Lesson 1.1 –AgricultureEveryday

Preface

Agriculture and natural resources provide the basic needs, including food, clothing, and shelter for human populations. Agriculture was the foundation for the shift from the nomadic lifestyle of a hunter-gatherer to settled, community-based societies. The advancements in agriculture have allowed fewer people to be involved in the production of agricultural goods. This allows more people to live further from farms and ranches and to devote more time to nonagricultural ventures.

Production of agricultural commodities occurs throughout the United States of America and plays a critical role in both our food supply and our economy. Much of the food and fiber consumed in the United States is produced here, yet only a small percentage of people are directly involved in production.

In this lesson, students will explore how agriculture provides for their basic needs, what commodities are produced in the United States of America, and how those commodities move from producer to consumer. Students will also complete an activity to develop an organizational system for notes and records that will be used throughout this course.

Concepts

  1. Agriculture andnatural resource systems provide the three basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter.
  2. Organization and record keeping are important to the success of an agricultural business.
  3. Agriculture is a broad field of study that includes agriculture systems, natural resource management, science, business, communication, and leadership.
  4. Production of agricultural commodities occurs within specific regions of the United States.

Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will

  • Determine if their basic needs are met after simulating the collection of resources during different situations.
  • Develop and keep an Agriscience Notebook to record and store information.
  • Interpret types of activities associated with agriculture from a case study about an agricultural entrepreneur.
  • Research top commodities produced in the United States and determine costs of food to consumers.

Standards and Benchmarks Addressed

AFNR Career Cluster – LifeKnowledge® and Cluster Skills Content Standards

Lesson 1.1 will address parts of the following performance elements:

CS.02. Performance Element:Personal Growth: Develop a skill set to enhance the positive evolution of the whole person.

CS.05. Performance Element: Systems: Identify how key organizational structures and processes affect organizational performance and the quality of products and services.

AFNR Career Cluster – Natural Resources Systems Career Pathway Content Standards

Lesson 1.1 will address parts of the following performance elements:

NRS.01. Performance Element:Explain interrelationships between natural resources and humans necessary to conduct management activities in natural environments.

National Science Education Standards

Unifying Concepts and Processes: As a result of activities in grades K-12, all students should develop understanding and abilities aligned with the following concepts and processes:

  • Systems, order, and organization

History and Nature of Science – Content Standard G: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of

  • Historical perspectives

Standards for the English Language Arts

Standard 8 / Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (e.g. libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Standard 12 / Students use spoken, written and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g. for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education – Copyright 2011

AFNR – Unit 1 – Lesson 1.1 – Agriculture Everyday – Page 1

Essential Questions

  1. What is agriculture?
  2. What are basic human needs?
  3. How has agriculture made life easier?
  4. What additional industries are related to agriculture?
  5. What is a commodity?
  6. What agricultural products are produced in the United States?
  7. What crops and animals are predominately grown in each region of the United States?
  8. What crops and animals are typically produced in my state?
  9. How much does food cost in the United States compared to other countries?

Key Terms

Agribusiness / Agriculture / Agriscience
Commodity / Crop / FFA
Fiber / Food / Input
Livestock / Natural resources / Poultry
SAE / Shelter

Day-to-DayPlans

Time: 5 days

The teacher will refer to the Teacher Resources section for specific information on teaching this lesson; in particular Lesson 1.1 Teacher Notes, Lesson 1.1 Glossary,Lesson 1.1 Equipment and Supplies, and other support materials.

Day 1:

  • The teacher will describe what Concepts, Performance Objectives, Essential Questions, and Key Terms are to prepare students for the pedagogy used in this course.
  • The teacher will present the Concepts, Performance Objectives,Essential Questions, and Key Termsfor Lesson 1.1 Agriculture Everyday in order to provide a lesson overview.
  • The teacher will provide students with a copy of Activity 1.1.1 Basic Provisions.
  • The teacher will discuss the components of APP documents with students.
  • Students will work in groups of four to complete Activity 1.1.1 Basic Provisions.
  • The teacher will facilitate a discussion pertaining to the advances in agriculture and the correlation to lifestyles and leisure time.

Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education – Copyright 2011

AFNR – Unit 1 – Lesson 1.1 – Agriculture Everyday – Page 1

Day 2:

  • The teacher will provide students with a copy of Activity 1.1.2 Agriscience Notebook.
  • Students will work individually to complete Activity 1.1.2 Agriscience Notebook.
  • The teacher will provide students Presentation Notes pages to be used throughout the presentation to record notes and reflections. These pages are to be added to the Agriscience Notebook.
  • The teacher will present PowerPoint®Facets of Agriculture.
  • Students will take notes using the Presentation Notes pages provided by the teacher and insert their completed notes into the correct section of their Agriscience Notebook.

Day 3:

  • The teacher will complete the presentation of PowerPoint®Facets of Agriculture,if necessary.
  • The teacher will provide students with a copy of Activity 1.1.3 Popp’n with Orville.
  • Students will work individually to complete Activity 1.1.3 Popp’n with Orville.

Day 4:

  • The teacher will provide students with a copy of Activity 1.1.4 Grown in the USA.
  • Students will work with a partner to complete Activity 1.1.4 Grown in the USA.

Day 5:

  • Students will complete Activity 1.1.4 Grown in the USA, if needed.
  • The teacher will distribute Lesson 1.1 Check for Understanding.
  • Students will complete Lesson 1.1 Check for Understanding and submit for grading.
  • The teacher will use Lesson 1.1 Check for Understanding Answer Key to review with students and to grade student assessments.

Instructional Resources

PowerPoint® Presentations

Facets of Agriculture

StudentSupport Documents

Presentation Notes

Sample Presentation Notes

Activity 1.1.1 Basic Provisions

Activity 1.1.2 Agriscience Notebook

Activity 1.1.3 Popp’n with Orville

Activity 1.1.4 Grown in the USA

Lesson 1.1 Glossary

Teacher Resources

Activity 1.1.1 Provision Note Cards

Lesson 1.1 Teacher Notes

Lesson 1.1 Check for Understanding

Lesson 1.1 Equipment and Supplies

Answer Keys and Assessment Rubrics

Lesson 1.1 Check for Understanding Answer Key

Student Project Development Template

Agriscience Notebook Cover Page Template

Agriscience Notebook Spine Template

Agriscience Notebook Table of Contents

FFA Activity Log

SAE Hours Log

SAE Income and Expense Sheet

Reference Sources

American Farm Bureau Federation. (2009). Food and farm facts. WashingtonD.C.: Author.

ConAgra Foods. (n.d.). Orville’s life and times. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from

Herren, R. V., & Donahue, R. L. (2000). Delmar’s agriscience dictionary with searchable CD-ROM. Albany, NY: Delmar.

Menzel, P. (2004). Material world: A global family portrait. San Francisco, CA:Sierra Club Books.

United States Department of Agriculture. (2009). State fact sheets. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from

Participation in the FFA provides students additional relevance and real life experiences to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom. FFA provides many opportunities for students to be engaged in leadership building activities. The competitive activities offered with Career Development Events allow students to apply knowledge and skill, but also provides many opportunities for students to be active participants in exploring potential agricultural careers.

For more on the National FFA Organization review the following URL: .

Every lesson in Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources will provide students with examples of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Connections aimed to enhanced student opportunities for experiential learning beyond the classroom walls. SAE opportunities add relevance to coursework, which is very difficult to do with classroom experiences alone.

SAE activities are an essential component to an effective agricultural education program. It is important to understand how to assist students with developing and maintaining a SAE program.

Students may choose to start a business venture with an entrepreneurship project, such as raising a market animal for fair; go to work for an agricultural business, such as a local farm and ranch supply store; or begin a research project on the environmental impact of a specific production practice. Supervised Agricultural Experience projects will be explored in greater detail in a future lesson.

For more information regarding opportunities related to Supervised Agricultural Experience, view the webpage at the following URL: .

Critical Thinking and Application Extensions

Interpretation

  1. Students will research the top agricultural commodities imported from foreign countries. Students will then write a paper comparing production of those commodities in the United States to production in foreign countries.

Empathy

  1. Students will develop a list of items they use on a daily basis. They will compare their items to those of other countries using Material Worldand discuss the differences based on affluence and culture.

Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education – Copyright 2011

AFNR – Unit 1 – Lesson 1.1 – Agriculture Everyday – Page 1