Learning the FFA Creed

Session 2 David Agnew

Objectives1. State the purpose for students saying the FFA Creed.2. Explain the history and significant points about the

Creed, who wrote and when adopted, types of changes in the revisions

3. Explain how to teach students to recite the creed. 4. Explain how to handle circumstances that may arise

around the saying of the creed. 5. Explain how to evaluate student performance in saying

the creed. 6. Explain the creed as a CDE

Objective 1:

• Why have students say the FFA Creed?– To develop an awareness of the major beliefs

of the FFA. – It is a contest area that you can participate in at

the local, sub-area, district and state level.– It is required for receiving the Greenhand

degree• Well then I don't want the Greenhand degree!• Getting the Greenhand degree is not required but….

– It is required for a grade in this course.

Objective 2:History and significance of the Creed

• Who wrote the FFA Creed?– E.M. Tiffany– four minute video about E.M. Tiffany e FFA Creed)

on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ4xaq9T6s0

• When was the FFA Creed adopted?– at the 3rd national FFA Convention -- 1930

• When was it revised? – 38th National FFA Convention – 63rd national Convention -- removed the word farming

and rural and replaced with America agriculture or just agriculture.

Objective 3: Explain how to teach students to recite the creed

1. Teach about the meaning and history to develop their awareness of the significance of this document. Explain what a creed is.

2. Discuss the meaning of the different phrases. I.e. 1. What does it mean to have a faith born not of words, What is it to have

belief in our selves and respect for others, Can you believe in less need for charity and more at the same time, what influence can you exert in your home and community which will stand solid, etc.

3. Discuss the meaning of selected words. Some 9th grader will not know the meaning of some words, i.e. agriculturist, tradition, progressive, efficiently, exert.

3. Have them learn one paragraph a day for a week. Day one, paragraph - 1, day 2 do paragraph 1 and 2, etc. Give so many points a paragraph.

4. Make it a contest. Give prizes. Invite in alumni or a speech teacher to judge, upper classmen, Overall winner represents chapter the sub-area.

Objective 3: Teaching the Creed

5. YOU THE TEACHER state the creed in front of your students. Show them that you can do that which you expect of them.

6. Put the words to the creed on board, erase some the have them say together as a group, keep erasing more until they can say it without any words on the board.

7. Cut up parts of a written copy of the creed into logical parts and have them draw out of hat and the discuss what it means.

8. A slight change to the previous is to put the students in groups of three and let discuss what each has drawn and then let each lead a discussion on the meaning of that part. This meets the need to have each lead a discussion.

Objective 3: Teaching the Creed9. Cut up parts of the creed (line by line) and have students arrange

in order as practice for understanding the flow of the content. Do this as a group or individually. It can be a game with the one (or group) finishing first getting the most points. Or you can make this a timed event.

10. Another fun way to do the creed is to make it a group practice project. Have someone start the creed and then you the teacher call out names and then the person who’s name you called picks up where the other person was when you call their name. Let each person do 1 to 3 lines depending on how much they know. This keeps everyone listening.

11. Have an upper class member or officer come in and recite the creed.

12. Have a video tape of the national FFA Creed contest and show to give students a standard to aim for when practicing.

Objective 3: Teaching the Creed

• Example of a creed done by a high school for educational purposes. – http://mhsitrt.podomatic.com/entry/et/2007-01-12T10_37_57-08_00

Objective 4: Handling circumstances arising around response to the creed

• Avoid problems first….– Describe the beliefs of the FFA as discussed in the FFA Creed.– Other student organizations have a creed.– Have you ever belonged to an organization that had a creed?

• Why do we have a creed? What is its purpose?• Why make students learn it?• How do you teach about the creed?• How might they learn it with the least amount of difficulty?• What do you say of a parent says I don’t want my child to learn the

creed?• What is some may want to opt out of the creed for religious

reasons? – This creed does not replace any of your personal or religious beliefs.

Objective 5: Suggestions on How to Grade the Creed

1. Minus so many points per word missed.2. Allow x number of points for each paragraph

and subtract points for each word missed.3. Use a piece of clear transparency film or the

creed on a transparency on a clip board and then mark mistakes with a water based ink marker. This helps you not have to write much and the transparency film is wiped off with a damp paper towel and you are ready for the next student.

Objective 5: How to Grade the Creed

4. Give bonus points or privileges for anyone who will say an extra paragraph on any day when using the one paragraph a day plan. You need to have a plan for what you want the ones to do who finish in three days on the five day plan.

5. Have the students say the creed in front of other students in their class and appoint other students to listen for errors. let those students give a report of their findings. This keeps them involved. Change the groups (2-3) for each new student who says his/her part.

Objective 6: Explain the Creed as a CDE

• Local winner • Sub area • District• State • National

National

State

District

Subarea

Local

CREED CDE Rules

• Source: Bulletin 5– http://www.ffa.org/documents/cde_creed.pdf

Evaluation Criteria

View a Video of an FFA Creed Contest

• Listen to the creed as if you were the judge.

• Use the Handout which is the judging score card to assess each of the one we hear.

• Now think about how you would help you student learn to do this as well as these

The FFA CreedI believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds--achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.

I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.

I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.

I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so--for others as well as myself; in less need of charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.

I believe that rural America can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

Paragraph 1 of the FFA Creed

I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds--achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.

Paragraph 2 of the FFA Creed

• I believe that to live and work on a good farm, or to be engaged in other agricultural pursuits, is pleasant as well as challenging; for I know the joys and discomforts of agricultural life and hold an inborn fondness for those associations which even in hours of discouragement, I cannot deny.

Paragraph 3 of the FFA Creed

I believe in leadership from ourselves and respect from others. I believe in my own ability to work efficiently and think clearly, with such knowledge and skill as I can secure, and in the ability of progressive agriculturists to serve our own and the public interest in producing and marketing the product of our toil.

Paragraph 4 of the FFA Creed

I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so--for others as well as myself; in less need of charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.

Paragraph 5 of the FFA Creed

I believe that rural America can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.

The End