The major focus of the Principles of Agricultural Science – Plant™ (ASP) course is to expose students to the world of agriculture, plant science, and career options. Students will be introduced to the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education™ (CASE™) by taking one of two foundation courses, the Principles of Agricultural Science – Plant™ or the Principles of Agricultural Science – Animal™. The CASE™ project was established to provide a structured sequence of courses and serve as a model for elevating the level of rigor and relevance expected for the new vision of secondary agricultural education. The curricula are an alternative program model that can enhance the quality of learning for students and teachers in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Pathways.

Students participating in The Principles of Agricultural Science - Plant™ course will have experiences in various plant science concepts, exciting “hands-on” activities, projects, and problems. These experiences are based on the Project Lead The Way^® activity-based, project-based, and problem-based learning. Students’ experiences will involve the study of plant anatomy and physiology, classification, and the fundamentals of production and harvesting. Coursework will also require students to acquire knowledge and skills required to utilize plants effectively. Students will research the value of plant production and its impact on the individual, the local, and the global economy.

The Principles of Agricultural Science – Plant™ course is intended to serve as a foundation course along with the Principles of Agricultural Science – Animal™ within the CASE™ sequence. The course is structured to enable all students to have a variety of experiences that will provide an overview of the field of agricultural science with a foundation in plant science so that students may continue through a sequence of courses through high school. Students will work in teams, exploring hands-on projects and activities, to learn the characteristics of plant science and work on major projects and problems similar to those that plant science specialists, such as horticulturalists, agronomists, greenhouse and nursery mangers and producers, and plant research specialists face in their respective careers. This knowledge and skills will be used in future courses within the CASE™ program.

In addition, students will understand specific connections between the Plant Science lessons and Supervised Agricultural Experience, FFA, and LifeKnowledge components that are important for the development of an informed agricultural education student. Students will investigate, experiment, and learn about documenting a project, solving problems, and communicating their solutions to their peers and members of the professional community.

For more information on the ASP course, please see the Course Outline, Sample Lessons, and Standards Alignment below.

• Course Outline
• Standards Alignment