• Students explain the steps involved in the production, processing, marketing and sales, and distribution of an agricultural product.
• Given various production regions of the state, students identify the major agricultural commodities of each region.
• Students classify agricultural commodities as being essential to humans through food, clothing, shelter, medicine, or environmental enhancement.

Standard 2: Students will understand the role agriculture has played in the evolution of civilizations and in the development of the United States and California. They will identify factors that influence agriculture and in turn describe how agricultural developments have influenced history.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students compare and contrast different civilizations and societies based on their agricultural practices.
• Given examples of major agricultural events, students describe their role in the development of the United States and California.
• Students explain how geographical and climatic factors affect production in California, the United States, and the world.

Standard 3: Students will understand how agriculture affects the environment and how the environment affects agriculture. They will observe a variety of plant, animal, and microbial life and will examine their dependence on light, soil, water, and air.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students develop models to show the interrelationship among ecosystems.
• Students experiment with various agricultural and environmental factors to show the interdependence between the two.
• Given major issues affecting agriculture today, students report on specific problems and suggest possible solutions.

Standard 4: Students will understand the role of science and technology in agriculture. Students will identify life, earth, and physical science principles employed in agricultural practices and identify different types of technology used in agriculture.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Given the opportunity to grow plants in different conditions of light, soil, water, air and/or temperature, students use the scientific method to draw conclusions and predict success.
• Given selected technologies, students discuss uses in agriculture.

Standard 5: Students will understand that agriculture is the world’s largest industry, offering great opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment. Students will identify and describe the major economic activities related to agricultural production, supplies/services, transportation/distribution, marketing and trade, research and development processing, and finance.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students discuss the standard of living relative to the development of agriculture on a worldwide basis and compare their personal standard of living with that of an individual in a different country.
• Given selected software or test equipment, students utilize computers and other technologies to solve agriculture problems.

Standard 6: Students will understand the relationship between producers and consumers, the importance of food safety, and the availability of agricultural products in and around the home. Students will identify and analyze consumer concerns regarding safety, nutrition, and cost and their relationship to agricultural production. They will identify resources available within the home and its proximity and will safely utilize the resources for food, fiber, and environmental enhancement.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Given the sources of potential health hazards in food, students identify the hazards and propose ways they personally can minimize the hazard from their homes.
• Given several nutrition labels from products, students rank the products in their support of a healthy diet. They defend their selection.

Standard 7: Students will understand the variety of career options available in agriculture. Students will identify opportunities, performance skills required, and advantages of various careers in agriculture.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students compare and contrast the skills, attitudes and education required for entry level, technical, and professional level careers.
• Students describe several safety hazards found in agricultural occupations and describe measures for minimizing the hazards.

Standard 8: Students will understand the importance of teamwork and interpersonal skills in the workplace. Students will participate in team-building activities and evaluate fellow students in career-preparation skills.
Examples of the types of work students should be able to do to meet the standard:

• Students identify an activity that serves the class, school or community, and engage in the process of planning, carrying out, and evaluating the activity. Samples of specific activities or tasks that give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they can meet the standard:
• Students list the major components of the agricultural industry including: agricultural production, supplies/services, transportation/distribution, marketing and trade, research and development, processing/preservation, and finance. Students work in small groups to develop a report or presentation on a specific activity, or students work in small groups to select a commodity and follow it through the processes from production to consumption. Individually, each student identifies an area to pursue and present a discussion in support of the choice.