Target Grade Level / Age Range:

1 st grade

Time:

30 minutes

Purpose:

Students will gain a basic understanding of who farmers are and what they do while strengthening language arts skills.

Materials:

Vocabulary:

  • Duplication – an increase in numbers, making more of the same
  • Flock – a group of animals such as chickens or ducks
  • Greenhouse – an indoor building for growing plants
  • Herd – group of animals such as cattle or sheep
  • Nutrients – food within the soil for plants to grow

Background – Agricultural Connections:

Farmers are a very important part of our lives – in fact, without them, it would be much harder to live! Farmers provide us with a vast array of products, from corn to cabbage to cotton, that feed, clothe, and fuel us every day. Without a farmer, we wouldn’t have anything to eat or wear! In many ways, a farmer is like a superhero, because a farmer saves people from starving. They will use their superpowers to raise healthy animals and crops for healthy food for us!

Interest Approach or Motivator:

Ask students to name a superhero and their power, making a list on the white board. 

Procedures:

  1. Ask students to name a superhero and their power, making a list on the white board.  Ask students:
    1. How do these superheroes help people?
    2. Why are they important?
    3. Are they real?
    4. Are there real life superheroes?
  2. Talk with students about real life superheroes. Make a separate list on the white board.
    1. Some examples could include a firefighter, a teacher, a policeman, etc.
  3. Ask students if they think a farmer is a superhero. Why or why not? Possible answers might include:
    1. They are strong and can lift bales of hay or straw. They lift large feed bags, carry buckets, and fix big equipment
    2. They can fix things when they break and always have the right tool for the job.
    3. They can make one corn seed turn into 800 corn seeds.
    4. They have healing powers and can care for sick animals.
    5. They have a green thumbs and can grow a lot of different things
  4. Read the book Farmers are Superheroes Too to students.
    1. Project the Farmers are Superheroes Book PowerPoint and read the book. A hard copy can also be printed from the PDF or Publisher files attached. If using the PDF or Publisher files, be sure to pay attention to page numbers.
  5. Ask students to draw a picture of a farmer superhero doing a superhero activity. Have them share their drawings and what their farmer superhero is doing with the class.
  6. Discuss with students:
    1. How are farmers different than other superheroes?
    2. Have farmers affected your life today? (Yes – breakfast, clothing, fuel to come to school)
    3. What do you use that comes from farms? (clothing, food, fuel)
    4. What would life be like without farmers?

Essential Files:

Did you know? (Ag facts):

  • There are approximately 86,104 farms in Iowa.
  • One U.S. farm produces enough food to feed 166 people.
  • Major crops that are grown in Iowa include corn and soybeans.
  • Major livestock that are raised in Iowa include pigs, hens for egg laying, beef cattle, dairy cattle and turkeys.

Extension Activities:

Have farmer come in and visit with the class about what they do.

Sources/Credits:

Authors:

Trish Hafkey, Jasper County Farm Bureau

Kelsey Faivre, IALF

Organization Affiliation:

Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation

Jasper County Farm Bureau

Agriculture Literacy Outcomes:

  • Theme 3: Food, Health, and Lifestyle Outcomes, K-2
    • Recognize that agriculture provides out most basic necessities: food, fiber (fabric or clothing), energy, and shelter
  • Theme 5: Culture, Society, Economy and Geography Outcomes
    • Discuss what a farmer does
    • Identify the people and careers involved from production to consumption of agricultural products

Iowa Core Standards:

  • English Language Arts:
    • SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
    • RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
    • RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
    • RI.1.10 With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.

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