Ag Literacy Day

Youth Learning Aquaculture through Ag Literacy Day

Ag Literacy Day is an annual event held each spring where hundreds of agriculture industry representatives read a designated children’s book about agriculture in elementary school classrooms around the state. This year Ag Literacy Day was May 2^nd. The event is a partnership between Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This day is to educate youth about a specific agriculture industry in the state. This year’s featured industry was Aquaculture.

Why is Ag Literacy Day important? This program promotes the state of Florida’s second leading industry- Agriculture. Additionally, Ag Literacy Day helps youth comprehend where their food comes from and builds connections between the agriculture community, youth, and schools.

Ag Literacy Day in Seminole County

This year in Seminole County, over 200 youth in 3^rd and 4^th grade classrooms learned about Florida Aquaculture and Seafood. This year’s book produced by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom was titled, Drive through Florida: Aquaculture and Seafood. Our county 4-H agent Chelsea Woodard spent several days in the classrooms reading to youth. This non-fiction educational book takes youth on a tour of the aquaculture commodities produced throughout the state of Florida including: alligators, aquarium fish, shrimp, sturgeon, hard clams and several more. Through the book youth explored how these aquaculture products are farmed in the state of Florida and the importance of aquaculture.

After listening to the reading youth participated in hands on learning activities including: learning the anatomy of a fish and designing their own aquatic species. Thanks to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission- North Florida Alligator Field Office youth were able to see and touch a tanned alligator hide and learn about alligator products. Students also viewed ctenoid scales of Red Snapper fish and Fiddler Crab claws. Special thanks to Wicklow Elementary and Wilson Elementary for allowing us in the classrooms to work with students.