Agricultural Mechanics and Technology Systems

We have received many requests for a comprehensive agricultural course for high school students and this course meets and exceeds our expectations. Written for today's ag students, this course achieves the goals of providing basic information for students with no experience with mechanical systems, and detailed enough to challenge students with an aptitude for mechanics and technology. Agricultural science is introduced with a review of physical science and physics before the student is taken into the heart of the course which focuses on mechanics and technology. Due to the scaffolding nature of the course, there are no pre-requisites although a basic understanding of physics and physical science will be helpful. The textbook is available with two options for teaching: Instructor Resource CD-ROM or 1-year Online Access for an individual teacher. See below for more details on the Instructor options. The Instructor Resources are only available with the student textbook, and not for individual purchase.

Topically, students cover agricultural mechanical careers including apprenticeships, application and interview skills and employment skills, experiential learning in Ag Mechanics (FFA and SAEs), current trends and emerging technology, safe work habits, hand and power tools, project planning and design, woodworking, general and agricultural construction, surveying, concrete foundations, masonry, fencing, electrical circuits, plumbing, irrigation, metalworking, welding and plasma cutting, engines and power systems, machinery maintenance and much more. The textbook offers 37 chapters, a reference section, glossary and index for a whopping 1068 pages of instructional content. Content is well organized and detailed with vibrant illustrations.Each chapter begins by sharing the chapter outcomes, words to know, and a before you read activity. Throughout the chapters, companion website activities (included with purchase), hands -on agriculture activities (no step by step labs included), career connections, Ag-Ed connections, SAE connections, safety notes, and STEM connections are referenced.The chapter conclusion includes a summary, matching vocabulary exercise, review questions, STEM and academic activities and critical thinking questions. No answers are included in the textbooks. Available at the publisher's website, the Companion Website, provides an interactive glossary, along with e-flashcards, matching activities, vocabulary games and interactive end of chapter questions.The matching and vocabulary activities provide immediate feedback, while the end of chapter questions are not graded and can be printed or emailed.

Let's look at the available Instructor Resources. With either option, parents gain the tools necessary to successfully teach the course.The 1-Year Online Access includes an online textbook, the optional Lab Workbook and the Instructor Resources including lesson plans, answer keys for the textbook and lab manual, power point teaching notes for the parent/teacher to use, and assessments (with answers) using the included ExamView Assessment software. Please note, this did take a few attempts to download correctly for our review purposes, doing the custom install was successful. Access begins when the parent/teacher registers the course and is available for 365 days.High speed internet access is recommended. The Lab Workbook includes chapter reinforcement questions and hands on lab activities.Lab activities are designed to be completed with instructor guidance. Some additional materials are necessary, many are household items, although others require more specific lab supplies. However, due to the sheer number of activities, parents can pick and choose the best options for their family. Pages can be printed or students can complete their assignments online using embedded form fields and then print or e-mail the responses for grading. A print version of the lab workbook is also available.Worth mentioning, the included student materials are reproducible for homeschool and co-op/classroom use.

The Instructor Resource CD-Rom includes textbook and workbook answer keys and lesson plans. There are no power point teaching notes or student lab workbook. Computer requirements: Windows: Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor 2 GHz or equivalent, Windows 7/8/10, 2 GB Ram, Adobe Reader and IE explorer for weblinks. Mac: Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor 2 GHz or equivalent, Mac OS X v. 10.6 or higher, 2GB Ram, Safari, and Adobe Reader.

This is a rigorous high school elective course for students interested in agricultural mechanics and prepares the student to take the Agricultural Systems and Technology I and II career skills certification through Precision Exams. At this time, the test is proctored by a registered school system and is not able to administered by a homeschool parent. Parents can contact Precision Exams to find a local testing center. Exam correlations are included with the Instructor Resources or at the publisher website. HC.~Deanne