Introduction to Farming in the United States (Lesson 1)
Grade Level(s): K, 1-2
By: Sherian Waggoner, 2nd grade teacher

Identify where food comes from, and the four basic food groups.

Objectives:

• TLW identify the four basic food groups.
• TLW identify where our food comes from.

Materials:

• Pictures or posters.
• Samples of different food to taste after the lesson.
• Dry erase board and erasers.

Plan:

STUDENT ENTRY LEVEL:

Student can perform the goals and objectives with 75% accuracy.

STUDENT MASTERY LEVEL:

Student can perform the goals and objectives with 90% accuracy.

SET:

Attention Getter:

Pictures or posters of different foods that belong in the four basic food groups--Meats, fruits & vegetables, bread and cereal, milk & dairy products. Sample foods for the students to taste at the end of the lesson.

Student Involvement:

Have students plan a good healthy breakfast, lunch, and supper by choosing the proper foods from the pictures or posters.

Relate to Prior Knowledge :

Discussion about a healthy eating habits.

Relate to Real Life :

Students eat a well-balanced meal at school.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE:

Teacher: Ask students what are some of the basic food that we need every day.

Student Response:

Teacher: Today we are going to study the four basic food groups. We are also going to learn where our food comes from before we buy it from the store.

Student Response:

Teacher: Discuss the four basic food groups. Ask students if they eat a well balanced meal? Have the students try to name all the basic food groups.

Student Response:

Teacher: Can anyone tell me where our food comes from? Discuss the different types of farms.

Student Response:

Teacher: Many years ago work was not as easy as you think. It was very hard for the people who did the workand it was not some hire hand. Who do you think did the work? And why do you think it was so hard?

Student Response:

Teacher: Many years ago work on the farm was much harder because they didn't have machines like we do today. Their work consisted by hand and the use of animals and plows. In farms today we have large machines that we can use to make the work easier and faster. There are still small farms, but there are many large ones that produce the products that we use. The farms today also grow more livestock that in the early years. What does the term livestock mean? Draw a picture of an animal on the board.

Student Response:

Teacher: What do farmers call the furits and vegetables they grow?

Student Response:

Teacher: Why is a farm important and what does it do for us?

Student Response:

Teacher: Expand on the dairy products on a farm. Tell the students that you can make butter from fresh cows milk. How do you think you can make butter from fresh cows milk?

Student Response:

Teacher: Now let's talk about a bar graph. This is a way to measure how many animals or products that is on a farm. Can anyone tell the animal that grows the most on this bar graph? least? Can anyone tell the most product grown on this bar graph? least? Discuss.

Student Response:

Teacher: Let's review what we have learned. Now we are going to do a taste test. Give students different food to taste.

Teacher: Tomorrow we will be studing farming and how natural resources are important.

INDEPENDENT STUDY:

Look up vocabulary words. (livestock, crop, and bar graph) Make a dinner with the four basic food groups.

Comments:

This is one of the five lessons of this unit. It is very fun and exciting for the student to learn about the early farm life. Some students don't have any insight about farms. This lesson can be expanded as far as you want to. I just follow the students' need of learning. It can be modified for all types of learning needs.

Related Pages:

Farming: Natural Resources (Lesson 2) ( K, 1-2 )
Students identify natural resources, and weather & climate, temperature, and precipitation.

Farming: Raising Winter Wheat (Lesson 3) ( K, 1-2 )
Students name some uses of wheat, and identify the uses of a line graph.

Farming: Seasons on a Wheat Farm (Lesson 4) ( K, 1-2 )
Students identify the seasons on a wheat farm, and identify the use of a grain elevator.

Farming and the services of a Community (Lesson 5) ( K, 1-2 )
Students identify different types of farms, and different services of a community.