1.1 Important Agricultural Inventions
This middle school lesson, “Important Agriculture Inventions” (Lesson MS.AST.1.1) from the Middle School Food and Agricultural Literacy Curriculum, teaches students about key agricultural inventions and their impact on agriculture and society. Using a game show interest approach (“What Came First?”) and a timeline-building activity, students identify and order major agricultural inventions from 1793 to 1997 and reflect on how change and innovation have shaped agriculture. The lesson includes activity sheets, a timeline handout, and a short-answer assessment.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- As a result of this unit the students will… Identify key developments in the progression of agriculture.
- As a result of this lesson the students will… List five agriculture inventions and explain their impact on agriculture and society.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 45 minutes.
- Grade level
- Middle School
- Materials
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- Writing Surface
- Overhead Projector
- Colored Pencils
- MS.AST.1.1.AS.A – three copies
- MS.AST.1.1.TM.A – one per teacher
- MS.AST.1.1.AS.B – one per teacher, cut up the agriculture inventions and their dates before class begins. Place them in a hat for students to pick.
- MS.AST.1.1.AS.C – one per student, may choose to make one copy a transparency
- MS.AST.1.1.ASSESS.A – one per student
- Small prize such as Starburst
- Lesson Number
- MS.AST.1.1
- Precepts
- O. Flexibility and Adaptability; O2. Manages change
- Key Terms
- Milking Machine, Cotton gin, No-till, Biotech crops
- Resources
- Growing a Nation The Story of American Agriculture. (2000). Retrieved August 2, 2009, from A History of American Agriculture: Official Web site: http://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/index.htm — National FFA Organization. (2009). LifeKnowledge Online. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://agedlearning.org — National FFA Organization. (2003). LifeKnowledge Precepts and Signs of Success.
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- BS.01.01.01.aDefine biotechnology and explore the historical impact it has had on agriculture.
- FPP.01.01.01.aDiscuss the history and describe and explain the components (e.g., processing, distribution, byproducts) of the food products and processing industry.
- NL-ENG.K-12.12Applying Language Skills
- NS.5-8.3Life Science
- NS.5-8.6Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
- NSS-USH.5-12.10Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)
- NSS-USH.5-12.2Era 2: Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
- NSS-USH.5-12.3Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
- NSS-USH.5-12.4Era 4: Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
- NSS-USH.5-12.5Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)
- NSS-USH.5-12.6Era 6: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)
- NSS-USH.5-12.8Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
- NT.K-12.2Social, Ethical and Human Issues.
- PST.05.03.01.aIdentify geospatial technologies, including global positioning, geographical information and remote sensing.