Medical Sciences and Wellness (1st Grade) by STEM.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Farming World
Grade Level: 1
Suggested Order: Week 1
Suggested Time: 1 hour
Lesson Type: Progressive Subject (Medical Sciences and Wellness)
Overview
Students will learn about farms around the world, the importance of cultivation of crops, and
why some items found at the local grocery store are locally grown while others are imported.
Vocabulary
- Farm
- Produce
- Domestic
- Import
- Organic
- Pesticides
- Crops
- Cultivation
- Transportation
- Production
Objectives
- Students will learn about worldwide food production and think about the source of
everyday foods.
- Students will investigate their own world in order to discover known facts.
- Students will gain knowledge about various farming practices including organic vs. nonorganic.
Required Project Materials
- Fruits and vegetables of various types
- Live plants that grow fruits and vegetables, such as herbs, peppers, squash, etc.
- If possible, a master gardener may assist with this lesson
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
- If possible, locate a local master gardener to assist with the lesson, or plan a field trip to a
farm or the grocery store as a supplementary activity.
The Lesson
Part 1: Vegetables and Fruits
- Discuss the differences between vegetables and fruits. Where do they come from?
- After they wash their hands, allow students to examine the samples you brought to class. Are
there seeds? If so, where are they located? Where are the stems? Are any of them roots?
Assist the students with dissection of the produce so they can look at the insides.
- Students will investigate how they smell and taste.
- Examine the plant samples and identify the parts of the plant (stem, leaf, root, etc.).
- Read “Jobs on a Farm” together.
Part 2: Types of Farming
- Read “Food From Farms”.
- Work with the students to name foods they eat at home. Identify where the various foods
come from on a world globe or map. Define “import” and “domestic”.
- Have the students guess which fruits and vegetable samples are domestic or imported. The
master gardener can help with this part of the lesson.
- Define “organic” vs. non-organic foods.
- Allow students to take seeds from the produce samples. Can they grow them at home?