Agriculture/Science Data Driven Decision Making Summer 2025

Workshop Dates: June 12-13, 2025

Workshop Location: N190 Lindquist Center (240 S Madison St, Iowa City, IA 52242)

Intended Audience: Agriculture and Science educators in the State of Iowa.

Course Description: This dynamic, hands-on workshop brings together science and agriculture educators to explore how climate data can shape the future of farming. Participants will collaborate to examine critical environmental factors—such as drought patterns, precipitation trends, and temperature shifts—and assess their implications for agricultural decision-making. Science teachers will focus on analyzing real-world climate data, while agriculture teachers will translate these insights into practical strategies for crop management, soil conservation, and sustainable farming practices.

Course Objectives: This renewal unit will focus on buiding collaborative working teams of science and agriculture teachers to use real-world data to determine the impacts of predicted changes in the environment and the impact those changes have on future farming practices.

1. Identify and understand the variables that impact farming practices in the local community.
2. Science teachers develop a working data set for determine what the future variables will look like. Agriculture teachers will then take this data and determine how farming practices will be impacted.
3. The final objective is a white paper, a one-page document sharing the predicted changes and impacts on farming, along with suggestions to adapt to any needs based on the data.

Course Requirements: Attend the on-site professional development provided by the NOAA RISA grant. This is the face-to-face portion of the work. Teachers, in there teams, will then complete a second day building the curriculum unit for their specific classrooms/communities. This will be followed up with implementation and the development of the whitepage for the community.

Course Materials: Materials for the course will be made available in-person (during the PD) or on Canvas. 

**Attention: If you wish to use this course for licensure renewal credit, make sure to check with your school district for approval prior to registering for the course.