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* Ag. Science *

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24567…12

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    #32
    MaighEoAbu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 77 ✭✭MaighEoAbu


    Hi! Me again!

    I was just wondering if there will be a problem with me handing up my project next year. I'm doing Agricultural Science outside school with a teacher. However, another student said that I'd have to get it signed off by my principal in my own school. Is she right?

    Also, I am unsure of what to write for the whole project. As in structure, etc. The only info I have so far is from Rainbowtrout and it was excellent! The only thing is that I need to see stuff laid out so i know what I'm doing. Is there any example on the internet or does anyone have one of an A1 project so I know the lay-out? I'm planning on writing out the project in all my own language in great detail as well, but will examiners prefer the usual definitions, etc?

    Thank you so much!


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    #33
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Liveit wrote: »
    Our teacher said that the requirements for the brief have totally changed this year and that the econtents are different. Is this right or is he only trying to panic us?
    I see that you said earlier in this thread that you can type it out. Our teacher said you can't, i don't know who to believe.

    Well first off, if there was any changes to the project brief, they have to give schools two years notice so that's out first of all.

    You can type your work, nothing wrong there.

    What might have happened last year is that your teacher was pulled aside by the examiner and told that they weren't doing a section correctly or to the guidelines set out so they've had to change it to bring the work up to scratch, the brief has not changed in donkey's years, like the syllabus.
    MaighEoAbu wrote: »
    Hi! Me again!

    I was just wondering if there will be a problem with me handing up my project next year. I'm doing Agricultural Science outside school with a teacher. However, another student said that I'd have to get it signed off by my principal in my own school. Is she right?

    Also, I am unsure of what to write for the whole project. As in structure, etc. The only info I have so far is from Rainbowtrout and it was excellent! The only thing is that I need to see stuff laid out so i know what I'm doing. Is there any example on the internet or does anyone have one of an A1 project so I know the lay-out? I'm planning on writing out the project in all my own language in great detail as well, but will examiners prefer the usual definitions, etc?

    Thank you so much!


    Yes that student is correct. A teacher must correct your project, and really your principal can't sign off on it as they are saying they've taught you ag science and graded your project. It's not just putting a signature to paper, that would be easy, they have to give you a mark between 0-100 for your work.

    You won't find any projects on the internet. I posted a guide in this thread about how you would lay out the dairy project so you could take that approach for the livestock and grassland. The rest is just experiments and is fairly straightforward




    XxXSarahXxX wrote: »
    hey im a 5th year student... our school doesnt offer ag science but out biology teacher is offering to teach it after school in 6th year. he says he plans to have the project done this year. it is possible to cover the whole course in 6th year with just an hour and half a week?( im from a farming background)

    Yes you should be able to do it in that time frame no bother


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    #34
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    MaighEoAbu wrote: »
    Hi,

    Thanks very much for your reply!

    I never realised I had to do that! Well, there is a principal in our grinds school. Would that count? I have a very good relationship with my principal and I know I would be trusted so do you think there would be any problem there if it couldn't be my grinds school principal signing off on it?

    Thanks again!

    I think you're missing the point, the person who is signing off has to be actively teaching ag science, how can your principal assess you fairly on the 10 or 11 different sections of your project... especially if he's not an ag science teacher?


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    #35
    MaighEoAbu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 77 ✭✭MaighEoAbu


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    I think you're missing the point, the person who is signing off has to be actively teaching ag science, how can your principal assess you fairly on the 10 or 11 different sections of your project... especially if he's not an ag science teacher?


    No, my grinds teacher is actively teaching but the other student in my grinds class said that my principal in my own school has to sign off on it as well. Is that true?


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    #36
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    MaighEoAbu wrote: »
    No, my grinds teacher is actively teaching but the other student in my grinds class said that my principal in my own school has to sign off on it as well. Is that true?

    You would be classed as an external student. There is a space on the form for the teacher to sign and for the principal to sign. So there are two options.

    1. You do all your subjects except ag science in your regular school and you are registered as an external student in the school where your grinds teacher works for the purposes of the practical assessment. Their principal would sign the form. You would still sit the written in your own school.

    2. You are registered in your own school, and your grinds teacher signs off and your principal signs off, but it raises the problem that your grinds teacher is not teaching in your school and your principal may not want to sign off on a teacher he has never met


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    #37
    theowen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,744 ✭✭✭theowen


    Hey Rainbow trout, I've everything done in my project. I was just wondering what kind of pics they show you on the day, plants wise. In my project section A, I've basically a pic of every plant mentioned on the syllabus. Should it be a pic of the flower of the plant or?(this may sound stupid:p)


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    #38
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    theowen wrote: »
    Hey Rainbow trout, I've everything done in my project. I was just wondering what kind of pics they show you on the day, plants wise. In my project section A, I've basically a pic of every plant mentioned on the syllabus. Should it be a pic of the flower of the plant or?(this may sound stupid:p)

    you'll be grand so, usually the teacher themselves leaves a selection of plants out for the examiner to use, that way their students know what to expect. if none are left out or available, the examiner will supply their own... keeping to the common ones, a couple of grasses, clover, daisies, dandelions, etc trying to cover the different families


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    #39
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    zej wrote: »
    Jeez RainbowTrout, you're great! Haha.. I'd be so lost if it wasnt for all this. There is one thing I'm still confused about though, experiments! Do you need to include them in your project? Our teacher never said anything about putting experiments into it!?

    Thanks. :D Yes you must write up your experiments, if you already have them in a copy from class during the year you can hand that up. No need to re-write them.


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    #40
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    zej wrote: »
    Ah right ya, that's grand! Thanks :) Another thing, I'm doing cattle as my livestock but do you have to be specific about whether it's dairy or beef? Or can it just be cattle in general?

    It can be any of the above, realistically it would be hard to do a project on cattle without mentioning either dairy or beef. Eg, if you do a section on calves and calving, how calves are reared in the dairy herd is going to be different from the suckler herd.


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    #41
    theowen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,744 ✭✭✭theowen


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    you do realise that plagiarism of projects is not allowed???? you have five days, plenty of time to get the diary written up. Official deadline is March 31st, so really you have 10 days.
    Hey:rolleyes: How should you present the project? I've to have it it tomorrow for my teacher so would a ring binder with poly pockets be grand? Oh, and what percentage is the actual oral? And...would examiners ask questions outside of section A? I'm not sure if I should spend the rest of the day going back over my crops or to section A.


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    #42
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    theowen wrote: »
    Hey:rolleyes: How should you present the project? I've to have it it tomorrow for my teacher so would a ring binder with poly pockets be grand? Oh, and what percentage is the actual oral? And...would examiners ask questions outside of section A? I'm not sure if I should spend the rest of the day going back over my crops or to section A.

    You don't get any marks for the oral. The external examiner conducts interviews to ensure that the class teacher gave each student a fair mark. so if your teacher gave you 90/100 you should be giving an A standard interview.

    You will (if you are picked for interview) be asked questions on all the sections. So that's plants and animals, crops and livestock and the experiments.


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    #43
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    theowen wrote: »
    Would a teacher ask you to identify plants that arn't common? For instance, apple, pear, plum etc all look the exact same...

    no, there's no point in asking you plants you haven't really done. most common are the grasses, clover (red/white), daisy, dandelion, dock leaf, buttercup, thistle etc


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    #44
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    jonny92 wrote: »
    The majority of our class just copied and pasted info for our ag science project for the 2 crops sections. Their is about an average of 25% of our own work and info out of the revise wise. Could you lose the entire marks for plagiarism?

    Can you back it up with your practical experience? It's a bit of a half assed effort in my opinion. I already own a copy of the revision book, i don't need 30 more copies. It's impossible to do the project without using the materials that are available but just copying straight out of a book is lazy.


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    #45
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    mark182 wrote: »
    can anyone let me know what the lenght of the project should be.... average lenght anyway?...

    how long is a piece of string? Quality not quantity.


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    #46
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    shakeyabonbon wrote: »
    i was wondering how we are supposed to present our project. a bunch of girls i know are getting theirs binded but i was jus going to put mine in a folder like in poly pockets. is there any specific way or preferred way to do it?
    the other thing is that i know others doing the project and they are doing it really differently to me. i have been told to do 10 plants and 10 animals for section a. and we are writing up like 45 experiments. is there a wrong way to do an ag sci project?
    what do u need to do for the farm and land layout?

    There is no set layout. Polypockets is grand, fancy binding won't get any marks. Your teacher is doing a good job doing all those experiments, it will stand to you in the written exam if you do Q4. You have to have a minimum of 1 experiment in each of the following sections : Soil/Ecology/Animal Physiology/Plant Physiology/Genetics/Microbiology. So technically 6 experiments would do, but it is frowned upon if you hand up a copy with only 6 in it.

    The farm and land layout has to be minimum A4 size but I find a bigger drawing is easier to work with, it should show the layout of a farm, aerial view. So that's the buildings, fields, silage pit etc. If you have a farm, draw your own. You should be able to justify it, ie don't put the slurry pit beside the farm house, silage pit might be near the cattle shed for easy access to feed.


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    #47
    eddiej
    Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭eddiej


    To be honest wonder about this sometimes. Surely you do the best you can with the projects. I aim for my students to have about 30 pages including photos of type in their projects. This is a two year course and two years to do the project it is the easiest way to get marks before the exam and yet still students try to copy cheat and do a half baked attempt. DO YOUR BEST and put everything you can into it. If people spent more time on their project than time wondering about ways to fudge it the projects would be better.

    RT is 100% right you must know your own project and believe me it is very easy to spot the cogged projects. These are easy marks to get so why waste the opportunity.

    RE binding them why not it is not dear makes your project look good and you know be proud of it, it is not essential and if money is tight then dont but it only costs between 5-10 euro for this so if you can why not.


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    #48
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    triedtwice wrote: »
    There are 70 peo-ple inmy class - how many should be picked do u think? Also is it true that you have to pick an equal number of boys and girls from the one class cos there are very few girls!!

    70? Grind school?? Or several classes in one year? Plenty more than 4 will be chosen then. Stop worrying about it, there's nothing you can do until the day. The examiner can pick whoever they want. They will pick at RANDOM. Gender does not come into it, but most examiners will try and pick boys and girls if there is a mix but it's not a given.


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    #49
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    MaighEoAbu wrote: »
    Hi Rainbowtrout,

    I was just wondering, if you can, could you tell us all the range of questions that can be asked in the oral?

    Thank you, and don't mind if I'm asking too much!

    You will be asked about each of the different sections that marks are awarded for. So that's plant and animal identification. Your livestock project and crops and then each of the six sections in the experiments. It should take about 20 mins. It can take longer if it's hard to get information out of a student or conversely if a student wants to chat away sometimes they forget themselves. One of my students spent 45 mins :eek: in the interview a few years back, she got an A though and knew her stuff.

    Before anyone freaks out at the length of the interview, there are 6 sections in the experiments, 2 crops, livestock, farm plan, and the plant and animal identification, if you broke it down that's barely a minute or two each. It goes very fast.


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    #50
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    theowen wrote: »
    Oh crap. I was just reading the above posts and realised I never wrote the sources I used in my project. Is there any marks for them?

    no, no need for sources
    a2dolan wrote: »
    hey,
    im doing a farm diary and not a project?
    theres a big difference iv been told.
    is the marking break down still the same?

    breakdown of marks is in post #2


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    #51
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Dacentdee wrote: »
    hey, just finishing off my project and i think i've all the right parts covered within crops , livestock, experiments etc. Saw some other people's projects who have samples of plants and packages put in. Will i still get marks for having necessary headings covered or be marked down for not having these extra bits put in? gettin quite nervous...

    you don't have to have the samples of plants in your project. That can be assessed separately by your teacher. The other stuff which you have done has to have written evidence


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    #52
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Liveit wrote: »
    Hi i have a couple of questions about the project.

    For the plant and animal identification so you only have to show a picture of them and write down what they are and what family they are from? or do you have to write a couple of paragraphs on each one?

    For the farm plan, do you only have to do the two drawing or do you have to write all about it and about all the things in it, etc?

    You don't have to do a write up for either. Just a drawing for the farm plan (minimum size A4) and labelled pictures/drawings for the plants and animals is fine.


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    #53
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Liveit wrote: »
    okay thanks,
    So I have 5 plants from five different families, just pictures and names of each.
    5 animals- which includes 3 breeds of cattle, 2 breeds of pigs and 1 breed of sheep, again just picture and name of each
    So should that get me full marks in those sections?

    The animals should include the non-food producing animals (insects, pests etc). Only 3 of the 10 marks for animals go for cattle, pigs and sheep.

    If you have the time get yourself pics of a range of insects etc and put them in. I would suggest, ladybird, aphid, liverfluke, snail, slug, ticks/mites/fleas/maggots, earthworm, tapeworm etc

    At the end of the day, the question really should be, if those pictures were put in front of you without labels would you be able to name them, because that is what an examiner is likely to ask.


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    #54
    theowen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,744 ✭✭✭theowen


    zej wrote: »
    Anyone know what you could say for housing of beef cattle!? Like waste management and all that!?
    • 2 metre squared lying space
    • Special mat that prevents sores etc
    • Feeding
    • Cleaning
    • Good ventilation to prevent pnemonia
    • Dosing.


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    #55
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Healium wrote: »
    I love how you think he has some obligation to help you :P

    she :D


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    #56
    Healium
    Registered Users Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭Healium


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    she :D
    It's Louise O' Hora, Queen of Ag. Focus :P


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    #57
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Healium wrote: »
    It's Louise O' Hora, Queen of Ag. Focus :P

    No, no I am not her. :p


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    #58
    Healium
    Registered Users Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭Healium


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    No, no I am not her. :p
    You...mean...there's more than one female farmer in Ireland?


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    #59
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Healium wrote: »
    You...mean...there's more than one female farmer in Ireland?

    Ag science teacher =/= farmer.

    Yep, lots of female ag teacher/farmer types around. :pac:


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    #60
    Healium
    Registered Users Posts: 1,586 ✭✭✭Healium


    rainbowtrout wrote: »
    Ag science teacher =/= farmer.

    Yep, lots of female ag teacher/farmer types around. :pac:

    Sure, sure ;)
    My own Ag. Science teacher is female :p
    How does it feel to break the mould and work in a male-dominated sector? Your thoughts please :cool:
    /off topic


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    #61
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Healium wrote: »
    Sure, sure ;)
    My own Ag. Science teacher is female :p
    How does it feel to break the mould and work in a male-dominated sector? Your thoughts please :cool:
    /off topic



    /off-topic

    It's fun, and there are as many if not more women teaching ag science now than men. Possibly because one of the main courses qualifying teachers in the subject is Science Education in UL (which I did) and girls outnumber lads by at least 4 to 1 on the course.


    There are a lot of stereotypes surrounding agriculture, farming and ag science teachers. Some of them are true. Some however are not :)

    What I've discovered:

    1. Lads in the school I teach in didn't think I'd know anything about agriculture when I started there because I'm a city girl.
    2. Lads I've taught/teach didn't think I'd know anything about farming/agriculture because I'm female.
    3. Parents coming to meet me at parent teacher meetings imagined me different from their reactions, and I'm sure some were unconvinced that I'd know as much as a man.
    4. Not only do people think it's a male dominated environment, but they associate a certain stereotype with farming and teaching. Possibly a tweed coat and wellies :D I've gotten some strange looks when visiting schools with short spiky red hair (back in the day) and a couple of piercings. You don't have to wear wellies and have your trousers tied with baling twine to teach agriculture.
    5. I get on well with my friends farmer husbands because I can talk to them about the price of lambs, if there's much growth in the grass this weather and how the new calves are coming along. :)

    It's good to challenge that image. Not intentionally, but it's opened some of my students' eyes to the possibility that you can be good at ag science and not come from a farming background.


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