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INVITATION How can we help students to begin to understand what encompasses a farming community? How do we help them understand the connections between farm animals and the products that come from farms? How do we motivate students to learn the tasks and responsibilities involved in running a farm? |
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TASKS Students begin the project by learning about different farm animals, what their babies are called, and what sounds they make. Students create multimedia projects that illustrate a farm community. |
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TOOLS Computers. AppleWorks; Art Mania 12,000; HyperStudio or mPOWER; Kid Pix Studio Deluxe. |
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INTERACTIONS The teacher sets an atmosphere to reflect a farm community and the students role-play the animals. The teacher shows students slides or photographs of different farms and what types of items are found on them. Once the atmosphere has been set, the teacher begins working with students on topics such as specific farm animals and what they provide for us. Students then create multimedia projects that illustrate a farm community. |
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STANDARDS To identify the curriculum standards for your state that correlate to this student project, select the state in the popup menu below and then click the Go button. View Detailed Standards in |
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SITUATIONS Students work in the classroom, in the media center, and in the computer lab. The project, including class discussion time and research, will last two weeks. Students work in the computer lab with the teacher to create their final projects. Much of the preparation for this unit will take place in the classroom. If possible, a field trip to a farming community would be beneficial. |
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ASSESSMENT In order to find out what students know about farms, the teacher assesses prior knowledge with a brainstorming activity. Students list information they know about farms. The teacher then asks students what they want to learn about farms. Students categorize the brainstormed words under specific headings. This activity helps assess the students' prior knowledge about farms, so that the teacher can build on their prior knowledge and focus on the interests of the students. During the unit, assessment will focus on student retention, association, and development skills. The teacher gives the students a checklist to use as they develop their projects so they know the project expectations. |
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This project focuses on farms, farm animals, their families, and the food products we get from farms. Students imagine what events and objects are involved in farming and then compare their ideas through discussion and presentations on farming that include images, sounds, products, videos, and other farm memorabilia. Students discuss not only the farm animals and their products but also the animals and their relationships within their animal family. Following research and discussion, students create a digital slideshow of what they would see on a trip to a farm. |
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Phase 1: Barn raising Prior to the start of the project, decorate the classroom to mirror a barn and farm. Music, a cage of baby chicks, books, a little hay, and overalls will help put students in the farming mood. When students enter the classroom, play"Old MacDonald Had a Farm" and ask the students to join in. Following the song, brainstorm with students what kind of farm animals they might see on a farm. Once they have listed an animal, give them a cutout picture or create a hat that represents what they have named. After all of the students have a picture or hat, ask them to take their place in the stable. The room will serve as the barn and areas within the room will serve as parts of the stable. For example, all of the cows will be in one area, the horses in another, the chickens in another, and so on. |
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Phase 2: Animal sounds While the students are sitting in their places in the barn, show them a slideshow that depicts many of the animals found on a farm. In the slideshow, each animal should have a button that shows the word that represents the sound the animal makes. For example, if a student said "cow," the teacher would click the cow and word "moo" would appear along with the sound. Ask students to repeat the name of the animal, the sound it makes, and then make the sound. |
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Phase 3: Animal families Ask students what they know about animal families. Do dogs and cats have families? What are the babies called? Point out that all animals have babies, and that those babies have names that are different from their parents. Use HyperStudio, Kid Pix Studio Deluxe, or mPOWER to help students classify the animals and their babies. |
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Phase 4: How do eggs get to the store? During this phase, students learn the importance of the farming community and what types of products we use from the farm. Bring in as many products as you can for show and tell or create a slideshow in HyperStudio, mPOWER, or Kid Pix Studio Deluxe showing the different products. Again, creating a matching game for students to use or visiting some of the Web sites listed in the "Resources" section, later in this project, will allow students to explore the world of farm products. |
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Phase 5: Imagine visiting a farm Students take the knowledge they have gained from the previous phases and use HyperStudio, mPOWER, or Kid Pix Studio Deluxe to create a painting of how they would envision a trip to a farm. Encourage students to include people, animals, equipment, food and many other aspects of the farming community. Students can create different slides and with adult help, create a slideshow titled "My Trip to the Farm." |
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PREPARATION
Prepare students to use Kid Pix Studio Deluxe, HyperStudio, or mPOWER. Create or cut out pictures of items and animals that might be found on a farm. Find music that is associated with farming. Collect examples of products that we use from the farm. Create slideshows for student learning. Explore resource CDs that show farm life. |
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OPTIONS AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Visit a farm and pack a lunch for students with products made from the farm. Collect baby chicken eggs and help students incubate and hatch them. Invite a farmer to speak to the students. Take students on a hay ride. Invite the students to come to school one day dressed like a farmer. Take a camera to a farm and shoot footage to create QuickTime virtual reality panoramas. Then post the trip with panoramas on the school's Web site. Create a desktop movie using iMovie. |
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BOOKS All Kinds of Farms (The Farm) by Ann Larkin Hansen The Animals of Farmer Jones by Leah Gale The Barn by G. Flammenghi Chester's Barn by L. Climo A Farm by Aurelius Battaglia The Farm (Discovering Nature Series) by Isidro Sanchez Farm Animals by Phoebe Dunn Farming by Gail Gibbons Farming: Copyright-Free Illustrations for Lovers of History (Historical Etchings) by Bobbie Kalman Farming Today Yesterday's Way by C.W. Bellville Hello, Farm Animals by E. Curran My First Visit to the Farm (My First Visit Series) by G. Sales, Jose Maria Parramon The New Baby Calf by E. Chase On the Farm by Richard Scarry Open the Barn Door by Christopher Santoro Pelle's New Suit by Elsa Beskow This Old Farm: A Treasury of Family Farm Memories by Michael Dregni |
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INTERNET RESOURCES Kids Farm
Davis' Farmland and Mega Maze
Davis' Farmland Fun Farm Sounds
The Barnyard Buddies
The Electronic Zoo
Fun Farm Activities
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