IAITC 2025-26 Ag Literacy Grants
Learn more about the 2025-26 ag literacy grants from Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom and the IAA Foundation.
Christmas Tree Resources
Illinois Ag in the Classroom is excited to offer the following resources for teaching students about Christmas Trees:
- Christmas Trees Handout
- Recommended Reading
- Interview with Patricia Toht, author of "Pick a Pine Tree"
- Christmas Tree Lessons
- Interview with a Christmas Tree Farmer
Scroll down to view and download the resources!
Christmas Trees Handout
Read about the history and production of Christmas Trees and meet some Christmas Tree farmers!
Recommended Reading
Christmas Books:
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
- Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray
- Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
- Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
- Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree by David Rubel
Winter / Tree Books:
- This Very Tree by Sean Rubin
- Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyl
- Zee Grows a Tree by Elizabeth Rusch
Have a visit with Patricia Toht, author of Pick a Pine Tree!
Watch this brief interview with the author of Pick a Pine Tree, one of our favorite evergreen tree books, to hear about her holiday traditions, her upcoming books, and more!
IAITC Christmas Tree Lessons
Click the picture to view the lesson!
How are Christmas trees grown in Illinois?
Watch this interview with Brian Helmig, a Christmas tree grower from McLean County, Illinois to learn more about how Helmig Tree Farm grows their trees!
Rows of Resources: Corn and Soybean Activities
Thanks to April showers aplenty this year, most Illinois farmers will spend the first part of this month planting rows and rows of Illinois' top agriculture commodities: corn and soybeans, and we will follow suit by sharing rows and rows of our favorite corn and soybean resources!
STEM and Inquiry in Agriculture
Fun, hands-on activities to get students thinking and problem solving by carrying out STEM and inquiry challenges with connections to agriculture.