Roland-Story High School

Agriculture Technology Class

Lesson 1.1 Introduction – A World Without Enough Plants

Preface:

What would the world be without plants? Plants harvest the energy of the sun and convert raw nutrients into life-sustaining carbohydrates, fats, and oils. Animals benefit from the energy stored as carbohydrates in plant material. Plants also convert carbon dioxide, a by-product of respiration, into oxygen animals need to survive. Essentially, plants are a vital link required to sustain life on earth.

Concepts

1.  Organization and record keeping are important to the success of a plant business.

2.  Many people work in a variety of agricultural enterprises to produce food, fiber, and fuel, which are essential to daily life.

3.  Plants are used to sustain human existence by providing many essential products, such as food, fiber, fuel, and medicine.

4.  The many different types of plant industries provide career opportunities in plant production and management.

Essential Questions

1.  What is meant by the phrase “crop production”?

2.  What represents or makes up a plant business?

3.  What career opportunities are available in a plant business?

4.  How do botany and horticulture differ?

5.  How common are plants in everyday life?

6.  How are plants important for human survival?

7.  What is biofuel?

8.  Why are certain crops grown in specific regions in the country?

9.  Why could there be a shortage of plant related products to meet future global demands?

10.  What are the issues facing crop production?

11.  What different growth factors must be considered when raising healthy productive plants?

Key Terms:

Aesthetic / Agriculture / Agronomy / Arboriculture / Biofuel
Botany / Cereal / Crop / Cultivation / Fiber crop
Floriculture / Food / Forage crops / Forestry / Fruit
Grass / Horticulture / Landscape / Legumes / Medicinal
Nursery / Oil seed crop / Orchard / Plant / Research
Seed / Vegetables / Vegetation