Teaching Sequence

15 minutes – Part A: What Is Farming And Agriculture?
40 minutes – Part B: What Is The Show?
05 minutes – Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Part A: What Is Farming And Agriculture?

Teacher preparation:

Print the Question Sheet – What is Farming? double-sided. Cut each question sheet in half, and distribute one half to each student.

Step 1.

Begin this lesson by distributing one copy of the Question Sheet - What is Farming? to each student. Explain to the class that they will be interviewing their classmates to find out their answer to the question, "What is Farming?".

Ensure each student has a pen or pencil for recording answers. Invite students to get out of their chairs and walk around the room, asking three other students for their answers to this question and recording this on the Question Sheet.

Once complete, invite students to share their responses with the class, recording key themes on the board. The aim of this activity is to develop a class definition for farming, for example: farming is the growing of plants or animals for people to use.

Step 2.

Now, invite students to turn their Question Sheet - What is Farming? over and again invite them to walk around the class asking other students for examples to add to their sheet. Students need to find three different examples of farming.

Once complete, invite students to share their examples with the class, ensuring the following categories have been included:

Meat/beef cattle
Milk/dairy cattle
Sheep/wool/meat
Goats
Alpacas
Pigs
Chickens, ducks and geese
Vegetables
Fruit
Cotton
Fish
Mushrooms

Step 3.

Now, invite students to share whether they have heard the word 'agriculture' and encourage students to suggest what it might mean. Explain to students that it has a similar meaning to 'farming' but it isn't just about the practical day-to-day activities that farming involves (like feeding animals, ploughing fields, collecting eggs, milking cows, etc.). When people talk about agriculture they are describing the day-to-day farming activities as well as the scientists who look at how to grow better crops, what to do to raise healthier animals, how seasons affect different plants and animals, and how to look after the environment while also providing food and fibre for people all around the country.

Part B: What Is The Show?

Step 1.

Now, invite students to think about how people in cities might get to experience agriculture and farming WITHOUT having to leave the city. Encourage students to make suggestions that might include:

Having a vegetable garden
Keeping chooks
Joining a community garden
Visiting the Show

Focus student attention on the Show and invite them to suggest some things that are at the Show, recording ideas on the board. For example:

Animals
Food
Wood-chopping
Rides
Showbags
Fireworks

Through your discussion explain to students that the Show is an agricultural event. Agricultural shows are held all around Australia, with each capital city having a big show, and many country towns also having their own, smaller versions of the Show. Agricultural shows were originally established to provide city people with a glimpse into rural, farming life, to give farming communities a chance to share what they do with other farmers and people in the city, and to provide the broader community with an entertaining and educational experience.

Step 2.

Explain to students that they are now going to watch a clip about the Royal Melbourne Show which is similar to other shows in capital cities around Australia. This clip shows some of the main elements of the Show. Invite students to watch and to record anything that they see that relates to farming and agriculture:

Unforgettable Moments - Royal Melbourne Show 2017 (https://youtu.be/kSPtjMVtY2Y)

You may want to watch this clip through twice, the first time allowing students to just watch, and then a second time asking them to observe closely.

Once complete, invite students to suggest answers to the following questions:

What was this clip about?
What parts of this clip did you find interesting?
What things relating to farming and agriculture did you see in this clip?
Suggested answers: Cows, goats, sheep shearing, working dogs and food.

Work with students to create a list of things relating to farming and agriculture that you saw in this clip. Write this list on the board where students can see it.

Step 3.

Divide your class into as many groups as you have items listed on the board. Give each group one of these items.

Each group needs to conduct research (online or in books) to find out the answers to the following question:

How does this item relate to farming?

Groups should create a one-or two-page presentation to share the answer to this question. Encourage students to use images in support of their answer, remembering to add references for any images that they use. In addition, remind students of the Search Strategies for Googling when undertaking research online.

Step 4.

Once complete, invite students to share their presentations with the class and engage students in a class discussion around the following questions:

What new things did you find out about farming from this lesson?
What new things did you find out about the Show from this lesson?
What questions do you still have about farming and the Show?

Record students' thoughts and use some of these ideas to guide further discussion or inquiry.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to answer the following questions (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What new vocabulary did you come across in this lesson?
What things did you learn in this lesson that were connected to what you already knew?
What things that you looked at in this lesson extended your thinking?

Take It To The Show

When students visit The Show, invite them to draw or take photos of anything they find at the Show that relates to farming. Students can use these images to create a poster titled 'Visiting a Farm (at the Show)'.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

The Show - What Is The Show?

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