Agriculture Lesson Plan
Dublin Core
Title
Agriculture Lesson Plan
Subject
Agriculture
Industries
Citrus
Description
The purpose of this lesson conducted was to teach students the importance of agriculture and teach students the history of John Shary, geography and climate in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas citrus, and how agriculture shapes the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande Valley is one of the richest farming areas of Texas and remains an agricultural gem with diverse, year-round production. The inspiration to create these lessons came from the agriculture the Rio Grande Valley provides. By educating our children on agriculture, we are able to tell the history on the Rio Grande Valley as it will set the foundation for settlements. With Texas being an agricultural state, the majority of our people are actively engaged in the profession of agriculture. In our public-school districts with 550,000 children, a large percentage return to the farm.
Creator
Clarissa Rodriguez
Cynthia Banda
Source
UTRGV College of Education
EDCO3335-34
Spring 2019
Publisher
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Special Collections and University Archives
Date
1912
1932
Contributor
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
UTRGV College of Education
Stephanie Anckle
Rights
Rodriguez, Clarissa, and Banda, Cynthia. (2019). Lesson Plan for Agriculture. Retrieved from https://rgvprimarysourceguides.omeka.net/items/show/109
Identifier
LessonPlan-Agriculture-RodriguezBanda
Coverage
Mission, Texas
Lesson Plan Item Type Metadata
Standards
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(3) History. The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. The student is expected to:
(A) distinguish among past, present, and future;
(6) Geography. The student understands various physical and human characteristics. The student is expected to:
(C) identify and describe how the human characteristics of place such as shelter, clothing, food, and activities are based upon geographic location. (7) Economics. The student understands how families meet basic human
§110.13. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Text. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:
(B) use common graphic features to assist in the interpretation of text (e.g., captions, illustrations).
(3) History. The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. The student is expected to:
(A) distinguish among past, present, and future;
(6) Geography. The student understands various physical and human characteristics. The student is expected to:
(C) identify and describe how the human characteristics of place such as shelter, clothing, food, and activities are based upon geographic location. (7) Economics. The student understands how families meet basic human
§110.13. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Text. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:
(B) use common graphic features to assist in the interpretation of text (e.g., captions, illustrations).
Objectives
The student will be able to apply their knowledge of agriculture into describing the methods of how farming has changed over time and discuss the differences between needs and wants.
The student will be able to understand why people partake in agriculture, and how people used to farm and the importance of agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley.
The student will be able to understand why people partake in agriculture, and how people used to farm and the importance of agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley.
Materials
· Historical photo of agriculture taking place near Brownsville, TX
· PowerPoint presentation
· Foldable for students
· A Day without Agriculture Handout for students
· Whiteboard
· Timeline where students will create a small timeline individually on past/present/future
· PowerPoint presentation
· Foldable for students
· A Day without Agriculture Handout for students
· Whiteboard
· Timeline where students will create a small timeline individually on past/present/future
Duration
5 days
Lesson Plan Text
Abstract
The purpose of this lesson conducted was to teach students the importance of agriculture and teach students the history of John Shary, geography and climate in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas citrus, and how agriculture shapes the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande Valley is one of the richest farming areas of Texas and remains an agricultural gem with diverse, year-round production. The inspiration to create these lessons came from the agriculture the Rio Grande Valley provides. By educating our children on agriculture, we are able to tell the history on the Rio Grande Valley as it will set the foundation for settlements. With Texas being an agricultural state, the majority of our people are actively engaged in the profession of agriculture. In our public-school districts with 550,000 children, a large percentage return to the farm. Historical research has been conducted and it was found that 27% of children at seven years of age, preferred to live in the countryside, while only two percent of those at fourteen had the same desire. Adding these lessons on agriculture will create a vital interest in children and will teach children the history of citrus and how it ties to the Mission and Sharyland communities, well as the geography/climate of the Rio Grande Valley and how it plays a crucial role in producing agriculture. Furthermore, our lessons give a close look on how agriculture produces a more stable economy. Throughout the lesson, the crucial questions involve: What is agriculture? What kind of geography/climate does the Rio Grande Valley and how does this affect out agriculture? Who is John Shary? What is the Citrus Festival? Where can you find fruits and vegetables? The students will also learn how agriculture shapes economic sufficiency in the Rio Grande Valley. Within the lesson, we have incorporated subject that will contain keywords that include: climate, native, geography, sub-tropical, region, citrus, economic, reliability, irrigation, plowing, harvesting.
Introduction
The overall intent of this lesson is to help students understand what part of Texas that they live in, and the history behind the crops that grow in the Rio Grande Valley. The content is structured in a way that begins with teaching students about what agriculture is, a significant figure that expanding agriculture in the RGV, and how farming and agriculture end ups up in our shopping carts and benefits our economy. The students will explore ideas and take note of how places close to home have historical significance. Agriculture and farming is a way of life. For thousands of years people used it to feed their families, then communities, then expanded into a business and a way to feed the world. The harvesting, production, and manufacturing of agriculture is important for students to know because it creates job opportunities that stimulate our economy.
The students will also learn about the geography and climate of the RGV. This will encourage to think about what they know and notice about the world around them. This includes the kind plants they have seen growing, the hot, humid, and dry weather we have, and what kind of fruits and vegetables we can find at our local grocery stores.
When planning these lesson we took John Dewey’s ideology of learning through hands on activities into consideration. Human beings learn by doing. For children, hands on activities and interacting with their environment is a great way to learn and retain knowledge because it engages students in the lessons. Learning through experiences can also be beneficial to students because they are able to connect what they have learned to the outside world. We want students to not only recall facts but explore ideas and create foldables and participate in activities. A conceptual understanding of what they have learned is better than having students memorize information.
Rubric
Students will be evaluated on their performance during this lesson using the following rubric: “cooperation” portion of the rubric will be based on if the students were able to follow direction,
comply with them as well as interact with peers, “accuracy,” to ensure every student was able to conduct their work with accurate information with no errors, “comprehension” to ensure the students were able to comprehend the given content based on the given history lessons for agriculture in the RGV, and “completion,” to ensure that each student was able complete the given assignments/activities in the given lessons.
Rubric for Agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley:
5
4
3
2
1
Cooperation
Student was able to fully cooperate through the entire duration of the lesson with peers.
Student was able to cooperate through the majority of the lesson.
Student was able to cooperate during parts of the lessons, but struggled at time with peers
Student struggled to cooperate through the majority of the lesson with peers.
Student did not cooperate with peers through the lesson.
Accuracy
Student was able to accurately complete all of his/her work with no errors/mistakes.
Student was able to accurately complete their work with a minor error.
Student was able to accurately complete their work with small errors.
Student conducted many errors while completing their assignments.
Student’s work was not conducted with accuracy throughout the entire duration of the lesson.
Comprehension
Demonstrated the lesson as well as in details/ into depth of the given lessons.
Student understood the lessons without placing detail and in depth.
Student understood the lesson with minor misconceptions
Student grasped parts of the given lesson.
Student did not comprehend the majority of the lesson
Completion
Student work was fully completed.
Student work was completed with small/minor details not written.
Missing parts of students assignments.
Student work lacked many of the given components for completion.
Student did not complete majority of the lesson.
Lesson 1 – What is Agriculture? A Day without Agriculture
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Clarissa Rodriguez & Cynthia Banda 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
1st Grade 20
Assessment (formal and/or informal):
The teachers will conduct informal assessments, in which she will walk around the classroom and monitor the students understanding of the material and application in activities. The teachers when walking by will address any misconceptions and ask guiding questions as the lesson progresses.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(3) History. The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. The student is expected to:
(A) distinguish among past, present, and future;
(6) Geography. The student understands various physical and human characteristics. The student is expected to:
(C) identify and describe how the human characteristics of place such as shelter, clothing, food, and activities are based upon geographic location. (7) Economics. The student understands how families meet basic human
Standards:
§110.13. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Text. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:
(B) use common graphic features to assist in the interpretation of text (e.g., captions, illustrations).
Objectives:
1. The student will be able to apply their knowledge of agriculture into describing the methods of how farming has changed over time and discuss the differences between needs and wants.
2. The student will be able to understand why people partake in agriculture, and how people used to farm and the importance of agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be integrated with general ed students.
● The end product will be made and can be passed among children when needed
● Utilization of visual aids and closed captioning on videos
● Monitoring will be available to address any/all misconceptions.
Materials and Resources
· Historical photo of agriculture taking place near Brownsville, TX
· PowerPoint presentation
· Foldable for students
· A Day without Agriculture Handout for students
· Whiteboard
· Timeline where students will create a small timeline individually on past/present/future
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students
○ The purpose of this lesson is for students to learn about the importance of agriculture and will be able to receive a solid understand on what agriculture is, what it includes and how we are all affected by agriculture.
● Accessing prior knowledge (5 minutes)
○ The class will engage in thought-provoking questions to elicit children’s background knowledge
● What is agriculture?
● Hundreds of years ago, why did people farm?
● Nowadays, why do people farm?
● How could we find out about how people farmed 100 years ago?
● Do you think farming has changed over time?
○ Once the class has discussed their knowledge on agriculture, the teacher will show a video to further begin the lesson:
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCp93xbSwWM
● Teacher modeling (15 minutes)
During this portion of the lesson, the teacher will show a picture of agriculture taking place in the Rio Grande Valley (particularly near Brownsville, TX):
Have students write down what they see from the picture:
The teacher can self-create a PowerPoint to guide the students along
What can be included in the PowerPoint:
· The history of agriculture; how agriculture has changed the past of the Rio Grande Valley
· the tools; working equipment
· Working conditions of agriculture
· Then vs. now; how agriculture has changed over time
● Guided practice (10 minutes)
○ In this part of the lesson, the teacher will create a foldable with students that will talk about agriculture; the basics and how agriculture has changed over time. (In the foldable, the teacher will address what is agriculture, where does planting and harvesting take place, why do we have agriculture, etc.).
○ The teacher will create the foldable timeline on the history of agriculture with the students and the students may follow along with the teacher.
○ The foldable will explain what occurred in the PowerPoint; but is a quick reminder for students when understanding the importance of agriculture.
○ Teacher will hand students “A Day Without Agriculture” and list the agricultural products they use in a day. Teacher will get examples and list them on whiteboard for students to see.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (20 minutes)
○ Students will create a booklet and write a sentence/ display a picture on how agriculture has changed over time
Through these activities, students will be able to identify major key points of agriculture in the RGV as well as learn the differences in agriculture now vs. back then
● Closure (5 minutes)
○ Once the groups have all finished their posters each of the students will have an exit ticket where they will write down one thing that have learned on agriculture (such as products of what they use daily).
Lesson 2 – Is The Valley Really a Valley? Geography and Climate in the RGV
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Cynthia Banda and Clarissa Rodriguez 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
First Grade 20
Assessment (informal): The teacher is expected to monitor students and their understanding of the material. The teacher will ask high order thinking questions.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(5) Geography. The student understands the purpose of maps and globes. The student is expected to:
(B) locate the community, Texas, and the United States on maps and globes.
6) Geography. The student understands various physical and human characteristics. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the physical characteristics of place such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather;
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to distinguish where the Rio Grande Valley is on a map.
2. The students will be able to recognize the Rio Grande Valley is a delta not a valley.
3. The students will be able to categorize the type of weather and climate that the RGV has.
4. The Students will be able to create a paper model of a delta.
5. The students will be able to create a geography and climate booklet of the RGV.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be involved in the lesson and interact with general ed students.
● A checklist will be written on the board and verbal reminders will be made.
● The teacher will provide an example of the model and activities to the class.
● Expectations will be visible on the board with images.
● Consistent monitoring and teacher support will be available.
Materials and Resources
● Construction paper
● Pencil
● Markers
● Stapler
● Scissors
● Glue
● Clay
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students (5 minutes)
○ Students will know where they live and where they are located in the map. The teacher will also discuss the misconception that people have of the Rio Grande Valley. It is actually a delta. In addition to that, the students will have an understanding that the RGV has a hot, humid, and dry weather and climate.
● Accessing prior knowledge (10 minutes)
○The teacher will ask students if they know what state they live in. She will also ask studetns what if they know what a landform is. The teacher will take guesses and ask students to do a think pair share, brief discussion.
● Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
○ The teacher will discuss what a delta is: A river delta is a landform that forms from deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. The teacher will show a picture of a delta.
● Guided practice (10 minutes)
● The teacher will then explain what the word climate means: weather that a place expriences annally.
● The teacher will explain to students that the RGV has a warm fair climate. It is often hot and humid, with short winters.
● Together the students and teacher will create a booklet that the definition of landforms, and the type of landforms found in the RGV. The students will leave a space on the next page for a picture.
● The next page will have a have a definition of the word climate. Then the next page will have an example of the type of climate that the RGV has. The students will leave space on the next page for a picture.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (15 minutes)
● Independently students will draw a picture of the a delta and color it.
● They will also draw a picture of a hot climate and color it
● With a partner the students can create a model of a delta using clay, construction paper, and other supplies available.
● In groups of 4-6 the students can present and share their models to each other.
● The teacher will monitor and walk around the room.
● Closure (5 minutes)
○ The students will each receive a post it note. The teacher will write a question on the board and read it out loud. “What kind of climate does the Rio Grande Valley have?” Acceptable answers will be “Hot” “Sunny” “Humid” or “Dry”
Lesson 3 – Who Is John Shary?
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Cynthia Banda and Clarissa Rodriguez 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
First Grade 20
Assessment (formal and/or informal): The teacher will walk around during the lesson to ensure comprehension and students are on-task with the lesson. Towards the end of the lesson the teacher will ask the students “Who is the Father of Citrus?” and the students are expected to answer as a class “John Shary”
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(2) History. The student understands how historical figures, patriots, and good citizens helped shape the community, state, and nation. The student is expected to:
(A) identify contributions of historical figures, including Sam Houston, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr., who have influenced the community, state, and nation;
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to identify where South Texas is and where Sharyland, Texas is on a state Map.
2. The students will be able to recognize who John Shary is and the contributions he made to South Texas.
3. The students will create a foldable with information about John Shary.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be grouped with general ed students.
● A checklist will be written on the board and verbal reminders will be made.
● A model of the end product will be provided.
● Expectations will be visible on the board with images.
● Consistent monitoring and teacher support will be available.
Materials and Resources
● PowerPoint on John Shary
● Foldable including who, what, when, where.
● Paper
● Pencil
● Scissors
● Markers
● Crayons
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students
○ The purpose of this lesson is for students to familiarize themselves with the Rio Grande Valley (which is their home) and who the founder of Sharyland, Texas was. The students will find out who John Shary is and that he is the father of the Texas citrus industry.
● Accessing prior knowledge (7 mins)
○ The teacher will ask students if they know what city or what state they live in.
○ The teacher will ask the students if they have ever have eaten citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemons, limes).
○ The students will discuss the topics.
● Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
○ For this portion of the lesson, the teacher will introduce students to a map of Texas. The teacher will point out where South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley is on the map. The teacher will also state that this is the area where we live. The teacher will also zoom in on a digital map to show where we are located and how there are many cities and communities in Texas. The Teach will then explain to the Students where Sharyland Texas is.
○ The teacher will then go on to explain how Sharyland, Texas got its name.
○ On a PowerPoint the teacher will explain that John Shary came to the Rio Grande Valley in 1912.
○ He bought land in Mission Texas.
○ He felt that citrus crops were the future of Texas.
○ Explain to students what citrus is (oranges, grapefruits, lemons)
○ John Shary pumped water from the Rio Grande and irrigated the acres he bought
○ The following year he grew the first crops
○ He produced lots of citrus and sold it all over Texas
○ He died in 1945
○ John Shary was named into the Texas Business man Hall of Fame and was also called the Father of the Citrus Industry
○ He also created a school district and the community of Sharyland was named after him
○ The teacher will show pictures of his mansion in Mission, Texas
○ The teacher will explain to students that artifacts on John Shary are now located at the UTRGV library in Edinburg Texas.
● Guided practice (15 minutes)
○ To ensure that students retain their knowledge of who John Shary is the teacher and students will work together on completing a four-flap foldable.
■ Each student will make a four-flap foldable
■ The first flap will have who: John Shary the father of Citrus
■ The second flap will be what: Grew the first commercial citrus crops in Texas.
■ The third flap will say when: 1912
■ The fourth flap will say where: Mission, Texas and Sharyland, Texas
■ In the center of the foldable the students will draw a picture of John Shary.
■ Once the class has finished the foldable, they will glue it inside their Social Studies journal. The title of the page will be “Your Right to Vote”.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (15 minutes)
○ The students will cut out and color a picture of a grapefruit on their own.
○ In partners they will think of words that describe John Shary and write it on the center of the orange
○ In a group the students will make paste their grapefruit onto a citrus tree
○ As a class this creates a grapefruit grove.
● Closure (3 minutes)
○ The teacher will explain to the class that all the trees in the class make a citrus grove like John Shary did in Mission, Texas.
Lesson 4 – Texas Citrus Festival
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Cynthia Banda and Clarissa Rodriguez 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
First Grade 20
Assessment (informal):
The Teacher is expected to monitor students learning through walking around the classroom. The teacher will ask questions to check for understanding.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(1) History. The student understands the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community, state, and nation such as San Jacinto Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day; and
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to discuss why the citrus festival occurs in Mission, Texas
2. Students will distinguish the importance of traditions and customs in communities
3. The students will be able to create their own Texas Citrus Festival crown.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs:
● ELL’s and SPED students will be included with general education students.
● A checklist will be written on the board and verbal reminders will be made.
● A model of the end product will be provided.
● Consistent monitoring and teacher support will be available.
Materials and Resources:
• Markers
• Construction paper
• Crayons
• Pencils
• Paper
• Teachers PowerPoint
• Video promo of the Texas Citrus Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8Fv_apqos
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks):
● The purpose of the lesson for students (5 minutes)
○ The students will learn new vocabulary such as customs and traditions and focus on traditions that the Mission, Texas area celebrates by taking a look at the Texas Citrus Festival. The students will connect it events that they celebrate in their communities and with their families.
● Accessing prior knowledge (5 minutes)
○ The teacher will ask students if they know what a celebration is. The teacher will also ask students to give examples of things that they celebrate.
● Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
○ The teacher will explain what a celebration and what a festival is and why people celebrate it. The history behind festivals are to celebrate a plentiful harvest.
● Guided practice (15 minutes)
○ The teacher will explain to students that back in the 1930’s John Shary and people from Mission, Texas celebrated the successful harvest of citrus (most importantly grapefruit). After that the teacher will explain that Mission, Texas has made it a tradition and has celebrated the Texas Citrus Festival for more than 80 years. Then the teacher will show students a video of what goes on during the celebrations. During the Citrus Festival they crown King Citrus, Queen Citrianna, and Princess Anna. They also have different festivities such as parade, cook out, and carnival.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (15 minutes)
○ After showing students the different outfits and the crown that the king and queen wear, the students will create their own crown if they were crowned as King Citrus or Queen Citrianna.
○ When the students are finished, the teacher will ask students to turn to their partner and talk about how they decorated their crowns. The students will also get to wear their own crowns.
○ In a whole group the teacher will call on several students to write on the board what events they would go to if they attended the Texas Citrus Festival. The teacher will remind the students that this is a tradition that the city of mission does every year to celebrate John Shary, citrus, and the community.
● Closure (5 minutes)
○ The teacher will ask students to get out a sheet of paper and draw a picture of one that they would attend if they went to the festival and write a sentence about it underneath the picture.
Lesson 5 – Let’s Go Shopping!
How Agriculture Paves the RGV from Farm to Cart
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Clarissa Rodriguez & Cynthia Banda 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
1st Grade 20
Assessment (formal and/or informal):
The teacher will walk around during the lesson to ensure comprehension and students are on-task with the lesson. The teacher will observe students while conducting the lesson based on the money to address any misconceptions that may occur within the lesson.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
1) History. The student understands the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community, state, and nation such as San Jacinto Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day;
Objectives:
1. The students will discuss the origins of the citrus festival in Mission, Texas.
2. The students will be able to identify the customs of the RGV
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be grouped with general ed students.
● Braille may be provided on the price tag for visually impaired students.
● Audio recordings may be read aloud for visually impaired students.
Materials and Resources
· Agriculture & The Green Economy YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGev010Zwc
· Entrepreneurship: Rio Grande Valley Farmers Guide PBS Video New Mexico
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_oRf114fE
· RGV Farmers Market: Fresh Options to Grocery Buying YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEL7q-o53w
· Play Money
· Reusable Shopping Bags
· History Journal
· Price tags
· Writing utensils
· Different food items (such as can of corn, milk carton, etc.).
· PowerPoint presentation
· Paper
· Markers/Crayons for picture during closure activity
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students
○ The purpose of this lesson for students is to learn how agriculture that takes place in the Rio Grande Valley ensures economic sufficiency. The students may also understand how the price of goods have inflated since previous years.
● Accessing prior knowledge (5 minutes)
○ The class will engage in a discussion on their knowledge pertaining to how we buy goods at the grocery store. Most of the food at the grocery store came from the agriculture. The teacher
may show students empty food containers of a variety of different items that students may understand.
■ Topics to be discussed will include:
● What food do you buy at the grocery store?
● What is the role of grocery store?
○ Do you notice the price changes on goods such as fruits?
○ Once students have discussed this information, the teacher will show the students the following video on YouTube to further show the story of Agriculture and The Green Economy
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGev010Zwc)
● Teacher modeling (7 minutes)
○ For this portion of the lesson, the teacher will talk more about the economics side of agriculture; and show another video on YouTube from PBS relating specifically to the Rio Grande Valley:
ENTREPRENEURSHIP | Rio Grande Valley Farmers Guild | New Mexico PBS
○ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_oRf114fE)
The teacher may also show another YouTube video on showing where does food come from on RGV farmers markets: grocery buying:
RGV Farmers Market: Fresh Option to Grocery Buying
● (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEL7q-o53w)
● Guided practice (10 minutes)
○ The teacher and students will work together to complete a “plate” where students will learn the different sources of agriculture
○ The teacher can show the students how wool comes from cotton and the teacher will make connections using a Venn diagram to show students what type of agriculture belongs to each item
Practice (independent, partner, group) (20 minutes)
○ For this part of the lesson, students will work in small groups and will hand students play money with reusable shopping bags
○ Students will be given a certain amount of money and must be advised to purchase things they can afford
○ On each of the items, the students will write in their history journals where each of the items come from and how much it costs (such as milk will come from cows)
● Closure (8 minutes)
○ To close this lesson, the teacher will ask students “Was it hard to make choices about how to spend your money?” explain to students the term: opportunity cost and they often bought items they needed.
○ “Besides food, what other items do families buy because they need them?” (Such as clothing, houses, and cars).
○ Each student will be provided with paper and will draw a picture/product they think their classmates would spend their money on and have them draw a picture of their invention.
○ Remind students their goal is to have their classmates buy their service and why we would buy the item.
○ Let students write their own price of an item.
○ Ensure the teacher reviewed with students that agriculture is what fuels the economy as explained in the PowerPoint and videos.
Assessment
1. What is agriculture? (BT1)
A. Domestication of plants for human use (such as clothing, food, animals).
B. The study of the automobile and how it contributes to pollution
2. Who is John Shary? (BT1)
A. Father of the Texas Citrus Industry
B. American labor leader & civil rights activist
3. Can you provide an example of a source of food item that includes agriculture? (BT2)
A. Soda
B. Cotton
4. What was the main idea of knowing how agriculture has changed over time? (BT2)
A. So we can see how the process and how quicker/ more efficient agriculture has gotten over the years
B. B. So we can watch a movie in class on how the automobile industry has improved
5. What would result if placed in a climate where it never rained? (BT3)
A. The crops/plants would suffer due to drought and thus, affect agriculture negatively
B. The crops/plants will stay longer and thus, affect agriculture positively
6. How would you apply what you learned in the agriculture lessons when you go to the grocery store? (BT3)
A. Understand that agriculture takes place beyond food and all components play a crucial role from farm to cart
B. Understand that fruit can easily be produced in a factory and will not need to be in the outdoors from farm to cart
7. Can you create the Rio Grande Valley as a delta for me? (BT4)
A. Creates a Valley
B. Creates a delta
*Student will need to create using pictures. Teacher will examine if the picture is drawn correctly*
8. What inference can you make on the climate/geography of the Rio Grande Valley? (BT4)
A. That the valley is a delta and has a subtropical climate
B. The valley is a valley and has an arctic climate
9. Do you think advancement of technology for agriculture will help us in the future? Elaborate why or why not. (BT5)
*Student responses will vary, but here is an example of a student’s response that would be considered right/wrong. This question is up for interpretation for students and is subjective as their responses will vary. Students will need to justify their answer*
A. Yes, I believe the advancement of technology will make it easier for farmers to produce fruit faster
B. No it won’t
10. How would you improve the agriculture system of the Rio Grande Valley? (BT5)
A. I would improve by creating better working conditions for workers and making sure that the plants are well nourished.
B. I would improve by driving less cars to decrease air pollution.
Answer Key:
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. A
Artifacts
References
Academy, A. (2018, January 31). Retrieved February 22, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbOiwV3gBLg
Agriculture through the Years: Then to Now. (2017, August 14). Retrieved from http://discovermonsanto.in/posts/agriculture-through-the-years-then-to-now/
Ana, R. S. (2011, August 12). South Texas agriculture: $1.6 billion and growing in four-county area. Retrieved from https://today.agrilife.org/2011/08/12/lower-rio-grande-valley-agriculture-impact-set-at-1-6-billion/
Eddie When I’m not rockin’ out with my bros. (2017, December 22). Fun Ways to Teach Kids about Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.tidbitsofexperience.com/fun-ways-teach-kids-agriculture/
Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: E7720. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720. (n.d.). doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f
Hart, & Weldon. (2010, June 15). SHARY, JOHN HARRY. Retrieved from https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsh08
Knmedotorg. (2009, December 06). Retrieved February 22, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_oRf114fE
Kyle, & Jackson, E. J. (1970, January 01). Agriculture in our public schools. Retrieved from https://utrgv-ir.tdl.org/handle/2152.6/831
Proffer, E. (2012, June 22). Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEL7q-o53w
[Portrait of John H. Shary], photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth15109/), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.
Mitsuoka, Y. (n.d.). Food Doesn't Grow in the Supermarket! Retrieved from https://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix/resources.cfm?rid=13
Rio Grande Valley Has Diverse, Year-Round Production. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cropscience.bayer.us/news/blog/2016/april/04122016-rio-grande-valley-is-an-agricultural-gem-with-diverse-year-round-production
Texas Citrus Fiesta Mission Texas TX About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.texascitrusfiesta.org/about
Tx, C. O. (2016, January 08). Retrieved February 22, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8Fv_apqos
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mandela.ac.za/Cyberhunts/bloom.htm
https://naitc-api.usu.edu/media/uploads/2016/10/05/myplate_goods_services_sheet_1.pdf
The purpose of this lesson conducted was to teach students the importance of agriculture and teach students the history of John Shary, geography and climate in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas citrus, and how agriculture shapes the Rio Grande Valley. The Rio Grande Valley is one of the richest farming areas of Texas and remains an agricultural gem with diverse, year-round production. The inspiration to create these lessons came from the agriculture the Rio Grande Valley provides. By educating our children on agriculture, we are able to tell the history on the Rio Grande Valley as it will set the foundation for settlements. With Texas being an agricultural state, the majority of our people are actively engaged in the profession of agriculture. In our public-school districts with 550,000 children, a large percentage return to the farm. Historical research has been conducted and it was found that 27% of children at seven years of age, preferred to live in the countryside, while only two percent of those at fourteen had the same desire. Adding these lessons on agriculture will create a vital interest in children and will teach children the history of citrus and how it ties to the Mission and Sharyland communities, well as the geography/climate of the Rio Grande Valley and how it plays a crucial role in producing agriculture. Furthermore, our lessons give a close look on how agriculture produces a more stable economy. Throughout the lesson, the crucial questions involve: What is agriculture? What kind of geography/climate does the Rio Grande Valley and how does this affect out agriculture? Who is John Shary? What is the Citrus Festival? Where can you find fruits and vegetables? The students will also learn how agriculture shapes economic sufficiency in the Rio Grande Valley. Within the lesson, we have incorporated subject that will contain keywords that include: climate, native, geography, sub-tropical, region, citrus, economic, reliability, irrigation, plowing, harvesting.
Introduction
The overall intent of this lesson is to help students understand what part of Texas that they live in, and the history behind the crops that grow in the Rio Grande Valley. The content is structured in a way that begins with teaching students about what agriculture is, a significant figure that expanding agriculture in the RGV, and how farming and agriculture end ups up in our shopping carts and benefits our economy. The students will explore ideas and take note of how places close to home have historical significance. Agriculture and farming is a way of life. For thousands of years people used it to feed their families, then communities, then expanded into a business and a way to feed the world. The harvesting, production, and manufacturing of agriculture is important for students to know because it creates job opportunities that stimulate our economy.
The students will also learn about the geography and climate of the RGV. This will encourage to think about what they know and notice about the world around them. This includes the kind plants they have seen growing, the hot, humid, and dry weather we have, and what kind of fruits and vegetables we can find at our local grocery stores.
When planning these lesson we took John Dewey’s ideology of learning through hands on activities into consideration. Human beings learn by doing. For children, hands on activities and interacting with their environment is a great way to learn and retain knowledge because it engages students in the lessons. Learning through experiences can also be beneficial to students because they are able to connect what they have learned to the outside world. We want students to not only recall facts but explore ideas and create foldables and participate in activities. A conceptual understanding of what they have learned is better than having students memorize information.
Rubric
Students will be evaluated on their performance during this lesson using the following rubric: “cooperation” portion of the rubric will be based on if the students were able to follow direction,
comply with them as well as interact with peers, “accuracy,” to ensure every student was able to conduct their work with accurate information with no errors, “comprehension” to ensure the students were able to comprehend the given content based on the given history lessons for agriculture in the RGV, and “completion,” to ensure that each student was able complete the given assignments/activities in the given lessons.
Rubric for Agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley:
5
4
3
2
1
Cooperation
Student was able to fully cooperate through the entire duration of the lesson with peers.
Student was able to cooperate through the majority of the lesson.
Student was able to cooperate during parts of the lessons, but struggled at time with peers
Student struggled to cooperate through the majority of the lesson with peers.
Student did not cooperate with peers through the lesson.
Accuracy
Student was able to accurately complete all of his/her work with no errors/mistakes.
Student was able to accurately complete their work with a minor error.
Student was able to accurately complete their work with small errors.
Student conducted many errors while completing their assignments.
Student’s work was not conducted with accuracy throughout the entire duration of the lesson.
Comprehension
Demonstrated the lesson as well as in details/ into depth of the given lessons.
Student understood the lessons without placing detail and in depth.
Student understood the lesson with minor misconceptions
Student grasped parts of the given lesson.
Student did not comprehend the majority of the lesson
Completion
Student work was fully completed.
Student work was completed with small/minor details not written.
Missing parts of students assignments.
Student work lacked many of the given components for completion.
Student did not complete majority of the lesson.
Lesson 1 – What is Agriculture? A Day without Agriculture
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Clarissa Rodriguez & Cynthia Banda 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
1st Grade 20
Assessment (formal and/or informal):
The teachers will conduct informal assessments, in which she will walk around the classroom and monitor the students understanding of the material and application in activities. The teachers when walking by will address any misconceptions and ask guiding questions as the lesson progresses.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(3) History. The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. The student is expected to:
(A) distinguish among past, present, and future;
(6) Geography. The student understands various physical and human characteristics. The student is expected to:
(C) identify and describe how the human characteristics of place such as shelter, clothing, food, and activities are based upon geographic location. (7) Economics. The student understands how families meet basic human
Standards:
§110.13. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 2, Beginning with School Year 2009-2010.
(15) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Text. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:
(B) use common graphic features to assist in the interpretation of text (e.g., captions, illustrations).
Objectives:
1. The student will be able to apply their knowledge of agriculture into describing the methods of how farming has changed over time and discuss the differences between needs and wants.
2. The student will be able to understand why people partake in agriculture, and how people used to farm and the importance of agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be integrated with general ed students.
● The end product will be made and can be passed among children when needed
● Utilization of visual aids and closed captioning on videos
● Monitoring will be available to address any/all misconceptions.
Materials and Resources
· Historical photo of agriculture taking place near Brownsville, TX
· PowerPoint presentation
· Foldable for students
· A Day without Agriculture Handout for students
· Whiteboard
· Timeline where students will create a small timeline individually on past/present/future
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students
○ The purpose of this lesson is for students to learn about the importance of agriculture and will be able to receive a solid understand on what agriculture is, what it includes and how we are all affected by agriculture.
● Accessing prior knowledge (5 minutes)
○ The class will engage in thought-provoking questions to elicit children’s background knowledge
● What is agriculture?
● Hundreds of years ago, why did people farm?
● Nowadays, why do people farm?
● How could we find out about how people farmed 100 years ago?
● Do you think farming has changed over time?
○ Once the class has discussed their knowledge on agriculture, the teacher will show a video to further begin the lesson:
○ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCp93xbSwWM
● Teacher modeling (15 minutes)
During this portion of the lesson, the teacher will show a picture of agriculture taking place in the Rio Grande Valley (particularly near Brownsville, TX):
Have students write down what they see from the picture:
The teacher can self-create a PowerPoint to guide the students along
What can be included in the PowerPoint:
· The history of agriculture; how agriculture has changed the past of the Rio Grande Valley
· the tools; working equipment
· Working conditions of agriculture
· Then vs. now; how agriculture has changed over time
● Guided practice (10 minutes)
○ In this part of the lesson, the teacher will create a foldable with students that will talk about agriculture; the basics and how agriculture has changed over time. (In the foldable, the teacher will address what is agriculture, where does planting and harvesting take place, why do we have agriculture, etc.).
○ The teacher will create the foldable timeline on the history of agriculture with the students and the students may follow along with the teacher.
○ The foldable will explain what occurred in the PowerPoint; but is a quick reminder for students when understanding the importance of agriculture.
○ Teacher will hand students “A Day Without Agriculture” and list the agricultural products they use in a day. Teacher will get examples and list them on whiteboard for students to see.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (20 minutes)
○ Students will create a booklet and write a sentence/ display a picture on how agriculture has changed over time
Through these activities, students will be able to identify major key points of agriculture in the RGV as well as learn the differences in agriculture now vs. back then
● Closure (5 minutes)
○ Once the groups have all finished their posters each of the students will have an exit ticket where they will write down one thing that have learned on agriculture (such as products of what they use daily).
Lesson 2 – Is The Valley Really a Valley? Geography and Climate in the RGV
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Cynthia Banda and Clarissa Rodriguez 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
First Grade 20
Assessment (informal): The teacher is expected to monitor students and their understanding of the material. The teacher will ask high order thinking questions.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(5) Geography. The student understands the purpose of maps and globes. The student is expected to:
(B) locate the community, Texas, and the United States on maps and globes.
6) Geography. The student understands various physical and human characteristics. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the physical characteristics of place such as landforms, bodies of water, natural resources, and weather;
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to distinguish where the Rio Grande Valley is on a map.
2. The students will be able to recognize the Rio Grande Valley is a delta not a valley.
3. The students will be able to categorize the type of weather and climate that the RGV has.
4. The Students will be able to create a paper model of a delta.
5. The students will be able to create a geography and climate booklet of the RGV.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be involved in the lesson and interact with general ed students.
● A checklist will be written on the board and verbal reminders will be made.
● The teacher will provide an example of the model and activities to the class.
● Expectations will be visible on the board with images.
● Consistent monitoring and teacher support will be available.
Materials and Resources
● Construction paper
● Pencil
● Markers
● Stapler
● Scissors
● Glue
● Clay
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students (5 minutes)
○ Students will know where they live and where they are located in the map. The teacher will also discuss the misconception that people have of the Rio Grande Valley. It is actually a delta. In addition to that, the students will have an understanding that the RGV has a hot, humid, and dry weather and climate.
● Accessing prior knowledge (10 minutes)
○The teacher will ask students if they know what state they live in. She will also ask studetns what if they know what a landform is. The teacher will take guesses and ask students to do a think pair share, brief discussion.
● Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
○ The teacher will discuss what a delta is: A river delta is a landform that forms from deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. The teacher will show a picture of a delta.
● Guided practice (10 minutes)
● The teacher will then explain what the word climate means: weather that a place expriences annally.
● The teacher will explain to students that the RGV has a warm fair climate. It is often hot and humid, with short winters.
● Together the students and teacher will create a booklet that the definition of landforms, and the type of landforms found in the RGV. The students will leave a space on the next page for a picture.
● The next page will have a have a definition of the word climate. Then the next page will have an example of the type of climate that the RGV has. The students will leave space on the next page for a picture.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (15 minutes)
● Independently students will draw a picture of the a delta and color it.
● They will also draw a picture of a hot climate and color it
● With a partner the students can create a model of a delta using clay, construction paper, and other supplies available.
● In groups of 4-6 the students can present and share their models to each other.
● The teacher will monitor and walk around the room.
● Closure (5 minutes)
○ The students will each receive a post it note. The teacher will write a question on the board and read it out loud. “What kind of climate does the Rio Grande Valley have?” Acceptable answers will be “Hot” “Sunny” “Humid” or “Dry”
Lesson 3 – Who Is John Shary?
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Cynthia Banda and Clarissa Rodriguez 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
First Grade 20
Assessment (formal and/or informal): The teacher will walk around during the lesson to ensure comprehension and students are on-task with the lesson. Towards the end of the lesson the teacher will ask the students “Who is the Father of Citrus?” and the students are expected to answer as a class “John Shary”
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(2) History. The student understands how historical figures, patriots, and good citizens helped shape the community, state, and nation. The student is expected to:
(A) identify contributions of historical figures, including Sam Houston, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr., who have influenced the community, state, and nation;
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to identify where South Texas is and where Sharyland, Texas is on a state Map.
2. The students will be able to recognize who John Shary is and the contributions he made to South Texas.
3. The students will create a foldable with information about John Shary.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be grouped with general ed students.
● A checklist will be written on the board and verbal reminders will be made.
● A model of the end product will be provided.
● Expectations will be visible on the board with images.
● Consistent monitoring and teacher support will be available.
Materials and Resources
● PowerPoint on John Shary
● Foldable including who, what, when, where.
● Paper
● Pencil
● Scissors
● Markers
● Crayons
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students
○ The purpose of this lesson is for students to familiarize themselves with the Rio Grande Valley (which is their home) and who the founder of Sharyland, Texas was. The students will find out who John Shary is and that he is the father of the Texas citrus industry.
● Accessing prior knowledge (7 mins)
○ The teacher will ask students if they know what city or what state they live in.
○ The teacher will ask the students if they have ever have eaten citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemons, limes).
○ The students will discuss the topics.
● Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
○ For this portion of the lesson, the teacher will introduce students to a map of Texas. The teacher will point out where South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley is on the map. The teacher will also state that this is the area where we live. The teacher will also zoom in on a digital map to show where we are located and how there are many cities and communities in Texas. The Teach will then explain to the Students where Sharyland Texas is.
○ The teacher will then go on to explain how Sharyland, Texas got its name.
○ On a PowerPoint the teacher will explain that John Shary came to the Rio Grande Valley in 1912.
○ He bought land in Mission Texas.
○ He felt that citrus crops were the future of Texas.
○ Explain to students what citrus is (oranges, grapefruits, lemons)
○ John Shary pumped water from the Rio Grande and irrigated the acres he bought
○ The following year he grew the first crops
○ He produced lots of citrus and sold it all over Texas
○ He died in 1945
○ John Shary was named into the Texas Business man Hall of Fame and was also called the Father of the Citrus Industry
○ He also created a school district and the community of Sharyland was named after him
○ The teacher will show pictures of his mansion in Mission, Texas
○ The teacher will explain to students that artifacts on John Shary are now located at the UTRGV library in Edinburg Texas.
● Guided practice (15 minutes)
○ To ensure that students retain their knowledge of who John Shary is the teacher and students will work together on completing a four-flap foldable.
■ Each student will make a four-flap foldable
■ The first flap will have who: John Shary the father of Citrus
■ The second flap will be what: Grew the first commercial citrus crops in Texas.
■ The third flap will say when: 1912
■ The fourth flap will say where: Mission, Texas and Sharyland, Texas
■ In the center of the foldable the students will draw a picture of John Shary.
■ Once the class has finished the foldable, they will glue it inside their Social Studies journal. The title of the page will be “Your Right to Vote”.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (15 minutes)
○ The students will cut out and color a picture of a grapefruit on their own.
○ In partners they will think of words that describe John Shary and write it on the center of the orange
○ In a group the students will make paste their grapefruit onto a citrus tree
○ As a class this creates a grapefruit grove.
● Closure (3 minutes)
○ The teacher will explain to the class that all the trees in the class make a citrus grove like John Shary did in Mission, Texas.
Lesson 4 – Texas Citrus Festival
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Cynthia Banda and Clarissa Rodriguez 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
First Grade 20
Assessment (informal):
The Teacher is expected to monitor students learning through walking around the classroom. The teacher will ask questions to check for understanding.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(1) History. The student understands the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community, state, and nation such as San Jacinto Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day; and
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to discuss why the citrus festival occurs in Mission, Texas
2. Students will distinguish the importance of traditions and customs in communities
3. The students will be able to create their own Texas Citrus Festival crown.
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs:
● ELL’s and SPED students will be included with general education students.
● A checklist will be written on the board and verbal reminders will be made.
● A model of the end product will be provided.
● Consistent monitoring and teacher support will be available.
Materials and Resources:
• Markers
• Construction paper
• Crayons
• Pencils
• Paper
• Teachers PowerPoint
• Video promo of the Texas Citrus Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8Fv_apqos
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks):
● The purpose of the lesson for students (5 minutes)
○ The students will learn new vocabulary such as customs and traditions and focus on traditions that the Mission, Texas area celebrates by taking a look at the Texas Citrus Festival. The students will connect it events that they celebrate in their communities and with their families.
● Accessing prior knowledge (5 minutes)
○ The teacher will ask students if they know what a celebration is. The teacher will also ask students to give examples of things that they celebrate.
● Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
○ The teacher will explain what a celebration and what a festival is and why people celebrate it. The history behind festivals are to celebrate a plentiful harvest.
● Guided practice (15 minutes)
○ The teacher will explain to students that back in the 1930’s John Shary and people from Mission, Texas celebrated the successful harvest of citrus (most importantly grapefruit). After that the teacher will explain that Mission, Texas has made it a tradition and has celebrated the Texas Citrus Festival for more than 80 years. Then the teacher will show students a video of what goes on during the celebrations. During the Citrus Festival they crown King Citrus, Queen Citrianna, and Princess Anna. They also have different festivities such as parade, cook out, and carnival.
● Practice (independent, partner, group) (15 minutes)
○ After showing students the different outfits and the crown that the king and queen wear, the students will create their own crown if they were crowned as King Citrus or Queen Citrianna.
○ When the students are finished, the teacher will ask students to turn to their partner and talk about how they decorated their crowns. The students will also get to wear their own crowns.
○ In a whole group the teacher will call on several students to write on the board what events they would go to if they attended the Texas Citrus Festival. The teacher will remind the students that this is a tradition that the city of mission does every year to celebrate John Shary, citrus, and the community.
● Closure (5 minutes)
○ The teacher will ask students to get out a sheet of paper and draw a picture of one that they would attend if they went to the festival and write a sentence about it underneath the picture.
Lesson 5 – Let’s Go Shopping!
How Agriculture Paves the RGV from Farm to Cart
Your name: Date and Time of Lesson:
Clarissa Rodriguez & Cynthia Banda 2/24/19 (50 min. lesson)
Grade Level: Number of Students:
1st Grade 20
Assessment (formal and/or informal):
The teacher will walk around during the lesson to ensure comprehension and students are on-task with the lesson. The teacher will observe students while conducting the lesson based on the money to address any misconceptions that may occur within the lesson.
Standards:
§113.12. Social Studies, Grade 1, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
1) History. The student understands the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community, state, and nation such as San Jacinto Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day;
Objectives:
1. The students will discuss the origins of the citrus festival in Mission, Texas.
2. The students will be able to identify the customs of the RGV
Strategies for English Language Learners and Learners with Special Needs
● ELL’s and SPED students will be grouped with general ed students.
● Braille may be provided on the price tag for visually impaired students.
● Audio recordings may be read aloud for visually impaired students.
Materials and Resources
· Agriculture & The Green Economy YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGev010Zwc
· Entrepreneurship: Rio Grande Valley Farmers Guide PBS Video New Mexico
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_oRf114fE
· RGV Farmers Market: Fresh Options to Grocery Buying YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEL7q-o53w
· Play Money
· Reusable Shopping Bags
· History Journal
· Price tags
· Writing utensils
· Different food items (such as can of corn, milk carton, etc.).
· PowerPoint presentation
· Paper
· Markers/Crayons for picture during closure activity
Instructional Sequence (instructional strategies and learning tasks)
● The purpose of the lesson for students
○ The purpose of this lesson for students is to learn how agriculture that takes place in the Rio Grande Valley ensures economic sufficiency. The students may also understand how the price of goods have inflated since previous years.
● Accessing prior knowledge (5 minutes)
○ The class will engage in a discussion on their knowledge pertaining to how we buy goods at the grocery store. Most of the food at the grocery store came from the agriculture. The teacher
may show students empty food containers of a variety of different items that students may understand.
■ Topics to be discussed will include:
● What food do you buy at the grocery store?
● What is the role of grocery store?
○ Do you notice the price changes on goods such as fruits?
○ Once students have discussed this information, the teacher will show the students the following video on YouTube to further show the story of Agriculture and The Green Economy
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twGev010Zwc)
● Teacher modeling (7 minutes)
○ For this portion of the lesson, the teacher will talk more about the economics side of agriculture; and show another video on YouTube from PBS relating specifically to the Rio Grande Valley:
ENTREPRENEURSHIP | Rio Grande Valley Farmers Guild | New Mexico PBS
○ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_oRf114fE)
The teacher may also show another YouTube video on showing where does food come from on RGV farmers markets: grocery buying:
RGV Farmers Market: Fresh Option to Grocery Buying
● (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEL7q-o53w)
● Guided practice (10 minutes)
○ The teacher and students will work together to complete a “plate” where students will learn the different sources of agriculture
○ The teacher can show the students how wool comes from cotton and the teacher will make connections using a Venn diagram to show students what type of agriculture belongs to each item
Practice (independent, partner, group) (20 minutes)
○ For this part of the lesson, students will work in small groups and will hand students play money with reusable shopping bags
○ Students will be given a certain amount of money and must be advised to purchase things they can afford
○ On each of the items, the students will write in their history journals where each of the items come from and how much it costs (such as milk will come from cows)
● Closure (8 minutes)
○ To close this lesson, the teacher will ask students “Was it hard to make choices about how to spend your money?” explain to students the term: opportunity cost and they often bought items they needed.
○ “Besides food, what other items do families buy because they need them?” (Such as clothing, houses, and cars).
○ Each student will be provided with paper and will draw a picture/product they think their classmates would spend their money on and have them draw a picture of their invention.
○ Remind students their goal is to have their classmates buy their service and why we would buy the item.
○ Let students write their own price of an item.
○ Ensure the teacher reviewed with students that agriculture is what fuels the economy as explained in the PowerPoint and videos.
Assessment
1. What is agriculture? (BT1)
A. Domestication of plants for human use (such as clothing, food, animals).
B. The study of the automobile and how it contributes to pollution
2. Who is John Shary? (BT1)
A. Father of the Texas Citrus Industry
B. American labor leader & civil rights activist
3. Can you provide an example of a source of food item that includes agriculture? (BT2)
A. Soda
B. Cotton
4. What was the main idea of knowing how agriculture has changed over time? (BT2)
A. So we can see how the process and how quicker/ more efficient agriculture has gotten over the years
B. B. So we can watch a movie in class on how the automobile industry has improved
5. What would result if placed in a climate where it never rained? (BT3)
A. The crops/plants would suffer due to drought and thus, affect agriculture negatively
B. The crops/plants will stay longer and thus, affect agriculture positively
6. How would you apply what you learned in the agriculture lessons when you go to the grocery store? (BT3)
A. Understand that agriculture takes place beyond food and all components play a crucial role from farm to cart
B. Understand that fruit can easily be produced in a factory and will not need to be in the outdoors from farm to cart
7. Can you create the Rio Grande Valley as a delta for me? (BT4)
A. Creates a Valley
B. Creates a delta
*Student will need to create using pictures. Teacher will examine if the picture is drawn correctly*
8. What inference can you make on the climate/geography of the Rio Grande Valley? (BT4)
A. That the valley is a delta and has a subtropical climate
B. The valley is a valley and has an arctic climate
9. Do you think advancement of technology for agriculture will help us in the future? Elaborate why or why not. (BT5)
*Student responses will vary, but here is an example of a student’s response that would be considered right/wrong. This question is up for interpretation for students and is subjective as their responses will vary. Students will need to justify their answer*
A. Yes, I believe the advancement of technology will make it easier for farmers to produce fruit faster
B. No it won’t
10. How would you improve the agriculture system of the Rio Grande Valley? (BT5)
A. I would improve by creating better working conditions for workers and making sure that the plants are well nourished.
B. I would improve by driving less cars to decrease air pollution.
Answer Key:
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. A
Artifacts
References
Academy, A. (2018, January 31). Retrieved February 22, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbOiwV3gBLg
Agriculture through the Years: Then to Now. (2017, August 14). Retrieved from http://discovermonsanto.in/posts/agriculture-through-the-years-then-to-now/
Ana, R. S. (2011, August 12). South Texas agriculture: $1.6 billion and growing in four-county area. Retrieved from https://today.agrilife.org/2011/08/12/lower-rio-grande-valley-agriculture-impact-set-at-1-6-billion/
Eddie When I’m not rockin’ out with my bros. (2017, December 22). Fun Ways to Teach Kids about Agriculture. Retrieved from https://www.tidbitsofexperience.com/fun-ways-teach-kids-agriculture/
Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: E7720. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720. (n.d.). doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f
Hart, & Weldon. (2010, June 15). SHARY, JOHN HARRY. Retrieved from https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsh08
Knmedotorg. (2009, December 06). Retrieved February 22, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7_oRf114fE
Kyle, & Jackson, E. J. (1970, January 01). Agriculture in our public schools. Retrieved from https://utrgv-ir.tdl.org/handle/2152.6/831
Proffer, E. (2012, June 22). Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEL7q-o53w
[Portrait of John H. Shary], photograph, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth15109/), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley.
Mitsuoka, Y. (n.d.). Food Doesn't Grow in the Supermarket! Retrieved from https://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix/resources.cfm?rid=13
Rio Grande Valley Has Diverse, Year-Round Production. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cropscience.bayer.us/news/blog/2016/april/04122016-rio-grande-valley-is-an-agricultural-gem-with-diverse-year-round-production
Texas Citrus Fiesta Mission Texas TX About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.texascitrusfiesta.org/about
Tx, C. O. (2016, January 08). Retrieved February 22, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a8Fv_apqos
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mandela.ac.za/Cyberhunts/bloom.htm
https://naitc-api.usu.edu/media/uploads/2016/10/05/myplate_goods_services_sheet_1.pdf
Files
Citation
Clarissa Rodriguez and Cynthia Banda, “Agriculture Lesson Plan,” UTRGV Digital Exhibits, accessed April 25, 2024, https://omeka.utrgv.edu/items/show/213.