Houston NASA Space Center: 2024 Space Exploration Educators Conference- Prairie View A&M University: Whitlowe R. Green College of Education and John B. Coleman Library: STEAM: Agriculture Aquaculture and Aquaponics Education Resources: K-12 Lesson Plans and Curriculum

Aquaponics is the cultivation of fish and plants together in a constructed, recirculating ecosystem utilizing natural bacterial cycles to convert fish waste to plant nutrition.” (Aquaponics Gardening Community, 2010

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes
Agriculture and the Environment
Describe benefits and challenges of using conservation practices for natural resources (e.g., soil, water, and forests), in agricultural systems which impact water, air, and soil quality (T1.6-8.b)
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Explain how and why agricultural innovation influenced modern economic systems (T4.6-8.e)
Provide examples of science and technology used in agricultural systems (e.g., GPS, artificial insemination, biotechnology, soil testing, ethanol production, etc.); explain how they meet our basic needs, and detail their social, economic, and environmental impacts (T4.6-8.i)

This website is managed by National Center for Agricultural Literacy at Utah State University (2024) and supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), under Agreement No. 2013-38858-21212 and the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed on this website do not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA. National Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix (2013) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Learn more about how to cite Matrix resources.

Lesson Plans (111)

Are you ready to create a STEM Classroom with Aquaponics? Aquaponics is a food growing technology so it's the perfect way to bring Integrated STEM learning into a Classroom. It integrates Math, Science, Biology, Chemistry and Technology into the fascinating hands-on learning environment of a real, working ecosystem right in your classroom.

Next Generation Science Standards:
HS-LS2-5, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS2-7, HS-LS4-6, HS-ESS2-2, HS-ESS2-4, HSESS2-
5, HS-ESS2-7, HS-ESS3-4
Guiding Questions:
What are downstream effects of our local use of the Missouri?
How do we address our unsustainable food production practices?
What are aquaponics systems?
Learning Objectives:
Discuss conservation issues in relation to fertilizer use
Discuss how algal blooms harm marine and aquatic ecosystems
Describe an aquaponics system
Design a simple aquaponics system
Materials: Computers and internet access, poster paper, markers, Mississippi
River watershed map, nitrogen cycle handout, student worksheet
handout

California produces more than 400 different agricultural commodities, providing an abundance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, milk, nursery plants, flowers, fiber and livestock. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, our state produces nearly half of US-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. Several crops enjoyed across the country are produced exclusively in California. Each sheet in this set introduces an agricultural commodity, plant nutrient or agricultural topic. Additionally, the sheets provide ideas for using this information in a lesson or activity. Our Fact Sheets are a great source of basic information about each commodity or resource for all grade level teachers. They are also written so 6th-12th graders can use them for research reports and use in demonstrating reading comprehension.

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes
Culture, Society, Economy & Geography
Discover that there are many jobs in agriculture (T5.3-5.b)
Explain the value of agriculture and how it is important in daily life. (T5.3-5.d)
Food, Health, and Lifestyle
Identify food sources of required food nutrients (T3.3-5.g)

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Provide examples of science being applied in farming for food, clothing, and shelter products (T4.3-5.d)
Describe how technology helps farmers/ranchers increase their outputs (crop and livestock yields) with fewer inputs (less water, fertilizer, and land) while using the same amount of space (T4.3-5.b)

Exploring Aquaponics (Grades 3-5)
Grade Level 3 - 5. Purpose: Students identify the basic needs of plants and fish and engineer, assemble, maintain, and observe a small-scale aquaponics system that meets plant and fish needs. Grades 3-5

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes
Plants and Animals for Food, Fiber & Energy
Identify examples of feed/food products eaten by animals and people (T2.K-2.c)
Identify the importance of natural resources (e.g., sun, soil, water, minerals) in farming (T2.K-2.e)

Aquaculture Education Resources: Lesson Plans and Curriculum.
This publication is a repository of resources which can be used by teachers to start or expand an aquaculture education
program in their classroom, including lesson plans, presentations, curriculum guides, activity books and digital media.
If you have or know of additional aquaculture education resources that you think should be included the division’s resource
list, please contact Charlie Culpepper at Charlie.Culpepper@FreshFromFlorida.com

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes
Agriculture and the Environment
Discuss (from multiple perspectives) land and water use by various groups (i.e., ranchers, farmers, hunters, miners, recreational users, government, etc.), and how each use carries a specific set of benefits and consequences that affect people and the environment (T1.6-8.d)
Discover how natural resources are used and conserved in agriculture (e.g., soil conservation, water conservation, water quality, and air quality) (T1.6-8.c)
Describe benefits and challenges of using conservation practices for natural resources (e.g., soil, water, and forests), in agricultural systems which impact water, air, and soil quality (T1.6-8.b)

The term “aquaponics” is the combination of two words: aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture is the science of raising fish, while hydroponics is the science of growing plants in a soilless media or nutrient solution. Therefore, aquaponics is a combination of these two food production systems

Agricultural Literacy Outcomes
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
Describe how biological processes influence and are leveraged in agricultural production and processing (e.g., photosynthesis, fermentation, cell division, heredity/genetics, nitrogen fixation) (T4.6-8.b)
Identify specific technologies that have reduced labor in agriculture (T4.6-8.h)
Compare and contrast historical and current food producing processing and systems (T4.6-8.a)
Provide examples of science and technology used in agricultural systems (e.g., GPS, artificial insemination, biotechnology, soil testing, ethanol production, etc.); explain how they meet our basic needs, and detail their social, economic, and environmental impacts (T4.6-8.i)