Buncombe County 4-H is excited to offer curriculum and teaching kits to enhance the topics and lessons teachers are already teaching in the classrooms. The 4-H curriculum are aligned with the Standard Course of Study for specific grade levels and provide students with hands-on learning. Each piece contains all you need to know in order to teach the students….background knowledge, material list, focus questions, step-by-step instructions, and student worksheets. The Experiential Model is used to take students from Experiencing an activity to Sharing, Processing, Generalizing, and Applying what they have learned.

Embryology – 2nd Grade

Our most popular 4-H School Enrichment program! Teachers can check out kits from Buncombe County 4-H to hatch eggs in their classrooms while teaching students about life cycles. This curriculum meets the “Guidelines for Animals in North Carolina Public Schools” (2008) set forth by the NC Public Health Department. There is no cost to schools to participate. Extension agents work directly with teachers to teach students about functions of egg parts, safe egg handling, chick development, egg candling, hatching, and careers in the poultry industry. Priority goes to second-grade classrooms.

Check out how 4-H Embryology aligns with the 2nd Grade Standards

Bug Out – 2nd Grade

Ewwww…BUGS!!!! Well, not all bugs are gross and many of them are actually fascinating! Bug Out increases understanding and appreciation of insects to reduce the fear that many of us have towards them. This curriculum and kit walks students through the life cycles of different insects including mealworms, ladybugs, and crickets. Students will also learn about insect growth and development, observe insect behavior, and so much more!

Check out how 4-H Bug Out aligns with the 2nd Grade Standards

Check out a sample of a 4-H Bug Out lesson

Soil Solutions – 3rd Grade

The 4-H Soil Solutions curriculum is full of hands-on science lessons that utilize the school landscape to connect students to the world of soils and plants in an inviting and relevant way. Activities spark student wonder and curiosity and encourage ways for students to investigate to discover answers. The Soil Solutions kit comes with almost everything you need to guide students through lessons focused on soil properties, soil’s relationship with water, plant growth, pollination, and composting. Plus, our Extension Master Gardener volunteers LOVE teaching students about soils and are happy to come assist with lessons and teaching.

Check out how 4-H Soil Solutions aligns with the 3rd Grade Standards

Check out a sample of a 4-H Soil Solutions lesson

Magic of Electricity – 4th Grade

Have you ever wondered why just some of the lights go out, why certain things insulate us from electricity better than others, or the effects of magnetism on various items? Electricity is everywhere. Students can learn how to build a flashlight, a compass, an electromagnet, and an electric motor through the 4-H Magic of Electricity curriculum. This curriculum has books and an activity kit which includes many non-consumables such as wire, pliers, light bulbs, and other items needed to walk students through an exploration of electricity. Materials and pre-class preparations are laid out, along with suggested script. It even includes vocabulary lists, worksheets, and activity sheets.

Vermicomposting – 5th Grade

Worms bins are found in thousands of classrooms (ranging from kindergarten through high school) throughout North America. Having a worm bin in the classroom enables students to learn about organic decomposition, the soil food web, and the relationship between earthworms and ecological sustainability. 4-H Vermicomposting is the perfect fit for State requirements that students learn about habitats and ecosystems. Students can learn a variety of subjects using a classroom worm bin, including science, history, math, language arts, music, geography, and social studies. Our Extension Master Gardener volunteers and Extension agents are happy to assist in teaching the lessons about vermicomposting in your classroom. Give us a call and we will get things started!

Check out how 4-H Vermicomposting aligns with the 5th Grade Standards

Check out a sample of a 4-H Vermicomposting lesson

**Special 4-H Programs for Schools

Buncombe County 4-H is also excited to offer special classroom programs in addition to our 4-H School Enrichment curriculum. The programs listed below are typically one-day programs where Extension agents and volunteers come into the classroom and conduct the educational activities. Some of these can be conducted any time during the school year while others are for special seasons. Contact the N.C. Cooperative Extension of Buncombe County office to learn more and see how these could be brought to your classroom.

National Youth Science Day:

National Youth Science Day (NYSD) provides access and opportunity for kids to learn about STEM topics (science, technology, engineering, and math) by participating in a hands-on STEM challenge. For the past 11 years, 4‑H has developed hands-on challenges that shows kids how STEM skills can be applied to the world around them. NYSD is celebrated nationally on October 1, with events taking place throughout the month of October and beyond in classrooms, clubs, homes and afterschool spaces across the country. Annually, NYSD reaches nearly 250,000 kids at thousands of events across all 50 states with the fun, hands-on challenges that change from year to year. Check out the link below to learn more about National Youth Science Day and contact N.C. Cooperative Extension in Buncombe County to see how your classroom can get involved.

4‑H National Youth Science Day

Agricultural Literacy Day:

Join us in celebrating the important role agriculture plays in our local, state, and national economy and help your students learn how agriculture provides us with food, fiber, and other essential products. N.C. Cooperative Extension of Buncombe County agents and volunteers visit approximately 1,500 students every Spring through our Ag Literacy Days! Our volunteers are available to come into your classroom for a short educational program targeting elementary grades. We’ll read a short book which is donated to the school’s library and then do a fun hands-on activity like making butter, making seed necklaces, or playing pollinator games. Registration for this event is usually complete in February and March each year so contact us before then to get your school and classes involved.

Discover NC Dairy and Virtual Reality Experience

What’s better than learning about DAIRY COWS in a classroom?? Taking a Virtual Reality trip to the dairy farm to SEE the dairy cows!! Buncombe County 4-H is excited to bring our Virtual Reality dairy farm to your classroom. This program is available for any grade level. Our Extension agents and volunteers will visit your classroom to talk about dairy cattle farming, production, the dairy industry, careers in agriculture and more while leading students through a virtual reality trip through the dairy farm, milking parlor, and bottling facility. This program is available year-round and is supported by The Dairy Alliance.

Contact Information

If you are interested in any of our 4-H School Enrichment programs, please give us a call at 828-255-5522 or email holly_jordan@ncsu.edu and we can discuss the possibilities.

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