1. Principles of Teaching Agriculture Education History of Agriculture Education

2. Learning Targets  I can identify historical events that have shaped and advanced agriculture education.  I can trace the growth of the national FFA Organization since its inception.

3. Approch  to draw an example of what an agriculture classroom might have looked like in 1920 and draw a modern-day classroom. What is the same? What is different?

4. History of Agriculture Education

5.  In 1915 there were 90,708 students enrolled in agriculture education classes in 4,665 high schools. In 1885, there were basically none.  The Hatch Act and the Secondary Education Act sought “…aid for acquiring and diffusing among people of the United States…”  Focused on Experimentation and Education  Emphasis on education was put in place by Alfred C. True

6.  Alfred C True – Director of Federal Office of Experiment Stations with USDA 1893 - 1915  Director of States Relations Service, USDA, 1915 – 1923  In 1903 the AFL, the U.S.’s largest labor union, shows an interest in vocational education. A report to the union showed that manual training was not sufficient to prepare for employment.  The Dolliver-Davis Bill of 1908 was the first to propose federal support of secondary vocational education. It was endorsed by AFL in 1908. It was had some opponents because of the lack of studies related to the topic.  In 1910 an identical bill to the 1908 version was presented. Senator Dolliver died and the bill lost its champion in the Senate. It would later become the Page Bill

7.  In 1911 Senator Carroll S Page of Vermont introduced a bill to include federal support for both extension and vocational education.  A Commission on National Aid to Vocational Education was formed. It researched the questions and needs for federal support of voc Ed. The chairman of the committee was Sen. Hoke Smith (the Smith of the Smith- Hughes Act)  Dudley Hughes was a representative from Georgia. He was the chair of the House Committee on Education. (The Hughes of the Smith-Hughes Act)

8.  In 1915 Smith introduces the Smith-Hughes Act to the Senate.  Hughes introduces the house version in 1916 (with a provision for home economics)  Provided federal funding for agriculture education; trade, home economics, and industrial education; training of teachers of these subjects  Other Vocational Education acts like George-Deen of 1936 and George-Barden of 1946 increased funding and added provisions for veteran’s training.

9.  The Vocational Education Act of 1976 eliminated sex discrimination and bias, provided for service of special populations, built vocational schools, provided for homemaker retraining.  Carl D Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984  Ensured access to programs for individuals inadequately served  Emphasis from School to Work  Integration of academic and subject matter

10.  Today the Carl Perkins Act (known simply as Perkins to those in vocational education) continues to allot federal money to the advancement of vocational programs. Also sets up a series of benchmarks in which all districts and schools are expected to meet.  In Kentucky there are 25,000 students enrolled in agriculture classes with 15,000 holding membership in FFA.

11. Trace the growth of the FFA since its inception.

12.  I. The initial idea for forming the organization resulted from Congress passing the Smith-Hughes Act, in 1917.  a. This act was known as the National Vocational Education Act which established vocational agriculture classes.  b. This act was named after two congressmen who wrote the legislation.

13.  II. In the early 1920’s, Virginia formed the first Future Farmers Club for boys in agriculture classes.  a. Henry Groseclose, an agriculture teacher from Blacksburg, Virginia, organized the first Future Farmers of America and is known as the father of the FFA.  b. In 1926, the American Royal Livestock Show in Kansas City, Missouri, invited students to compete in livestock contests.

14.  III. The National FFA Organization was established on November 20, 1928 at the Hotel Baltimore in Kansas City, Missouri.  a. National dues were 10 cents per member.  b. The first national advisor was C.H. Lane.  c. The first national president was Leslie Applegate from New Jersey.

15.  IV. In 1929, 64 delegates from 33 states met for their annual convention.  a. National blue and corn gold were selected as their official colors.  b. The first Star Farmer of America, Carlton Patton from Arkansas, was named.  c. By 1934, all states except Rhode Island had FFA Chapters.  d. A national convention was held every year in Kansas City, Missouri for 70 years. Louisville held the Convention from 1999 – 2005.  e. Indianapolis currently hosts the National Convention. It will host until 2012. After that Louisville and Indianapolis will alter hosting the convention for 3 year periods. 

16. Activity Be a cartographer! Map out the history of agriculture education and FFA.

17. Directions  Select 10 major events in the history of Ag Ed and FFA. The start of the “map” will be the teaching of Ag Ed in the classroom. The end of the map will be present day.  Make each of the 10 events a “stop” on the map. Use word association, creativity, and other methods to name these stops. For example, for the Smith-Hughes Act you could make an intersection of “Smith Drive and Hughes Boulevard.”