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Southern MN Introduction to Agriculture

Page history last edited by Siri Anderson 15 years ago

Agriculture in Southern Minnesota

“There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” - Aldo Leopold

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Name: Lorna, Erica & Karen Date: Fall 08

Grade Level: 6th-8th

Subject: Social Studies Project: Agriculture in Southern Minnesota

Essential questions:

What's for dinner?
Why does it matter where our food comes from, or doesn't it?
What is the role of the environment?
What is the role of animals?

Minnesota State Standards:

Strand VI. Economics, Sub-Strand A. Producers and Consumers; Standard --The student will understand the concept of interdependence in relation to producers and consumers; Benchmark 3. Students will explain how a market economy answers the questions of what gets produced, how it is produced, and who receives it, and how it differs from other economic systems.
Strand V. Geography, Sub-strand D. Interconnections; Standard - The student will give examples that demonstrate how people are connected to each other and the environment; Benchmark 1, Students will analyze how the physical environment influences human activities.

Objectives:

Southern--Agriculture--Dairy--Lesson

The following objectives will be met with a lesson on dairy:

The students will summarize general dairy information found on an internet site, in a jig-saw method, presenting it in a flip chart for the whole class, including at least five important dairy facts and/or vocabulary.
The students will use the teacher-selected vocabulary words, according to Marzano's six-step process, showing understanding of the meaning of these dairy terms.
Students will record their daily calcium intake and weight bearing exercises, along with other food consumption to be used in playing the "Paper Bone" game, with a total of at least three days of records.
Students will compare new information, gained from an article about organic farming, with prior knowledge, in small groups, resulting in a presentation to the whole class.
Students will analyze a media article about organic farming, including the author's purpose and point of view, in small groups, filling out the CML Five Core Questions woksheet.

Southern Agriculture Soil Lesson

The following objective will be met with a lesson on soil surveys in Southern Minnesota.

The students will utilize the internet with a partner to contrast and compare soil surveys in Southern Minnesota in order to choose an ideal area to set up farming.

Southern Agriculture - Crops and Farmers

The following objectives will be met with a lesson on farmers and corn:

Students will identify factors that drew farmers to their areas by interviewing local farmers.
Students will synthesize their knowledge of farmers by creating a class booklet or powerpoint presentation
Students will identify factors that contribute to area's corn production.
Students will research the various products made from corn and present them in a power point presentation.

Materials: Click on the individual links below for materials needed for each part of the lesson.

Southern--Agriculture--Dairy--Lesson

Southern Agriculture Soil Lesson

Southern Agriculture - Crops and Farmers

Procedure:

Explain vocabulary building exercises which will be a part of all three lessons--dairy, soil, and crops. Southern--Agriculture--Vocabulary Building in Six Steps

Day 1-4 Dairy

Lesson Plan - Link to Southern--Agriculture--Dairy--Lesson for complete lesson plan and all required handouts.

Day 5-7 Land/Soil

Begin lesson with introduction of vocabulary- Link to Southern--Agriculture--Vocabulary Building in Six Steps for "soil" specific vocabulary activities.
Lesson Plan- Link to Southern Agriculture Soil Lesson for complete lesson plan and all required handouts.

Day 8-10 Crops/Farmers

Begin lesson with introduction to vocabulary- Link to Southern--Agriculture--Vocabulary Building in Six Steps for "crop/farmers" specific vocabulary activities.
Lesson Plan- Link to Southern Agriculture - Crops and Farmers for lesson plans.

Day 11: In small groups, based on ability, students will play "Word Pursuit." The teacher will spend most of his/her time helping the lower ability group. Link: Southern--Vocabulary Game

Student Assessment & Check for Understanding:

See each lesson plan for its own forms of assessment. The vocabulary game, on day 10, also has a report to be handed in for assessment. In addition, as homework, students will write an essay, using nine of the new vocabulary words (three from each of dairy, soil, and crops). Students are also to include an explanation of how this new knowledge helps to answer at least one of the essential questions. Essay Rubric.doc