Wheat Agricultural Literacy

There are more than 30,000 different wheat varieties, which can be divided into six different classes: Hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, hard white, soft white and durum. Farmers in Central Oregon primarily grow varieties that are either from the hard red winter or soft white classes.

Hard red winter wheat is planted in the fall. When cold weather arrives, it becomes dormant. Growth begins again the following spring and it is harvested in late spring or early summer. In Jefferson County, soft white winter is generally planted in the spring and harvested in late summer or early fall.

Lessons:

• The Great American Wheat Harvest Series
  Available for checkout through COARC
  • Little Red Hen’s Harvest (Kindergarten- 2^nd)
    Available for checkout through COARC
  • Enjoying the Harvest (Grades 3^rd – 5^th)
    Available for checkout through COARC
  • Timing is Everything: The Wheat Crop Depends on the Weather (Grades 5^th – 7^th )
    Available for checkout through COARC
  • Helping the Little Red Hen: Careers in Wheat Production (Grades 5^th – 7^th)
    Available for checkout through COARC
  • Who Will Help Me Harvest the Wheat: Combines and Careers in Ag Mechanics (Grades 6^th-12^th)
    Available for checkout through COARC
  • Government Work: Agricultural Research, Education and Farm Support (Grades 6^th-12^th)
    Available for checkout through COARC
  • Sensors and Satellites: Careers and Technology in Agriculture (Grades 6th - 12th)
    Available for checkout through COARC
• Oregon Commodity Granola
• Bread in a Bag (5^th-12^th Grade)
• Monocots and Dicots (3^rd – 8^th)
• Wheat and Dolls (Grades 3^rd – 5^th)
• Wheat Germ DNA (Grades 3^rd-5^th)
• Serious Cereal Science (Grades 6^th – 8^th)
• Pancakes! (Grades 3^rd – 5^th)
• Little Red Hen (Grades K – 2^nd)
• Food MASTER: Grains (Grades 3^rd – 5^th)
• Pizza Time! (Grades 3^rd – 5^th)

Videos:

• The Great American Wheat Harvest (Available to rent through COARC)
• Farmland (Available to rent through COARC)
• The War of Wheat- The Fifth Estate
• Discovery How Stuff Works- Wheat
• From Seed to Civilization- Wheat Documentary
• How it’s Made- Flour
• How it’s Made- Bread

Books:

• Little Red Hen- Paul Galdone (Available for rent)
• Burro’s Tortillas- Terri Fields
• From Wheat to Bread- Kristin Thoennes Keller
• Celebrate Wheat- Dan Yunk
• All in Just One Cookie- Susan Goodman
• Loaves of Fun- Elizabeth Harbison
• Bread is for Eating- David and Phyllis Gershator
• Bread Comes to Life- George Levenson
• Everybody Bakes Bread- Norah Dooley
• PB & J Hooray
• Tyler Makes Pancakes- Tyler Florence
• Wheat: A True Book- Elaine Landau

Field Trips:

• OSU Food Innovation Center
• Oregon Wheat Marketing Center
• Bob’s Red Mill Headquarters
• Mecca Grade Growers