Preparation:

Obtain the Living Science Career Cards. Laminate the cards, punch a hole in the upper left corner, and organize them into 14 groups as suggested below. Not all the cards will be used in this activity. Use small book rings to keep the following groups together:

Group 1: Soil Scientist, Forester
Group 2: Hydrologist, Renewable Energy Specialist
Group 3: Virologist, Plant Geneticist, Fisheries Scientist
Group 4: Biotechnologist, Environmental Scientist
Group 5: Toxicologist, Forest Engineer, Food Safety Specialist
Group 6: Entomologist, Wildlife Biologist
Group 7: Food Process Engineer, Nematologist
Group 8: Weed Scientist, Plant Pathologist
Group 9: Plant Physiologist, Aquaculturist
Group 10: Remote Sensing Specialist, Horticulturist, Range Manager
Group 11: Food Scientist, Turf Scientist
Group 12: Nutritionist/Dietitian, Florist, Conservation Biologist
Group 13: Animal Nutritionist, Wood Scientist
Group 14: Veterinarian, Agronomist

Activity 1: Agricultural Career Scenario

1. Use a concept web to define agriculture and natural resources with your students. In preparation, you may wish to familiarize yourself with concept webs.
2. Ask students to create a list of agricultural and/or natural resource careers on the board or add them to the previously created concept webs.
3. After students have made a list on the board or on the concept webs, add the careers cited on the career cards to display the science-related careers in agriculture and natural resources you will be discussing. The careers are integral to modern agriculture and well-maintained natural resources, yet most students will not be familiar with the job titles.
4. Divide the class into 14 groups; give each a set of the ringed career cards. Ask the students to take five minutes to read the backs of the cards they have received to familiarize themselves with the careers, what roles they play in the agricultural community, and what education is necessary for each profession. (Note: Teachers may wish to highlight or underline key points to assist students in synthesizing this information.) The education required for each career is listed on the backs of the cards, and the explanation emphasizes that students should study science, math, and English in high school in order to prepare themselves for similar subjects at the university level. Remind students that there will be entry- and mid-level occupations that support the highly skilled occupations.
5. Read the Career Activity Scenario sheet and ask students to raise their hands if they think they have the career that correctly fills the blank. After each profession is answered correctly, ask, “What other cards are in your group? What courses do they need to complete to get their degrees?” 
6. Share with students the Emerging Agricultural Technologies handout.

Activity 2: Where do I stand? What tools do I use?

1. Place the seven equipment bags around the classroom. Using the four pieces of yarn, arrange the pieces on the floor as intersecting circles (similar to a Venn diagram). Place one sign in the center of each of the circles.
2. Using the groups established in Activity 1, Step #4, ask the students to think about the tools and equipment they would need to perform the jobs as described on their assigned career cards.
3. Direct each group of students to find the bags that contain the equipment most likely to be used in their careers. (Note: students will have to break from their groups and several students will “share” each bag.)
4. Once students have correctly identified their equipment bags, ask them to talk within their group and describe the work environment for their identified career. The teacher can perform an assessment of understanding by talking with each group of students.
5. Following the above discussion, ask students to stand on the circle that indicates the resource(s) with which they would most likely work. For example, a student holding the “veterinarian” card would stand in the “animal” circle. However, a student holding an “aquaculturist” card may stand in the intersection of the “plant,” “animal,” and “water” circles.
6. Ask each group to explain their career role in interacting with the circles identified above. Also ask students to explain how these careers might interact with each other.