4.2 Responsible Agriculture – Plants and Environmental Stewardship
This middle school lesson (MS.PS.4.2) from the Pork Checkoff Middle School Food and Agricultural Literacy Curriculum introduces environmental stewardship in plant production. Students learn how practices such as no-till farming, natural pest control, organic farming, and hydroponics reduce agriculture’s negative environmental impact, then apply problem-solving skills by advising a fictional “Farmer Joe” on reducing his farm’s water use. The lesson includes notes handouts, a problem-solving activity, and a matching assessment.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
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- As a result of this unit the students will… Identify environmental impacts related to plant production.
- As a result of this lesson the students will … Identify how plant production stewardship has a positive impact on the environment.
- Time required
- Instruction time for this lesson: 45 minutes.
- Grade level
- Middle School
- Materials
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- Overhead projector/transparencies
- White paper – one per student
- Markers or crayons
- MS.PS.4.2.TM.A – one per teacher
- MS.PS.4.2.TM.B – one per teacher
- MS.PS.4.2.AS.A – one per student
- MS.PS.4.2.AS.B – one per student
- MS.PS.4.2.ASSESS.A – one per student
- Lesson number
- MS.PS.4.2
- Precepts
- F. Continuous Improvement; F3. Use innovative problem solving strategies
- Key Terms
- Environmental Stewardship, No-till Agriculture, Organic, Insecticide, Hydroponics
- Resources
- Disrude, Devin. (2004). Water is Life. Retrieved September 11, 2009; Layton, Julia. (2009) "Is conservation agriculture better than organic farming?" Retrieved 27 September 2009 from HowStuffWorks.com; National FFA Organization. (2009). LifeKnowledge Online; National FFA Organization. (2003). LifeKnowledge Precepts and Signs of Success.
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
National Standards
- CS.01.06.03.a.Use problem solving strategies to solve a professional or personal issue.
- NL-ENG.K-12.12Applying Language Skills
- NS.5-8.6Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
- NSS-C.9-12.5Roles of the Citizen — What are the responsibilities of citizens.
- PS.03.04.01.b.Describe sustainable agriculture practices and compare the ecological effects of traditional agricultural practices with those of sustainable agriculture.