AgDARE - Agricultural Disability Awareness and Risk Education

AgDARE: Orientation To Using The Curriculum

Each unit contains enough information for you to be adequately prepared to instruct your students without additional research or reading; however, you are encouraged to think about your class structure and customize the unit to make it more realistic and appealing.

You should allow a minimum of 50 minutes for each topic. It is important that time is included for class discussions. It is during these discussions that students add their perspectives about farm injury that will enable you to be a more effective teacher. Students also share their knowledge of local farm injury events and people they know who have experienced injury. You can capitalize on this knowledge and use it to launch further discussions, class assignments, or to develop your own local resources. In testing this curriculum, we found that the students demonstrated higher scores if both the narrative and physical simulations were used. If you can only devote one block of time to injury prevention, we suggest you think about the type of commodities in your area and use the unit that best fits. In our research, we found that students who had a good understanding of basic injury prevention strategies could, and often would, make changes in areas we had not discussed in class. So, even if you can only use part of the curriculum, students will still benefit.

Consider a homework assignment for students, especially if your in-class time is limited. This will reinforce the class content and will expand your resources for future instruction. Having students videotape record an interview with a farmer who is disabled is often a way to reinforce your safety message and adds a powerful personal story. Working with your economics teacher on conducting a cost analysis of farming for a year after an injury is an excellent way to maximize learning opportunities.

Most important, YOU are the key to a good learning experience for your students. YOUR attitude toward safety in the classroom is paramount to producing a positive change in students' behavior. Your modeling of safe behavior is even more essential. If you have a tractor, does it have a roll bar, and do you wear the seat belt? Do you use hearing and respiratory protection when it is indicated? Are these available for your students when they are in class? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, first read the curriculum for your own instruction. Safety is for everyone.

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