Activity 3000A
Concepts of Agriculture
ANIMAL SCIENCE
Developed by: Randal Smith
Objective: Expose young children to the basic concepts and information about
agriculture. Children should be able to recognize and understand terms like livestock,
grain, food ingredients, farmers, soil, etc.
Where does our food come from? What about milk? Bread? What kind of animals do
farmers raise? What different kinds of crops do farmers grow?
Grain: The many different crops that farmers grow and sell to market. Such as corn,
soybeans, wheat and others are available. Much of these grains are used as ingredients in
our food supply and the foodstuffs for pets and livestock. Samples would be good to have
so the kids can see and feel the product.
Specialty crops: Strawberries, raspberries, grapes, cranberries, potatoes, dry beans and
many more are available. These can also be introduced to the children. Samples should be
used for the children to touch and see.
Livestock: Certain animals that farmers grow to sell to market or for other purposes.
Dairy cows, beef cows, poultry, goats, horses and sheep are some examples.
Farmers: People who use land to grow crops and livestock. They also take care of the
land that they own.
Soil: A.K.A.: Dirt, this is the material in which we grow crops.
There are many steps that are involved in developing America’s food sources. However,
products containing grain, milk, poultry or beef usually start with farmers raising them.
They are then sold to market for our consumption as a population.
A field trip to a local farm would be a good idea in exposing these young children to the
agricultural world. Exposure to cattle, poultry, crops and the farmers themselves helps
these children comprehend the diversity involved in agriculture.
Children at this level should not be overwhelmed by specifics, but an overall general
information scope should be followed with these grade levels. It is helpful if some of the
children have been raised on a farm they can help an educator by sharing personal
experiences with the rest of the class.
Assessment: Ask the students probing questions like: When you drink milk at lunch,
where does the milk come from? Where do we get grape juice and grape jelly? Etc.