Sustainability Practices in Modern Farming High School Digital Lesson Educator Guide

Transcription

1 Sustainability Practices in Mdern Farming High Schl Digital Lessn Educatr Guide Lessn Overview With an ever-grwing ppulatin and limited availability f resurces and farmland, farmers and ranchers have had t adpt mre sustainable agricultural practices. Since sustainability can be defined in many ways, fr purpses f this lessn, students will establish a wrking definitin f sustainable agriculture. Then, students will brainstrm the types f applicatins, measurements r tls that can help farmers and ranchers becme mre sustainable. Furthermre, students will wrk in teams t identify a prblem/need in mdern agriculture and cnduct mre in-depth research n the tpic. Lastly, they will fllw the engineering design prcess t develp and test an innvative idea fr a prttype that can help farmers and ranchers becme mre sustainable. Duratin: minutes Cntent Areas: Earth Science/Envirnmental Science Grade Level: Grades 9-12 Natinal Standards: Next Generatin Science Standards (NGSS) HS-ESS3: Earth and Human Activity Students wh demnstrate understanding can: HS-ESS3-4: Evaluate r refine a technlgical slutin that reduces impacts f human activities n natural systems. Disciplinary Cre Ideas: ESS3.C: Human Impacts n Earth Systems The sustainability f human scieties and the bidiversity that supprts them requires respnsible management f natural resurces (HS-ESS3-3) Scientists and engineers can make majr cntributins by develping technlgies that prduce less pllutin and waste and that preclude ecsystem degradatin (HS-ESS3-4) Standards fr Technlgical Literacy Internatinal Technlgy and Engineering Educatrs Assciatin (ITEAA) Standard 5: Students will develp an understanding f the effects f technlgy n the envirnment. G. Humans can devise technlgies t cnserve water, sil, and energy thrugh such techniques as reusing, reducing, and recycling. Fr example, water treatment and filtering technlgies can facilitate the reuse f water; wind and ersin can be reduced by n-till farming; and aluminum cntainers can be recycled. J. The alignment f technlgical prcesses with natural prcesses maximizes perfrmance and reduces negative impacts n the envirnment. Fr example, a building can be strategically riented t the sun t maximize slar gain, and bidegradable materials can be used as cmpst t make the sil mre nutrient rich.

2 Essential Questins: 1. Hw d we define sustainable agriculture? 2. What mdern practices and technlgical advancements have imprved r have the ptential t imprve agricultural sustainability? 3. What steps need t be taken t design a slutin t a mdern agricultural need r prblem? Materials: Cmputers cnnected t the Internet Cpies f Think-Pair-Share Capture Sheet Cpies f the 8 Step Engineering Design Prcess Engineering jurnals fr each student, such as a marble ntebk r a scientific ntebk Cpies f the Extensin: Writing Prmpt Cpies f the Sustainability Practices in Mdern Farming Capture Sheet Objectives: Define sustainable agriculture Describe mdern practices and technlgical advancements farmers and ranchers use t imprve agricultural sustainability Design a slutin t a mdern agricultural need r prblem fllwing a systematic engineering prcess. Backgrund Infrmatin: During the first day f the lessn, students will describe the mst salient characteristics f agricultural sustainability and establish a wrking definitin. In the prcess, they will cnsider what it means when peple say farms are being teched up. Next, students will brainstrm different types f applicatins, measurements, r tls farmers and ranchers use t becme mre sustainable and summarize their ideas in a capture sheet. Lastly, students will wrk as part f an engineering team t identify a prblem/need in mdern agriculture and investigate the underlying cntext thrugh mre in-depth research. They will dcument their chsen prblem/need and the results f their investigatin in an engineering jurnal. During the secnd day f the lessn, students will be using research recrded in their engineering jurnals t cmplete the remaining steps f the engineering design prcess t: develp pssible slutins, select the best slutin(s), design/cnstruct a prttype, test/evaluate the slutin(s), cmmunicate the slutin(s), and redesign the prttype. Infrmatin related t these steps f the engineering design prcess will be dcumented in the students engineering jurnals. As an extensin, students will address the premise that sustainable agriculture is a jurney, nt a destinatin in a writing prmpt. 2

3 Prcedure: Day 1 (Slides 1-7) Slide 1: As an activatr, and t establish the cntext fr the lessn, shw the vide, Climate Smart Farming Stry (Fishkill Farms) frm the Crnell Institute fr Climate Change and Agriculture (CICCA): Link t Vide: Strategy: Play the vide and invite students t take ntes. They shuld fcus n writing dwn items that supprt the big idea f the segment. After the segment cncludes, prvide students ne t tw minutes t write dwn five ideas that are imprtant in understanding the segment, using key wrds and phrases. Next, prvide students tw minutes t discuss their list with a partner. Prvide an additinal tw minutes fr students t cmbine their lists int ne list f sixseven wrds r phrases. Prvide students with tw additinal minutes t write ne sentence summaries f the vide. Have students share their summaries with the class. Anticipated summarites include: Extreme weather and climate variability can have significant impacts n farms In rder t spread risk, farmers plant multiple successins f the same crp Farmers als use sil wrking techniques and specialized irrigatin systems/drip lines with diversified water surces that have the ptential t irrigate an entire farm Green huses are als utilized t grw a prtin f the crps. Small fruit crps are als grwn under high tunnels. Bth green huses and high tunnels prtect the crps frm the elements and prvide fr an extended prductin seasn by regulating temperature variatin and rainfall. New varieties f crps are grwn fr adapting t climatic change. It is vital fr farmers and ranchers t keep clse cntrl f what is grwn n the farm and hw it is grwn thrugh imprved management strategies. Slide 2: Review the lessn bjectives and prvide sme backgrund fr the 2-day lessn. Slide 3: After the first vide, pass ut the Think-Pair-Share Capture Sheet. Give students an pprtunity t cmplete the first clumn f the capture sheet fr the first tw questins individually. Then, invite students t share their respnses with anther student in rder t cmplete the secnd clumn fr the first tw questins. As a pair, students shuld decide what they will share with the rest f the class. Call n students t share their answers t these questins using equitable calling strategies. Anticipated respnses include: Sustainable agriculture can be defined as the prductin f plant/animal fd/prducts using farming techniques that prtect public health, human cmmunities, the envirnment, and animal welfare. Shw the three-legged stl image t emphasize the different dimensins assciated with agricultural sustainability (ecnmy, scial equity, and envirnment). The ecnmic leg invlves such factrs as infrastructure, security, fair trade/wages, and gd jbs. The scial equity entails wrking cnditins, health services, educatinal services, cmmunity/culture, and scial justice. Lastly, the envirnmental leg deals with issues such as renewable energy, cnservatin, restratin, and pllutin/waste. Imprtant gals f agricultural sustainability include: cnserving water, using renewable energy, reducing the use f fertilizers/pesticides, prmting ecnmic stability f farms, prmting bidiversity f crps grwn and the ecsystem, and imprving farming 3

4 techniques (such as crp/livestck integratin, reduced tillage, nutrient recycling, restring natural habitats, etc.) Slide 4: Next, share the fllwing vides with students: Give students an pprtunity t cmplete the first clumn f the capture sheet fr the last tw questins. Then invite students t share their respnses with anther student in rder t cmplete the secnd clumn fr the last tw questins. As a pair, students shuld decide what they will share with the rest f the class. Call n students t share their answers t these questins using equitable calling strategies. Slide 5: Next, pass ut the handut, 8 Step Engineering Design Prcess and the students' engineering jurnals. Tell students that they will be wrking in small engineering teams t identify a prblem/need in mdern agriculture and t investigate the underlying cntext thrugh mre in-depth research. Place students int grups, review the handut, and let them knw that their engineering jurnal will be cllected at the end f the secnd class and shuld be prfessinal-lking and include the fllwing: A well-rganized table f cntents List f all students cmprising the engineering team Numbered pages with detailed and dated entries Backgrund infrmatin/explanatins/illustratins fr each step f the engineering design prcess n separate pages A Critical Reflectin Slide 6: Fr the remainder f class, ask students t wrk in their engineering grups t begin their research using devices cnnected t the Internet. They will dcument their chsen prblem/need and the results f their investigatin in an engineering jurnal. At this pint, they will have cmpleted the first tw steps f the engineering design prcess: Step 1: What is the need r prblem? Step 2: Hw will yu research the need r prblem? Slides 7: The fllwing is a list f pssible prblems/needs with useful resurces t guide the research prcess. The tpics/resurces can be printed and cut ut fr student grups t randmly select. Teachers can use the Ggle Classrm dc. r use anther schl-apprved clud service t pst the research links belw fr grups t access. Distribute the Sustainability Practices in Mdern Farming Capture Sheet t guide and rganize student research. Suggested resurces: Utilize wind r slar energy as an energy surce Integrate crps and livestck Reduce r eliminate tillage Retain and recycle nutrients n the farm 4

5 360-degree vides that highlight animal safety, health, and cmfrt inside a mdern pig farm Preserve and restre natural habitats t prtect water quality and supprt wildlife Use f GMO technlgy t prtect crps Prvide educatin and recreatin pprtunities t members f the cmmunity Day 2 (Slides 8-11) Slide 8: Instruct students t take ut their engineering jurnals cntaining infrmatin uncvered during the first tw steps f the engineering design prcess. As an activatr, ask students t identify an interesting fact frm r if they have any questins resulting frm the preliminary phase f their research. After answering students questins, have them refrm the grups they established during the first day f the lessn. Slide 9: Engineering teams will nw cmplete the remaining steps f the engineering design prcess which are shwn belw. Step 3: Hw will yu develp pssible slutin(s)? Step 4: Hw will yu select the best pssible slutin(s)? Step 5: Hw will yu design a prttype? Step 6: Hw will yu test/evaluate the slutin(s)? Step 7: Hw will yu cmmunicate the slutin(s)? Step 8: Hw will yu redesign the prttype? Slide 10: Remind students that they will need t dcument their explanatins/diagrams fr steps 3-8 f the engineering design prcess in their engineering jurnals. Allw each team t reprt ut the results f their wrk. Give each engineering team tw minutes t cmmunicate their identified need/prblem and the slutin they came up with t address that need/prblem. Cllect each student s engineering jurnal. Guidance n grading students grup wrk and engineering jurnals can be fund using the resurces shwn belw. These include suggestins fr self-assessment, peer/team-assessment, and teacher-assessment. Generally, the jurnals shuld be graded fr neatness/rganizatin, cntent accuracy, inclusin f all required elements, and inclusin f illustratins/diagrams. gineering_jurnal_rubrics.pdf Slide 11: Pass ut the Extensin: Writing Prmpt As an extensin t the lessn, students will cmplete a writing prmpt in which they explain and cmment n the premise that sustainable agriculture is a jurney, nt a destinatin. It is recmmended that students spend a shrt amunt f time fr pre-writing activities (such as brainstrming, listing, free writing, clustering, mapping, r drawing). After they finish their prewriting activity, they shuld write their essay in the prvided space n the handut. Remind students that a well-structured essay includes multiple paragraphs, smth transitin between ideas, precise language, and relevant details and examples frm the sustainability lessn. 5

6 Name: Partner s Name: Date: Pd. THINK-PAIR-SHARE CAPTURE SHEET Questins What I Thught What My Partner Thught What We Will Share Hw d yu Define Agricultural Sustainability? What are Imprtant Gals f Agricultural Sustainability? What des it Mean fr Farms t be Teched Up? What are Applicatins, Measurements, r Tls Farmers & Ranchers Use t Becme Mre Sustainable? 6

7 8 STEP ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS Surce: 7

8 Name: Date: Extensin: Writing Prmpt Write an essay in which yu explain and cmment n the premise shwn belw. Spend a shrt amunt f time fr pre-writing activities (such as brainstrming, listing, free writing, clustering, mapping, r drawing). After yu finish yur prewriting activity, write yur essay in the space belw. Make sure yur essay is wellstructured with multiple paragraphs, smth transitin between ideas, precise language, and relevant details and examples frm the sustainability lessn. Sustainable agriculture is a jurney, nt a destinatin. 8

9 9

10 Name: Date: Sustainability Practices in Mdern Farming Capture Sheet Yu will be wrking in small engineering teams t identify a prblem/need in mdern agriculture and t investigate the underlying cntext thrugh mre in-depth research. After selecting a prblem r need, use the resurces prvided by yur teacher t learn mre. Capture yur research in the table. Tpic: Prblem/Need: Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence Evidence 10