Course Information

2026-2027 Academic Year

DRAFT CMS until August 14, 2026.

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AU10 Foundations of Agriculture

Course Code	AU10
Course Title	Foundations of Agriculture
Course Description	Explore the sectors of the agriculture industry through hands-on activities. Develop a foundation of agricultural literacy to become an advocate in the community. Establish an understanding of the process to produce agricultural commodities in the areas of plant science, agriculture mechanics, animal science, and natural resources. Build leadership and employability skills through authentic experiences from Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), classroom instruction, and FFA participation. Gain the knowledge and skills for careers in agriculture, energy, and natural resources.
Cluster Grouping	Cultivating Resources
Career Cluster	Agriculture (AGRI)
Course Lead Consultant	Sherilee Deal sdeal2@ncsu.edu
Course Status	Standard
Course Type	Developed
POL (Proof of Learning)	CTE State Assessment
Credential as POL	N/A
Curriculum Date	Summer 2013
Hours of Instruction	135-150
Recommended Maximum Enrollment	25
Course Credit	1
Inherently Honors	No
Meets Computer Science (CS) Graduation Requirement	No
Math Option Credit	No
Prerequisites	None
Cluster Grouping(s)	Cultivating Resources
Career Cluster(s)	Agriculture (AGRI) Energy and Natural Resources (ENNR)
Pathway Level(s)	Animal Science (ANSC) - Supplemental Technical Equine Science (EQSC) - Supplemental Technical Natural Resources (NARE) - Supplemental Technical Plant Systems (PLSV) - Supplemental Technical Power, Structural, and Technical Systems (PSTE) - Supplemental Technical Sustainable Agriculture (SUAG) - Supplemental Technical
Aligned Credential(s) or Certification(s)	N/A
CTSO(s) (Career and Technical Student Organization)	The National FFA Organization North Carolina FFA Association
SOC Code(s) (Standard Occupational Classification Code)	Agricultural Technicians (19-4012) Food Scientists and Technologists (19-1012) Forest and Conservation Technicians (19-4071) Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other (19-4099) Plant and System Operators, All Other (51-8099)

Proof of Learning (POL) Specifications

CTE State Assessment: The post-assessment will be a 100-item multiple choice test administered through the NC Instructional Management System.
Credential: Please work with the specified vendor(s) to coordinate and schedule.
Performance-based Measurement (PBM): Please follow the PBM guidelines set forth in the Performance-based Measurement Guide for the specified course.

Recommended Maximum Enrollment
Indicates the recommended maximum number of students who should be enrolled in a course based on best educational practice.

Meets Computer Science (CS) Graduation Requirement

Yes: The course meets the Computer Science graduation requirement.
Yes*: The course can be offered in both middle and high school and meets the Computer Science graduation requirement.
No: The course does not meet the Computer Science graduation requirement.

Refer to the DPI website for more detailed Computer Science graduation requirement information.

Math Option Credit
Refer to the Math Options Charts on the DPI website for more detailed math options information.

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO)
Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) are an integral part of this curriculum.

CTSOs incorporate strategies used to teach course content, develop leadership, citizenship, responsibility, and proficiencies related to workplace needs.

Work-based Learning (WBL)
Work-based Learning (WBL) is an integral educational strategy within the North Carolina Career and Technical Education (CTE) system. It provides students with real-world work experiences, allowing them to apply academic and technical skills while developing crucial durable employability skills. These experiences occur at employer worksites, coordinated with school-based activities to illustrate the practical relevance of academic learning.

Work-based learning strategies, integral to all CTE career clusters in North Carolina, encompass the four phases of the Career Development Continuum: career awareness, exploration, preparation, and participation as noted in the image below. Learn more at Career Development and Work-based Learning | NC DPI.

WBL Courses with Academic Credit:

CTE Advanced Studies
CTE Cooperative Education
CTE Entrepreneurial Experience
CTE Internship
CTE Pre-apprenticeship
CTE Apprenticeship

WBL Activities without Academic Credit:

Guest speaker
Career fair
Job fair
Transition fair
Field trip (workplace tour)
Job shadowing
Workplace challenge/Industry-sponsored project