Course Name: Agriculture Business

Grade Level: 11-12

Length: One Year

Hours: 360 Hours

Instructor: Ms. Crystal Smyth

Email: csmyth@espartok12.org

Website: http://www.crystalsmythespartoagriculture.com/

(Please email to let me know if something needs updated. I will try to update the website as often as possible)

Course Description: This course is designed to teach students basic business and management skills. Content matter will include: cost analysis, marketing, taxes, agriculture law, computer applications, electronic calculator, adding machine, human relation skills, distribution and merchandising, commodity marketing, ect. This course is excellent for any college major, particular interested in business or agriculture. The course will also include advanced leadership skills and project development.

Major Goals:

1. To prepare students for a career in agriculture.
2. To make students aware of the business structure of agriculture.
3. Students acquire the basic skills necessary to compete in the job market.

Objectives:

1. Students will understand the importance of keeping accurate records of business transactions in agriculture.
2. Students will understand the basic role of financial credit in agriculture, including sources and costs of farm credit.
3. Students will understand the basic functions of the marketing process in agriculture.
4. Students will understand the basic concepts of computer literary and appreciate the role of computer applications in agriculture.
5. Students will understand the four types of business structures in agriculture.
6. Students will appreciate the wide variety of leadership training activities available through the Future Farmers of America.
7. Students will appreciate the importance of Supervised Occupational Experience Programs and the total program of Vocational Agriculture.
8. Students will appreciate the important role that communication skills play in developing leadership abilities.
9. Students will understand the principles of Parliamentary Procedure.
10. Students will understand the basic concepts of scientific inquiry and critical thinking.
11. Students will be able to match types of business organizations with their characteristics and complete a business structure worksheet.
12. The student will be able to complete a list of statements concerning government agencies that regulate transportation and select true statements concerning proper handling and storage practices.
13. The student will be able to determine customer needs, over-come customer objections, and prepare and give a sales demonstration.

Expected Results:

I. Effective Communicator:

a. An active listener (students will be encouraged to respond in a germane manner to class or group discussion).

b. Able to read, understand and summarize (students will be given sales topics to read, research and present).

c. Able to respond verbally or in writing (students will be encouraged to write a prepared speech and present it locally or for FFA or Lion's Club competition).

d. Able to express a point without arguing (students will demonstrate ability to express both points of view when writing their speeches).

II. Self-Directed Life Long Learner

a. Takes responsibility for own success and failures in all aspects of life (students will be required to have an agricultural project and be responsible for its success or failure).

b. Arrives on time prepared for work (students will receive a tardy if late or unprepared and be encouraged by career speakers of this importance).

c. Investigates, establishes and achieves personal, educational and career goals. Students will fill out a career plan that will include personal and educational goals.

d. Seeks information and asks questions (students will attend a State Wide Leadership Conference which will have sessions on research and communication)

III. Quality Producer:

a. Demonstrates the ability to work independently or collaboratively (students will work independently and collaboratively on individual projects or lab activities).

b. Sets a standard of quality in schoolwork, club, class activities, and sports (students will be expected to choose their own projects that will be primarily directed toward their career goal and keep records).

c. Completes class work and assignments on time (students will not be allowed to turn in late work and encouraged to have peer helpers that set good examples).

d. Uses appropriate resources (human and technological) a variety of speakers that involve both will be part of the class activities.

IV. Involved Citizen:

a. Uses self-initiative (students will be expected to choose their own projects and complete a record book).

b. Respects the rights and property of others (students will be directed to respect others property and rights).

c. Demonstrates positive and productive citizenship by being involved in school and community activities (students will be encouraged to participate in FFA projects).

d. Takes pride in giving back to his/her community (publicize student contributions to community and praise other who do).

Course Outline:

I. Orientation

a. Preview of Years Work

b. Review of Previous Years Work

II. FFA Participation

a. Update Program of Activities

b. State and National Activities

III. Record Keeping

a. Depreciation and Non-Depreciation

b. Financial Terms

c. Financial Summary

d. Income Summary

e. State Farmer Applications and Proficiency Applications

IV. Computer Literacy

a. Types of Computers

b. Uses

c. Excel

d. Word

V. Employment Information

a. Resumes

b. Job Search: Want Ads

c. College

d. Job Skills

VI. Communication Skills

a. Extemporaneous and Prepared Public Speaking

b. How to Research a Topic

c. Speech Outlines

d. Rough Draft

e. Final Draft (students use Word)

f. Presentations (students will critique)

VII. Parliamentary Procedure

a. Review of Hierarchy of Motions

b. Review State Topics

c. Simulated Meetings

VIII. Business Procedures

a. Business Organizations

b. Business Machines

i. Cash Register

ii. Adding Machine (electronic calculator)

c. Sales Procedure

d. Operating Procedure

e. Customer Credit

IX. Physical Distribution

X. Merchandising

a. Sales Techniques

b. Advertising

XI. Labs (continuous throughout semester - particularly Friday)

a. Program of Work Committee

b. Record Book Update

c. Award Applications

d. Fair Forms

e. Job Interview Contest

f. FFA Sales Contest

g. Co-op Contest

Instruction Methods:

1. Direct Instruction ~ x
2. Cooperative Learning ~ x
3. Discovery Lessons ~ n/a
4. Group Discussions ~ x
5. Peer Teaching ~ x
6. Individual Instruction ~ x
7. Study Team ~ n/a

Methods of Evaluation:

1. Quizzes ~ x
2. Tests (objective) ~ x
3. Tests (subjective) ~ n/a
4. Oral Exams ~ x
5. Journals ~ x
6. Vocabulary Tests ~ x
7. Essays ~ x
8. Research Projects ~ x
9. Notebook ~ x
10. Homework ~ x

Attendance: Being in class each day is extremely important for you to get all the information and instructions.

1. Absences: If you are absent, it is your responsibility to make certain your absence is excused in the attendance office.
2. Sports, school activities, and parental approved absences: In order to receive full credit for missed work, you must give me a written notice including the dates and reason IN ADVANCE of your absence. All work, tests, ect will be due the day of your return.
3. Excused absences: You have as many days as you missed to make up the work. For example: If you miss Monday, return Tuesday, your work is due Wednesday-Thursday.
4. Unexcused absences: Any absence that is not excused (or approved in advance) will result in a zero score for all work turned in or done when absent. This includes tests.

How do I know what I missed? I respond promptly to email and am readily available at lunch.

Tardies: You will be given a tardy if you are late to class even when you come in before the bell rings and tell me you have to go do something. This means you do not get to do the warm-up. If you are late because you were in counseling or finishing a test, bring a note from that person and you will be given your warm-up points. If you are tardy, please come see me to make sure I did not mark you absent for the period.

Leaving Class: If you have a counseling or medical appointment, court appearance, ect., you MUST have a slip from the counseling/attendance office before you can leave the room. I understand that things happen (restroom, homework in your locker, left a book in another class). Every student will receive one emergency pass to leave the class per semester. Inevitably someone will use their pass and still have some great emergency in this case you must serve thirty minutes detention at lunch or pick up trash for 15 minutes.

Absences and Grading

1. Participation: Each week you will be graded for the following: being in class on time, showing interest by asking and answering questions, taking notes, working productively on labs and assignments, cleaning up after labs, doing your best, and being positive and helpful. Disruption of class will result in a loss of weekly participation points.
2. Homework: Individual assignments will be assigned through out the year.
3. Warm-Up: There will be a question, vocabulary terms and/or definitions on the board everyday. You pick-up you warm-up papers when you come into the room. The answers will come will come from the notes or assignments. It is open book and open note. However, ALL words must be legible to receive full credit. If you are tardy, you will not be allowed to take this quiz. You will be given full credit on your warm-up for an excused absence. You will have five minutes to get it turned in. Many of these questions will appear on future assessments.
4. Labs and Activities: You are the florist. For each lab, you must follow safe procedures, cooperate and cleanup. If you are absent during a lab, you are still responsible for the content. Some, but not all labs can be made up. You will not receive stamps for labs you did not actually do even if you had an excused absence.
5. Tests and Quizzes: Exams are typically over material covered in an entire chapter including labs. Quizzes will cover smaller topics. They are 30% of your grade. It is your responsibility to have a parent call the day of the absence. If your excused absence is on a test/quiz day, you will need to make that up within the specified time. It is your responsibility to come in at lunch or before school the day you return and schedule an appointment to make up that test. I will not administer make up exams during class.
6. FFA Participation: FFA offers numerous opportunities to meet people and develop leadership skills. FFA involvement makes up 10% of your grade. Each quarter, I require one, four page typed paper about an assigned FFA topic. Attend one meeting per quarter and you will be excused from writing that paper for FFA credit.
7. Supervised Agricultural Experience Program (SAEP): Hands on practical experience program in agriculture. These projects will be chosen by each individual student. Record books will be issue and hours of work will be documented.
8. Extra Credit: Extra credit will only be accepted at the end of the quarter for students missing low point assignments. Ms. Smyth will notify students of extra credit opportunities.

Absence Procedures

We have a lot of ground to cover this year and I have lots of great things planned. In order to have time for all of the fun things I have to maximize every minute of class time. So, I will not handle issues related to absences during class.  I have over 120 students, so there is no possible way I can keep track of absences of each student. 

For example if you are absent the day of a test, you must come to class early the day you return, tell me you missed the test, and make an appointment to make up that test during lunch that day.

I will not save a test for you, remind you, or make any effort to give you the test unless you see me the day you return.

Unexpected Absences (illnesses, emergencies)

• The day you return, find out what you missed. There are several ways to find out this information
• o Email Ms. Smyth the day you are absent, because she can in most cases respond immediately to emails
• o Call a friend
• o Check the website, if it is not updated email and remind Ms. Smyth
• o Come to early and ask a classmate
• o Come early to class to get any missed handouts
• § Extra handouts can be found in a basket on the table where you pick up warm ups

• Come see Ms. Smyth at lunch or before school the day you return
• o Double check the agenda, make sure you are up back up to speed
• o Make up any missed work, tests or labs
• o Turn in any work collected during your absence
• o Make up the warm up

• Follow up
• o Double check the grade print outs, make sure that all assignments are accounted for and entered correctly. Most of my grading mistakes are related to work that is not turned in with the whole group.

Expected Absences (Field trips, sports, ect.)

• See me at lunch prior to the event. If you plan to be gone a week, see me a week before the trip
• Arrange to receive all work
• Arrange a day to make up missed tests
• Do not see me after the trip and expect to make up missed work

Unexcused absences - I will not allow any work to be made up