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Sign Up Now: Summer Ag Institute 2026

McLean County Summer Ag Institute: June 1, 2 and 4

Sign up for this year’s Summer Ag Institute by May 15! Earn up to 22 hours of professional development with the option of one hour of graduate credit through Lindenwood University. Choose to attend one, two, or all three days of our workshop (Tuesday, June 2 is required). Scheduled tours include the new Farm to Healthy Me exhibit at the Children’s Discovery Museum, Braffet Berry Farm, Farm to Wick Candles, Crider Farms, Two Sisters Lavender, and more. We’ll also have a presentation by Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom, an agriculture drone demonstration with Birkey’s and we’ll hear from various commodity organizations.  Learn more here!

Try This Lesson: Fourth Grade

Fourth grade teachers:

Teach about monocots and dicots using corn and soybeans. In this lesson, vermiculite is used to hold the moisture for the seed to germinate. Vermiculite is a mineral sometimes used as a part of soil mixes or soil-less media.

Monocots and Dicots lesson

Request “Monocots and Dicots” lesson here!

Try This Lesson: Third Grade

Third Grade teachers:

Illinois is known for famous figures like Abraham Lincoln, and many of them have ties to agriculture. In this lesson, students will investigate Illinois agriculture and famous people with agricultural connections. *If you like this lesson, a more comprehensive lesson including agricultural businesses, sites to see, and other agricultural tidbits is also available from McLean County Ag in the Classroom.

“Investigate Illinois: People” Lesson

Request “Investigate Illinois: People” lesson here!

Try This Lesson: Second Grade

Second Grade teachers:

Our “States of Matter: Making Butter” lesson is designed to help students learn how milk turns into butter by making, or shaking, their own. It’s a great way to demonstrate different states of matter as students watch heavy cream separate into butter and buttermilk.

“States of Matter: Making Butter” Lesson

Request “States of Matter: Making Butter” lesson here!

Try This Lesson: Kindergarten

Kindergarten teachers:

Our “From Farm to Table” lesson and activity will take your students on a journey from putting a corn kernel into the ground to finding corn ingredients in their breakfast cereal! McLean County Ag in the Classroom will provide our Corn Facts for Little Readers and all the materials your students need to complete the activity.

“From Farm to Table” Lesson

Request “From Farm to Table” lesson here!

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