Course Syllabus

Course Description: The primary purpose of this course is to help get you prepared to handle the day-to- day problems, accidents, and repair needs you will encounter in your chosen agricultural career. Topics include agricultural mechanics safety, agricultural career opportunities, hand/power tool use and selection, electrical wiring, basic metal working, basic construction skills related to plumbing, concrete, carpentry, basic welding and leadership development. Skills in physics, geometry, and algebra are reinforced in this course.

Course Objectives:

1. Obtain leadership development through FFA and classroom instruction
2. Develop those skills needed for employment in the horticulture industry through Supervised Agricultural Experiences and classroom instruction
3. Understand the safe use of hand and power tools.
4. Demonstrate the ability to carry out a project from the design to construction stage using both wood and metal
5. Understand the basic components of electricity, paints and concrete.

 Topics to be Addressed: In order to accomplish the objectives of this course we will address the following topics as units of study:

• Agricultural Mechanics Industry
• Leadership/Record Keeping
• Shop Safety
• Construction Design and Layout
• Basic Woodworking
• Arc Welding

Materials Needed for Class: All students are expected to come prepared every class period with the following items

• Pencil or Pen 
• Work Clothes (should have ready everyday)

FFA Membership & Involvement: FFA is the student organization for agricultural education.  Each student is asked to pay $20 dues for FFA membership.  All students are highly encouraged to be FFA members because the FFA is integrated into a majority of the course units.  Students are highly encouraged to participate in FFA activities each quarter.  Participation in activities is part of the SAE/Leadership assignment.  If students do not participate in these activities they can conduct an alternative assignment to earn the credit.

Shop: Because of the general nature of this class, students will be spending a large amount of time in our school shop.  This is why I have mentioned above to bring work clothes, because I do not want to risk getting nice clothes dirty.  Getting your clothes dirty is not an excuse for not working.

Academic Information: The grading scale for this class is as follows:

A= 100-90 B= 80-89 C= 70-79

D=60-69 F= 59 or Below

• Grade distribution by Assignment Type:
• Knowledge: 
  • Quizzes
  • Tests- Weighted as 2
• Performance:
  • Classwork
  • Projects- Weighted as 2-4
  • SAE & Leadership Project- See below
• The exam for this course will be a state test and will count for 20% of the student’s course grade.

Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) & Leadership Assignment: Each student will complete an SAE project, encompassing any topic in the field of agriculture.  Each student is expected to contribute time each quarter outside of class time.  We will spend several class periods at the beginning of the term discussion SAE and students will receive information detailing requirements and project examples.  Students will also be able to gain credit for this assignment through leadership opportunities.