From the ISBE's Weekly Message(Sept 8, 2021) - Innovative schools are being sought to pilot a new Agriculture Biology course. The course will use storylining to help students identify phenomena and solve problems. The course will be aligned with the Illinois Science Assessment and explicitly linked to the Next Generation Science Standards. Pilot schools will identify agriculture and/or science educators to collaboratively write, pilot, revise, and support research with storylines for a course titled Agriculture Biology, which was recently approved by ISBE. Energetic and forward-thinking teachers will engage in a professional learning community to build capacities using storylining to explore biology in the context of agriculture over the three-year experience (2022-24).
     Year 1 will include professional development, collaboration, and writing. The writing process, including piloting the course, will continue in Year 2. An expansion of implementation with students, continued revision of the curriculum, and pursuit of partnerships with researchers to aid in comparative study will occur during Year 3.   If interested or would like to learn more about the project, please complete the Agriculture Biology Interest form.   
     Thank you to the IAVAT Curriculum Advisory Committee, ISBE, and FCAE for working together on this initiative.