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Frequently Asked Questions
Who can volunteer?
Any adult in the community is welcome to volunteer. You don’t have to be a farmer or agriculturalist to want to read a book to elementary students. Parents, grandparents, youth program leaders, and even teachers can all participate.
I'm a teacher who wants to read to my own students, what do I do?
Wonderful! In these situations, you will be both the volunteer and the teacher. As the volunteer, you will need to register AND complete a report. As the teacher, you will need to complete the feedback form.
In order to be eligible to participate, you will need to have at least one other class and its teacher join you and your students during the reading. Each of the additional teachers will also receive their own copy of Bee's Amazing Adventure. Due to audience, in these situations, we strongly encourage the use of the digital book found in the Teachers link.
What do I do during my classroom visit?
How you conduct your visit largely depends on time (both yours & the teachers) and your comfort level.
Some volunteers prefer to simply explain why they wanted to visit the class, read the book, lead a discussion (check for comprehension) and answer questions.
Other volunteers like to use the videos, lessons, & resources provided on our Resources page and incorporate a small portion of these into their visits.
All volunteers are encouraged to review the Volunteers page for ways to prepare for your visit.
Which school should I go to?
There are no limitations. Most volunteers choose to read in a classroom of someone they already know or at an elementary school near their home or work.
How do I contact schools?
Many people already have a contact at an elementary school and are encouraged to speak with that person. Others would benefit from contacting the school's librarian. When explaining AZ Agricultural Literacy Days, it may be helpful to direct them to this website. We've also created this flyer to help explain.
What about homeschools and other non-traditional education settings, can they participate?
AZ Agricultural Literacy Days is intended for a traditional classroom setting. However homeschools and other non-traditional education programs with a class of 10 or more students can also participate. Just make sure that there is a designated adult who regularly teaches Arizona's required subjects of reading, grammar, math, science, and social studies.
Will students receive their own copy of a book?
No. As a statewide program, providing a book to each participating student would quickly exceed thousands of dollars. However, by donating a single book into each classroom, Bee's Amazing Adventure can be enjoyed by all classroom students for years to come. Those who are interested in purchasing their own copy can email their order to AgLiteracy@cals.arizona.edu.
What book will I read?
We are excited to use the very first children's book entirely dedicated to Arizona agriculture! Arizona Agriculture: Bee’s Amazing Adventure was published on August 28, 2014. View a video about the book and practice reading it by visiting our Book link.
Is there a digital version of the book that I can use?
Yes! Simply talk with your hosting teacher. If the equipment to present the digital version is available and the teacher agrees to its use, then direct the hosting teacher to the Teachers link.
A digital version of the book will be provided to the hosting teacher who will be responsible to prepare the equipment for your visit. Be prepared to use the donated hardcopy if there are technical difficulties.
For which grade is the book intended?
Arizona Agriculture: Bee's Amazing Adventure is likely to hold the interest of elementary students in 3rd grade and above.
Can I read to students outside the recommend age group (3rd grade - upper elementary)?
Absolutely! You are encouraged to read to your preferred age group. However, you will need to adapt your presentation for other grade ranges. Those who read to young audiences are encouraged to lead discussions based on the pictures as opposed to reading everything word-for-word. Making visits engaging and interactive is encouraged for all grade levels and becomes increasingly important the younger the students - their attention span may not last the entire book.
Any suggestions on how I should read the book to students?
To help in your preparation for reading the book out loud, we've put together some helpful reading tips. Enjoy!
What do I do with the book after my visit?
Please give the book to the teacher as a donation to the classroom library. We envision Bee's Amazing Adventure one day being in every classroom in the state!
How is this year's AZ Agricultural Literacy Days different than previous years?
Our first couple of years using Bee's Amazing Adventure required a much more cumbersome procedure. That process was necessary in order to fulfill certain grant requirements that funded the book's publication. This year, the process is much more streamlined! Now, volunteers are not required to have a specific date and time for their classroom visit before registering and receiving a copy of the book.
Simply sign-up to show us that you're interested. We'll then follow-up with you until you've made contact with all of the teachers and gotten their agreement for you to visit their classroom sometime this fall.
Send us the teachers' emails, and we'll get all of our required info from them. Once we get this, we'll do a final double-check with you, and then we'll mail you the books along with some documents that you can find at the Volunteers link.
After enjoying your time with students by helping their minds grow with agriculture, come back online to complete a quick report form (within 24-hours if you can).
What happens if I received a book and can't visit a classroom like I had planned?
Arizona Agriculture: Bee's Amazing Adventure retails for $11.95 through the publisher. If for some reason you are unable to visit a classroom as planned, we ask that you return the book to us (4341 E Broadway Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85040). We require an accounting for all books.