What: Before there was a popular “eat local” movement and before restaurants promoted themselves as “farm to table,” Baltimore County Public Schools took the lead in educating its students about the science of agriculture and its impact on the environment. Through a unique Mobile Agriculture Science Laboratory – the only one of its kind in Maryland and the first of its kind in the nation – BCPS reaches students at approximately 17 middle schools each year. The final stop for the program this school year is Ridgely Middle School where the lab will be stationed throughout the remainder of this week.
When: Through Friday, June 7, 2013
Please call for specific hours.Where: Ridgely Middle School
121 Ridgely Road
Lutherville, MD 21093Background: The first BCPS Mobile Agriculture Science Lab was created in 1998 and the program was re-launched in 2008 as a partnership among BCPS, the Baltimore County Farm Bureau and the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.
The 42’ long mobile lab is staffed by teacher Amy Gladfelter and can accommodate 20-30 students at a time at its 11 customized hands-on learning stations.
At each school visited, the lab stays for eight to 10 days working with the school’s science teachers to incorporate agriculture science lessons into the science curriculum. The students visit the lab to extend their learning experiences by participating in hands-on agriscience activities such as studying agriculture and green industry careers; creating landscape models and observing the effects of precipitation on pollutants; making plastic from corn products to understand the importance of biodegradable resources; using chemistry skills to make glue from milk; and studying the byproducts produced by Maryland agriculture.
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