Related Arts Teacher Grade: 6-8
Agricultural Technology, Farming Technology, and Biotechnology
Standards for Technological Literacy – Students experience ways in which technological knowledge and processes contribute to effective designs and solutions to technological problems. Students participate in design activities to understand how criteria, constraints, and processes affect designs. Brainstorming, visualizing, modeling, constructing, testing, and refining designs provide firsthand opportunities for students to understand the uses and impacts of innovations. Students develop skills in communicating information and reporting results.
Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link.
•Several types of technology affect our health and wellness either directly or indirectly.
•Agricultural technology, for example, is responsible for producing the foods we eat to remain healthy. A related field, biotechnology, works hand in hand with agricultural technology to improve our health.
•Students will further their knowledge of agriculture by learning and predicting future food needs for humans to remain healthy.
•Students will realize the importance of agriculture in producing, harvesting, manufacturing, and packaging of foods.
•Students will investigate the “Food Dilemma” by 2050, “Vertical Farming”, “Farm Machinery”, and “Genetic Engineering”.
•Working cooperatively, students will present findings of their investigations to the rest of the class.
•Students will debate pros and cons of genetic engineering.
Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature)

Do you prefer to eat fresh foods or packaged foods? What are some of the reasons for your choices?
Gradwell, John B., and Malcolm Welch. Technology Engineering Our World 7 th edition. Tinley Park, IL: Goodheart-Willcox Company, 2012. Print.
YouTube Video Clips: “Nine Billion Mouths to Feed”, “Vertical Farming”, “Planting and Harvesting Crops”, “Farming Machinery”, “Biotechnology in Agriculture”
(I can….)
1 I can discuss the changes necessary in the growing of foods to meet the demands in the future.
YouTube Video
Clip “Nine
Billion Mouths to Feed by
2050”
Appendix A
PowerPoint
“Agricultural
Technology”
Appendix B
Essential? Explain how the growing of crops has changed to meet the needs of people especially in large cities.
Agricultural Technology
Hook:
YouTube Video Clip “ Nine Billion Mouths to Feed by 2050”
•Vocabulary – greenhouse = a building made mostly of glass or transparent plastic that helps control conditions such as humidity and temperature for growing plants.
Write sentences to explain how a greenhouse would allow a plant to grow in an unlikely location.
Teaching Strategy
•PowerPoint Agricultural Technology
•Activity – Students will work in small groups to investigate the predicted food dilemma by the year 2050. During the time interval about 3 billion more people will need food. Based on current production and harvesting, this would require more land equal to the size of Brazil to meet the increased food necessary.
There is simply not enough unused land available. Groups will brainstorm possible solutions to the problem. Students will present a solution to the rest of the class.
Summarizing Strategy
•Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning about a possible solution to the food dilemma.
•Exit Ticket – Students will explain changes necessary in the growing of foods to meet demands in the future.
DI: Students will be in small groups working collaboratively to find a solution to the predicted
“Food Dilemma” by the year 2050.
One on one conferencing and discussion prompting to show understanding.
Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed.
Performance
Assessment
Application:
Completion of “Food
Dilemma” investigation and presentation to the rest of the class.
Formative
Assessment:
One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.

2
3
I can explain how a vertical garden could provide food for peoples living in large cities.
I can discuss the technological advances that have improved the harvesting of crops.
YouTube Video
Clip “Dickson
Despommier’s
Vertical
Farming”
Appendix C
YouTube Video
Clip “Planting and Harvesting
Crops”
Appendix D
YouTube Video
Clip “Farming
Machinery”
Appendix E
PowerPoint
“Farming
Technology”
Appendix F
Essential? What is hydroponics and how could it be used in a vertical garden where limited land space is available?
Agricultural Technology
Hook:
YouTube Video Clip “Vertical Farming”
•Vocabulary – hydroponics = a type of agriculture in which plants are grown in a water-based system, without soil.
Write sentences to explain how a hydroponics unit would require less maintenance.
Teaching Strategy
•Activity – Students will work in small groups and investigate vertical farming.
Find at least (3) advantages. Write a report explaining the advantages you found. Groups will present their findings to the rest of the class.
Summarizing Strategy
•Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning from vertical farming.
•Exit Ticket – Students will explain how a vertical garden could provide vegetables year round to people living in large cities.
DI: Students will be in small groups working collaboratively to find advantages of vertical farming.
One on one conferencing and
Discussion prompting to show understanding.
Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed.
Essential? How has technological advances improved the harvesting of crops? DI: Students will be in small
Farming Technology
Hook:
YouTube Video Clip “Planting and Harvesting Crops”
YouTube Video Clip “Farming Machinery”
•Vocabulary - aquaculture = a type of farming in which farmers raise fish or shellfish in sheltered areas for commercial purposes.
Write sentences to explain how an aquaculture system protects its stock.
Teaching Strategy
•PowerPoint Farming Technology
•Activity – Students will work in small groups and investigate types of groups working collaboratively to investigate types of automated machinery commonly used on farms in the
U.S. Groups will create a poster display to identify machines and explain the purpose of each
Performance
Assessment
Application:
Completion of
“Vertical Farm” investigation activity.
Formative
Assessment:
One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.
Performance
Assessment
Application:
Completion of
“Farm Machinery” poster.
Formative
Assessment:
One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.

4 I can predict the effects of biotechnology on the increased needs in food production.
YouTube Video
Clip
“Biotechnology in Agriculture”
Appendix G
PowerPoint
“Biotechnology”
Appendix H automated machinery commonly used on farms in the United States. Students will create a poster display to identify various machines and explain the purpose of each one.
Summarizing Strategy
•Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning of the technological advances in farming machinery that have improved the harvesting of crops.
•Exit Ticket – Students will explain how advances in farming machinery can help meet the growing needs of food production and harvesting.
Essential? How has agriculture been affected by biotechnology?
Biotechnology
Hook:
YouTube Video Clip “Biotechnology in Agriculture”
•Vocabulary - irradiation = a safe and effective method of exposing foods to a low level of radiation to kill bacteria and other parasites.
Write sentences to explain how irradiation adds extended shelf-life to foods.
Teaching Strategy
•PowerPoint Biotechnology
•Activity – Students will work in small groups and investigate genetically engineered animals. The “Enviropig” is one example of genetic engineering.
Manure from normal pigs has a high phosphorous content that pollutes rivers and lakes. Phosphorous increases the amount of algae in water. Algae rob fish and other organisms of oxygen. The “Enviropig” has an enzyme, phytase in its saliva that allows the pig to digest phosphorous more completely and reduces the amount of phosphorous in its manure. Students will find other examples of one.
One on one conferencing and discussion prompting to show understanding.
Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed.
DI: Students will be in small groups to investigate genetically engineered animals. Groups will discuss pros and cons of genetic engineering with teacher prompting.
One on one conferencing to show understanding.
Chunking of smaller parts of activity so that student(s) completes
Performance
Assessment
Application:
Completion of
“Genetic
Engineering investigation and debate participation.
Formative
Assessment:
One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.

5 I can debate the pros and cons of increasing the number of genetically modified foods. genetically engineered animals. Students will debate the pros and cons of genetically engineered animals including the ethical implications of cloning.
Summarizing Strategy
•Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning of how animals and plants have been genetically engineered to increase yield, to produce hardier plants and animals, or create resistance to disease or pestilence.
•Exit Ticket – Students will explain the effects of biotechnology on increased needs in food production. portion of activity, then another portion until whole is completed.
YouTube Video
Clip
“Biotechnology and Agriculture,
Benefits and
Risks”
Appendix I
Essential? What are the most persuasive arguments for and against genetic modification?
DI: Students will be in small groups to
Biotechnology
Hook: investigate genetically engineered foods.
YouTube Video Clip “Biotechnology and Agriculture, Benefits and Risks
•Vocabulary - biotechnology = the use of living organisms to make goods or provide services.
Write sentences to explain how biotechnology uses living organisms to produce
One on one conferencing and discussion new foods.
Teaching Strategy prompting to show understanding.
Chunking of
•Activity: - Students will work in small groups and investigate genetically modified foods available to consumers. A large percentage of canola, soybeans, smaller parts of activity so that and corn that are grown in North America are genetically modified. Students will discuss the pros and cons of increasing the number of genetically modified foods. student(s) completes portion of activity, then
Summarizing Strategy another portion
•Students will write a journal entry or reflection citing evidence of learning of until whole is how genetically engineered products could lead to monoculture or the spreading of a single species over a large area. completed.
•Exit Ticket – Students will explain genetic engineering.
Performance
Assessment
Application:
Completion of genetically modified foods investigation and participation in discussing pros and cons of genetic engineering.
Formative
Assessment:
One on one conferencing and daily journal entry.

Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
Standards for Technological Literacy
Standard 1
Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
Standard 2
Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
Standard 3
Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.
Standard 4
Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.
Standard 5
Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment.
Standard 6
Students will develop an understanding of the role of society in the development and use of technology.
Standard 7
Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.
Standard 9
Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
Standard 10
Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
Standard 11
Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
Standard 13
Students will develop the abilities to assess the impact of products and systems.
Standard 15
Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use agricultural and related biotechnologies.