Scope and sequence · Practical
Grade 8 Gardening & Animals
A capstone year of real agriculture: soil chemistry, plant genetics, livestock and bees, wildlife management and plant health, ending with a garden or animal-care project the student plans, runs and presents at a family harvest fair.
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What to cover
32 of 32 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Seedtime and Harvest
- MUST COVER 1.1 Seedtime and Harvest: The Farm Year Through History · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Succession Planting and Harvest Planning · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Keeping the Harvest: Fermenting, Canning and Root Cellars · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 The Market Garden: Selling Produce and Simple Farm Economics · unit test
Unit 2: Wildlife Management
- MUST COVER 2.1 Counting Wildlife: Populations and Surveys · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Wildlife and Disease: Ticks, Rabies and Chronic Wasting Disease · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Bird Migration, Banding and Backyard Counts · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Stewardship of Habitat on Farms and Homesteads · unit test
Unit 3: Soil Science Capstone
- MUST COVER 3.1 Texture, Structure and Chemistry Together · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Nutrient Cycling: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 The Rhizosphere and Soil Biology · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Soil Conservation and Regenerative Practices · unit test
Unit 4: Animal Care and Careers
- MUST COVER 4.1 Animal Nutrition and Feed Labels · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Animal Health: Parasites, Prevention and First Aid · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Breeds and Inherited Traits · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Careers with Animals and on the Farm · unit test
Unit 5: Plant Science
- MUST COVER 5.1 Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Plant Genetics: Mendel, Hybrids and Heirlooms · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Plant Growth Regulators · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Hydroponics: Growing Without Soil · unit test
Unit 6: Farm Animals and Bees
- MUST COVER 6.1 Livestock Production: Beef, Dairy, Swine, Poultry, Sheep and Goats · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Husbandry: Shelter, Fencing, Grazing and Showmanship · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Horses and Draft Animals · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Apiculture: Honey, Beeswax, Pollination and Bee Health · unit test
Unit 7: Planting: Garden, Field and Orchard
- MUST COVER 7.1 Planning a Full Garden: Rotation, Spacing and Yield · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Propagation: Grafting, Layering and Division · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Agronomy: Field Crops at Scale · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Orchards, Berries and Perennial Crops · unit test
Unit 8: Plant Health and the Capstone
- MUST COVER 8.1 Plant Pathology: Diagnosing Plant Diseases · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Entomology and Integrated Pest Management · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Weed Science · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Capstone: Record Book, Exhibit and Family Harvest Fair · unit test
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 32-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Seedtime and Harvest: The Farm Year Through History: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Succession Planting and Harvest Planning: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Keeping the Harvest: Fermenting, Canning and Root Cellars: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 The Market Garden: Selling Produce and Simple Farm Economics: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 1 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Counting Wildlife: Populations and Surveys: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Wildlife and Disease: Ticks, Rabies and Chronic Wasting Disease: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Bird Migration, Banding and Backyard Counts: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Stewardship of Habitat on Farms and Homesteads: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 2 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Texture, Structure and Chemistry Together: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Nutrient Cycling: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 The Rhizosphere and Soil Biology: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Soil Conservation and Regenerative Practices: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 3 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Animal Nutrition and Feed Labels: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Animal Health: Parasites, Prevention and First Aid: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Breeds and Inherited Traits: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Careers with Animals and on the Farm: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 4 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 17 | Catch-up and review week (no new lessons) | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Plant Genetics: Mendel, Hybrids and Heirlooms: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Plant Growth Regulators: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Hydroponics: Growing Without Soil: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 5 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Livestock Production: Beef, Dairy, Swine, Poultry, Sheep and Goats: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Husbandry: Shelter, Fencing, Grazing and Showmanship: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Horses and Draft Animals: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Apiculture: Honey, Beeswax, Pollination and Bee Health: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 6 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Planning a Full Garden: Rotation, Spacing and Yield: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Propagation: Grafting, Layering and Division: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Agronomy: Field Crops at Scale: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Orchards, Berries and Perennial Crops: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 7 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Plant Pathology: Diagnosing Plant Diseases: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Entomology and Integrated Pest Management: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Weed Science: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Capstone: Record Book, Exhibit and Family Harvest Fair: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 8 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 34 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 35 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 36 | Year-end review, portfolio and records |
Grading: Hands-on projects 35%, Nature journal 20%, Unit reviews 20%, Portfolio projects and capstone 25%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, below 60 needs more work.