CTE AG Animal Science

New SWPK12 grant awarded to expand our Animal Science offerings!

We recently were awarded a grant of just over $900,000 to expand our Animal Science Pathway! We will be adding a Veterinary Assisting course as our Capstone class that will receive articulated college credit from Yuba Community College and will serve as one of the three pre-requisites into the Veterinary Technician program at Yuba Community College. These classes will meet in our new Agricultural Science building when it opens in February/March, will work hands on with our farm animals and community domestic pets, and will have a Mobile Animal Science Lab that can be taken off campus for Work-Based Learning opportunities. Watch here for more details as they unfold!

Courses

Introduction Course

Pirate Focus
Grade Level: 9
UC/CSU: Elective (“G”) requirement
Credits: 10.0
Graduation Requirement: GFSF
Pre-requisites: None.
Dual Enrollment/Articulation: Articulation with Yuba College (COUNS 25)
Grading Scale: 4.0
Description: A comprehensive career and life planning course. Students complete the course with a 10 Year Plan for success, a Skills-Based Education Plan, the beginning of a Professional Portfolio, and a sense of relevance for their high school courses. In the context of a study of the changes that occur during a typical life span, each student will construct a personal profile of current and projected interests, aptitudes, skills, values, personality, and life and personal circumstances.

Concentrator Courses

Agricultural Animal Science
Grade Level: 11 - 12 (1oth with Teacher/Counselor Approval)
UC/CSU: Science (“D”) requirement
Credits: 10.0
Graduation Requirement: 3rd year Science or CTE
Pre-requisites: Student must have passed Agricultural Biology or Biology and Integrated Math I with a “C” or better. Recommended Agricultural Biology.
Grading Scale: 4.0
Dual Enrollment/Articulation: Articulation with Yuba College (AG 45)
Description: This course will provide the student with principles in Animal Sciences along with Anatomy and Physiology focusing on the areas of mammalian production, anatomy, physiology, reproduction, nutrition, respiration, and genetics. This course is intended to successfully prepare students for entry-level employment after high school, as well as those students who plan on majoring in Agricultural Sciences at a post-secondary institution.

Capstone Course

Veterinary Assisting
Grade Level: 11 - 12
UC/CSU: Science (“G”) requirement
Credits: 10.0
Graduation Requirement: 3rd year Science or CTE Grading Scale: 4.0
Pathway: AG Animal Science Capstone Articulation/Dual Enrollment: Articulation with YCC VETT-91 and VETT-5A Pending
Pre-requisites: Student must have passed Agricultural Animal Science and Integrated Math I with a “C” or better.
Description: This course meets one of the pre-requisites for applying to the Yuba College Vet Tech Program. (From Yuba College Catalog) Concepts of veterinary medicine are needed to function effectively as veterinary assistants, veterinary receptionists, kennel staff, or animal shelter workers. This course does not lead to the AS Degree in Veterinary Technology but can be used as a step towards entry into that program. (L)

Miscellaneous Related and Recommended Classes

DE Agricultural Leadership and Communications
Grade Level: 9 - 12
UC/CSU: Elective (“G”) requirement
Credits: 10.0
Graduation Requirement: CTE
Pre-requisites: None
Grading Scale: 4.0
Dual Enrollment/Articulation:
Description: This course is designed to promote and develop leadership in the Agriculture Industry. Through the planning and execution of numerous events for the school’s FFA chapter, students will discover how to best affect change in their communities. Students will read extensively about the nature of leadership and its different styles. Additionally, students write frequently – critically, reflectively, persuasively – and speak about real-world issues in Agriculture. Topics will include current issues in Ag legislation, the development of personal leadership skills, FFA operations, FFA Judging Teams, and exploration of past and present needs in the Ag Industry and its leaders. A supervised Agricultural Experience project is required and will be developed with the aid of the instructor. Students will help plan, organize and put on events in FFA. Students are required to complete 20 hours per semester. FFA participation and SAE, Supervised Agricultural Experience, projects will be part of the grade for this course.

Agricultural Biology – P
Grade Level: 9 - 12
UC/CSU: Science (“D”) requirement
Credits: 10.0
Graduation Requirement: Science
Pre-requisites: None
Grading Scale: 4.0
Description: Agricultural Biology meets the CSU/UC laboratory science requirement for admission and the Wheatland Union High School life science requirement for graduation. This yearlong laboratory science course is designed for college-bound students with an interest in agriculture, applied biology sciences, environmental studies, and natural resource management. Included in the course are the study of molecular and cellular aspects of life, the basic concepts of biochemistry, and the structure of atoms as they relate to energy production, nutrition, digestion, genetics, nervous systems, immune systems, circulatory system, comparative anatomy, physiology, and growth and reproductions of plants and animals. Students will have the opportunity to participate in leadership activities through involvement in the FFA, they are required to keep a record book and have a supervised agricultural project.

Chemistry and AgriScience - P
Grade Level: 10- 12
UC/CSU: Science (“D”) requirement
Credits: 10.0
Graduation Requirement: Science
Pre-requisites: Successful completion of Biology or Agricultural Biology.
Grading Scale: 4.0
Description: This course explores the physical and chemical nature of soil as well as the relationships between soil, plants, animals and agricultural practices. Students will examine properties of soil and land and their connections to plant and animal production. Using knowledge of scientific protocols as well as course content, students will develop an AgriScience research program to be conducted throughout the first semester of the course. To complete that whole project each student will investigate and test an AgriScience research question by formulating a scientific question related to the course content, formulating a hypothesis based on related research, conducting an experiment to test the hypothesis, collecting quantitative data, and forming a conclusion based on analysis of the data. The result of this research program will be an in-depth research and experimentation paper that is technically written, based on scientific protocol, and cited using APA formatting. Additionally, students will develop and present a capstone soil management plan for agricultural producers, using the content learned throughout the course. Throughout the course, students will be graded on participation in intra-curricular FFA activities as well as the development and maintenance of an ongoing Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. This includes OSHA-10 General Industry (Agriculture) Certification.

Other Recommended Yuba Community College Classes that can be taken online or at the Yuba College Campus:

  • VETT-55: Veterinary Medical Terminology

  • VETT-7: Current Topics in Veterinary Technology

Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO)

FFA - The National FFA Organization

Students enrolled in any Agriculture Pathway are eligible to participate in FFA as members or officers. FFA is a Career Technical Student Organization that is recognized by industries across the nation as a way for students to gain employable skills and develop into great leaders. More information can be acquired from our Agriculture Teachers or from CTE/C Center, or by emailing careers@wheatlandhigh.org.

Yuba College Degree Information

This program is a natural lead in to the Yuba College Veterinary Technology program. For more about this program: CLICK HERE

Industry Information

Jobs
Farmers/Ranchers
Animal Scientists
Veterinarian
Veterinary Technician
Lab Animal Caretaker
Husbandry

Wage Range
$35,000 - $160,000
Depending on Experience and Level of Education

Projected Job Openings
430 Veterinarians
720 Veterinarian Technicians
7,260 In Animal Science
52,000 in Agricultural Business

View these careers on
California Career Zone Student
California Career Zone Non-Student

Local Post-Secondary Options

Yuba Community College Veterinary Technology Program

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine