
• soybean – a bushy plant in the legume family that produece a seed that contains a large amount of protein and is used as food sources for both animals and livestock
• legumes – legume plants have trifoliate leaves ( leaves with three parts). Peas, beans, peanuts, and clover are all legumes
• nodules – found on the roots of the plant. Home to microbes that convert nitrogen in the air into soil nitrogen
• harvest – the process of gathering crops
• combine – a large machine that is used on farms to harvest grains by cutting, sorting, and cleaning grain in the field
• soybean oil – viscous liquid extracted from the seeds of the soybean
• soy meal – powdery edible part of the soybean made by grinding
• soy lecithin – fat that is essential in the cells of the body and can be found in many foods
• emulsifier – a substance that stabilizes processed foods, and allows ingredients to mix smoothly

No Soil? Now What?

• uninhabitable – areas of land that are not suitable for people to live or grow crops (deserts, montains, polar regions)
• habitable – a place suitable for living
• arable – land suited for growing crops
• non arable – land where people can live, but crops cannot be grown because it is too rocky, hot, wet, or it has been developed
• hydroponic – the process of growing plants without soil
• nutrients – anything that nourishes a living thing; a substance or material used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce
• nitrogen – keeps plants green and healthy
• phosphorous – helps plants grow strong and healthy roots
• potassium – helps plants fight disease
• fertilizer – a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility, or ability to grow plants
• aerate – to introduce air into a material
• rockwool – a lightweight material made from spinning melted basaltic rock into fine fibers that are then formed into cubes or blocks

Middle School

Steering Through the Chute

• livestock – domesticated animals raised to produce labor and commodities such as eggs, milk, meat, etc.
• natural shelters – shade from trees, access to barns
• sustainable grazing – raising animals to provide quality meat
• tracking – using ear tags to track animal health throughout their life
• handling – using a stress free method of moving livestock

Water Analysis

• contamination – to make impure; pollute
• concentration – to increase, as in density; a concentrated substance
• groundwater – water that is under the surface of the ground
• indicator – to be a sign of change
• ppb – parts per billion, a term used to describe parts of a polluting substance per billion drops of water
• source – a place of origin
• spot plate – a tray to hold samples of water or other liquids in an experiment

Corn to Plastic

• biodegradable – readily decomposed or broken down by bacteria
• landfill – a place for burying garbage
• non-renewable – a substance that cannot be renewed or used again
• renewable – a substance that can be renewed or used again

Genetics

• biotechnology – a collection of scientific techniques, including genetic engineering, that are used to create, improve, or modify plants, animals and microorganisms
• chromosome – any of the microscopic bodies carrying the genes of heredity
• DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid basic material of chromosomes that transmits a heredity pattern
• dominate – genetic material that overpowers recessive genes; genetic material that is the stronger trait and are always expressed in the offspring
• gene – a unit of heredity in a chromosome
• genotype – internally coded, inheritable information carried by all living organisms
• inherited – DNA material of both parents that is carried to the offspring
• phenotype – the outward, physical manifestation of the organism; anything that is part of the overall structure, function, or behavior of a living organism
• recessive – genetic material that tends to recede or be diminished
• trait – a characteristic

Exciting Eggs

• air cell – a space between the inner and outer shell membranes that increase with time
• albumen – the white part of the egg that acts as an elastic shock absorber and has a high water content
• bacteria – microorganisms causing disease
• candling – a device which is used to judge interior quality by holding the egg up to a light to see the air cell, yolk, and the white
• chalazae – two whitish cords on opposite sides of the yolk which hold the yolk in the center of the albumen
• follicle – a small sac or gland
• germinal disk – a tiny spot on the upper surface of an egg and if fertilization occurs it will develop into an embryo
• oviduct – the organ of a female bird which puts the albumen, shell membrane, and the shell around the yolk
• shell – hard outer covering, as on an egg
• shell gland – a gland that secretes a substance that causes the hardening of egg shells
• shell membrane – two thin layers (outer and inner) inside the shell that surrounds the white albumen portion of the egg
• USDA regulations – United States Department of Agriculture certification that states the eggs have been examined for quality and size
• yolk – the round, yellow mass inside the egg
• yolk sac – the follicle in which an ovum and its surrounding yolk are held until the yolk matures and is released

Bug Out!

• beneficial – helpful or an advantage
• complete – a complete change in form as in a caterpillar to a moth or butterfly, from larvae to
• insect – a small animal with six legs
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – IPM is a thoughtful 6 step method of assessment, treatment, and evaluation to ensure the least invasive treatment necessary is used to minimize pest damage while protecting human health, the environment, and economic viability
• metamorphosis – change insects go through from pupa to adult
• methods –
  • cultural: site selection, sanitation, plant health, rotations
  • physical: tillage, weeding, mulching, pruning, traps barriers, flaming
  • biological: predators, parasites, nematodes
  • chemical: soaps, oils, baking soda, repellants, microbials, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides
• pest – something that causes annoyance, damage or harm
• vertebrates – having a spinal cord or backbone

Super Slurper

• absorbency – having power, capacity, or a tendency to soak up liquids
• non-renewable – a substance that cannot be renewed or used again
• osmosis – movement of water through a semi-permeable membrane from an area of low
  concentration to high concentration
• polymer – a naturally occurring or synthetic chemical compound consisting of large molecules made up of millions of repeated linked units
• renewable – a substance that can be renewed and used again
• saturated – unable to hold or contain more; full
• water-holding capacity – the maximum amount of water a given substance can hold before becoming  saturated

Banana DNA

• biology – the study of living things
• biotechnology – a tool that uses biology to make new things or improve the products we have
• cell – the basic units of living things
• cell membrane – thin semi-permeable membrane that surroungs the cytoplasm of a cell, enclosing its conents
• chromatin – a protoplasmic substance in the nucleus of a cell that allos ceratin molecules to pass through
• chromosomes – a rod-shaped structure, usualy found in pairs in a cell nucleus, that carries the genes that determine sex and the characteristics an organism inherits from its parents
• cytoplasm – the living part of the cell inside the cell membrane and outside the nuclear membrane, where much of the work of the cell occurs
• DNA – the hereditary material in cells that contains the instruction for producing the cell and enabling it to function
• extract – a procedure to obtain, or remove, a substance by chemical or mechanical action
• filtrate – the material collected after a solution or mixture passes through a filter
• genes – hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism
• living things – something that is capable of growth, reproduction and metabolism
• nucleus – a membrane-bound structure that contains the cell’s hereditary information and controls the cell’s growth and reproduction
• nuclear membrane – a double-layered membrane enclosing the nucleus of a cell that allows certain molecules to pass through
• precipitate – solid material that comes out of a solution as a result of a chemical or physical change
• slurry – a watery mixture; a liquid mixture of water and an insoluble solid material
• technology – a tool used to make things better

The Science of Chocolate

• cocoa bean – the seed of the cacao plant
• cocoa butter – a fatty substance obtained from the cocoa bean
• cocoa nibs – the center of a cocoa bean that is used to make chocolate
• cocoa powder – powdery remains of chocolate liquor after cocoa butter is removed
• dissolve – to melt of liquefy; to make a solution by mixing with a liquid
• food scientist – a person who studies all aspects of food development, from harvest to development and manufacturing to packaging
• ingredients – any substance that is combined to make a particular product
• melting point – the temperature at which a solid turns into a liquid
• palate cleansing – to clean and refresh the mouth of any previous taste between different substances
• solute – something that gets dissolved
• solution – the mixture that results when a solute has completely dissolved in a solvent
• solvent – the substance in which the solute is dissolved
• soybeans – seed of a bushy plant in the legume family that is grown for food, animal feed, and a variety of other uses
• soy lecithin – a yellowish-brown fatty substance extracted from the soybean that is used as an emulsifier in foods to hold ingredients together
• taste test – to try or test the flavor or quality of something by taking some into the mouth
• vanilla pod – the fruit of bean of the vanilla plant
• viscosity – tendency of a liquid to not flow

Primary

Thirsty Stems

• capillary action – the principal characteristic of stems is their ability to move water and dissolved minerals upward, downward, and side-to-side within plants
• flower – petals and pistil of a plant
• leaves – flat, thin, usually green part growing from a plant stem
• root – underground part of a plant
• stem – stalk of a plant or flower

Bee-utiful Relationship

• flower – petals and pistil of a plant
• petal – leaf-like part of a blossom
• pistil – seed-bearing organ of a flower
• pollen – powder-like cells from the anthers of flowers
• pollination – placing pollen on the pistil of a flower
• pollinator – insects that pollinate flowers
• sepal – leaf-like part at the base of a flower
• stamen – pollen-bearing part of a flower

Feast Like a Bug

• beneficial – helpful or an advantage
• harmful – causing hurt or damage
• insect – a small animal with six legs
• labellum – a liplike part, such as the tip of the proboscis of various insects, used for lapping up liquids
• mandible – lower jaw of mammals and some insects
• piercing proboscis – a sharp, straw-like tube on some insects used to gather food
• proboscis – a special, slender mouth part on some insects used to gather food

Popcorn Capers

• corn – a tall green plant that produces large grains, or kernels, set in rows on a cob that yields numerous products that are highly valued for both human and animal consumption
• float -float to stay on the surface of a liquid
• kernel – the seed of a grain
• popcorn – a variety of corn with hard kernels that swell up and burst open with a pop when heated
• seed coat – the protective, outer surface of a seed
• sink – to go or put beneath the surface of the water

Walk-Through

Farm Charm

• barn – farm building used for livestock and storage
• farm – land used to raise crops or animals
• fertilizer – manure or chemicals to enrich the soil
• plants – living things that cannot move and can make its own food
• soil – earth or ground, especially the surface layer

Tops and Bottoms

• flower – petals and pistil of a plant
• fruit – the pulpy, edible product of a plant or tree
• leaves – flat, thin, usually green part growing from a plant stem
• root – underground part of a plant
• seed – the part of the plant from which a new one will grow
• stem – stalk of a plant or flower
• weed – unwanted plant, as in a lawn

Crawly Critters

• abdomen – the part of the insect’s body between the head and thorax
• antennae – the feelers on the head of an insect
• beneficial – helpful or an advantage
• compound eyes – many small eyes within two larger eyes in an insect
• pheromones – substances secreted by animals to signal others of the same species
• thorax – the middle segment of an insect
• wings – organ used by a bird or insect in flying

Little Red Hen’s Pizza

• dairy – milk products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk
• grains – the seed of a food plant such as wheat and corn
• farm – land used to raise crops or animals
• pork – food that comes from pigs
• soil – earth or ground, especially the surface layer
• wheat – a type of grain that can be ground into flour

Forest & Me

• erosion – the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.
• windbreak – a growth of trees, a fence, or the like, that serve as a shelter from the wind
• roots – underground part of a plant
• branches – a limb or offshoot of the main stem
• trunk – the main stem of a tree
• leaves – flat, thin, usually green part growing from a plant stem
• oxygen – a colorless, odorless gas that humans and animals breathe (inhale)
• carbon dioxide – a colorless, odorless gas that humans and animals breathe out (exhale)
• photosynthesis – the process by which plants convert the carbon dioxide into their food, with the help of the energy from the Sun.

How Does Your Garden Grow

• air – invisible gas, mostly oxygen and nitrogen, surrounding the earth
• calcium – a mineral nutrient responsible for keeping bones and teeth strong
• chemical symbol – a letter abbreviation for a chemical element
• nutrients – anything that nourishes a living thing; a substance or material used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce
• nitrogen – keeps plants green and healthy
• phosphorous – helps plants grow strong and healthy roots
• potassium – helps plants fight disease
• fertilizer – a chemical or natural substance added to soil to increase its fertility, or ability to grow plants
• soil – the upper layer of the earth
• soil testing – analyzing a sample of soil to determine the nutrient content
• photosynthesis – the process by which plants use sunlight to make food from carbon dioxide and water
• oxygen – colorless, odorless gas found in the air that supports life

Can You Dig It?

• dirt – dead soil with no nutrient value
• soil – a living ecosystem composed of water, air and plant an animal matter
• ecosystem – a community of interacting organisms and their environment
• organic matter – matter that has come from a recently living organism
• bedrock – bottom layer, solid rock
• parent material – mostly weathered or broken rock
• subsoil – made up of sand, silt, clay that has not been broken down all the way
• topsoil – layer that provides support and nutrients to plants; the layer where plants and animals live
• organic layer – thin layer where decomposed parts of plants, leaves and insects can be found
• nutrients – anything that nourishes a living thing; a substance or material used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce
• carbon dioxide – colorless, odorless gas breathed out by humans and absorbed by plants