Hands-on learning led the day for area second graders at the 5th annual AgSplosion in the Panhandle of Nebraska. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center (PREEC) in Scottsbluff hosted more than 200 second graders for the day in October.
“It is such an important event that allows students to learn more about livestock and crops and how they use them in their lives every day,” said Audra Brown, Nebraska 4-H Extension Assistant. “Even though they live in a farming community, they may not know about the different ag commodities that are in the Panhandle.”
The event is designed to engage youth in hands-on activities to learn about Nebraska commodities, including dry edible beans, beef cattle, and ag technology. While PREEC held several stations inside the building, including the bean and swine sessions, others were held outside on the grass. One of the outdoor sessions was Ag Technology, where students explored the many changes in agriculture, such as irrigation using pivots or tractors with GPS. Another station looked at wheat, where Cheyenne County is the top winter wheat–producing county in the Nebraska Panhandle and historically one of the state's largest. Students learned about wheat production.
“I think they really enjoyed the wheat station where they got to grind the wheat a little bit. They had fun with that, and there were a lot of hands-on activities they got to experience to see how it (agriculture) actually happens,” said Jamisyn Howard, second-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Gering.
The day would lead back to science lessons at some of the schools, where students would learn about different plants and animals. The hands-on activities stick with students, helping them remember and apply what they learned in their lessons.
“It’s my favorite part of the day, seeing the kids' faces light up when they learn something new and connect it to something they know,” Brown said. “They learn about by-products, and how they are in the supplies they use at school or the sports equipment they use. They have a shocked look on their face, usually followed by 'that's so cool’."
Schools in attendance at PREEC were Mitchell Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Longfellow Elementary, Westmoor Elementary, and St. Agnes Elementary.
