News

Soybeans go to school

Soybeans are heading back to class in curriculum kits created by the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee.

Noelle Byerley with the Soybean Checkoff says the soybean kits are available to any Michigan teacher.

“The kit is four themes, which is about six weeks’ worth of lessons, and it has all the stuff it in so the teacher gets the box, opens it and can immediately start teaching.”  Byerley tells Brownfield the lesson plans include the life cycle of the soybean, their history, innovations of Henry Ford, and how soybeans are part of students’ everyday lives.  “One nice thing about these themes is that they do reach and meet the science and social science state requirement.”

Byerley says the curriculum continues to be updated with teacher input and innovations in agriculture. The kits have reached more than 150,000 students since the program began in 1999.

AUDIO: Interview with Noelle Byerley (1:59 mp3):