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Farmers v Bugs

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Who will win Bugs or Farmers?

 

Outline of this lesson / topic

This lesson (or topic) features videos which show how the following are produced on the farm:

  • Wheat - Flour.

  • Potatoes.

  • Milk.

  • Lamb Chops.

Plus videos to show how BUGS can effect this production. The BUGS take the form of:

  • Diseases

  • Pests

  • Weeds

  • Weather - well not a bug but still has important effect on production.

The lesson(s) can take various formats but essentially evolves around a card game in which the players have to collect a set of cards for each of the above products before the other players and also before some players collect a set of Bugs cards which show the factors, listed above, which can affect the production of the above products. It is rather similar to the 'Happy Families' card game. It can be played with a downloaded set of cards in a single session or the pupils can make their own cards over several lessons. Each card is linked to a relevant piece of video which the class watches before making the cards and / or playing the game. As well as covering the sections of the curriculum linked to food production it also meets many of the Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills. It can easily be set up and left as an emergency cover lesson for any age group.

Learning & Thinking Skills in this lessonpersonal learning and thinking skills

  • Team workers - if make set of cards each so group has full set to play.

  • Self-managers - by managing time to complete cards so group can use together

  • Creative thinkers - if design own cards with suitable images.

Teachers Guide / Ideas

The specific WALT & WILFs will depend on how you decide to differentiate this lesson and what outcome you are looking for in your learners, but could be something like those below

WALT / Today's learning / Pupils should learn

  • To explain how farmers produce different food items and the problems they face in doing this.

  • To work in groups and as a team.

WILF / Student Outcomes.

  • To explain how some common food items are grown or produced - e.g. flour, potatoes, lamb and milk.

  • To list some of the things which can stop farmers producing as much food as they want to.

  • To listen carefully to others descriptions and give a valid comment about what they have said.

Details for this lesson

This lesson is split into sections for each of the PRODUCTS and also the BUGS, each section features videos which show how each are produced on the farm:

The lesson can take various formats but essentially culminates around a card game in which the 3-4 players have to collect a set of Farmers Cards for each of the above products before 1-2 players collect a set of Bugs Cards which show some common factors which can affect the production of the above products i.e. weather, pest and disease. The suggestion is to have 2 players collecting the bugs cards, this should make it easier for them to win, thus illustrating the reality faced by farmers in battling disease, pest, weed and weather. It is rather similar to the 'Happy Families' card game.

It can be played with a downloaded set of cards in a single lesson or the pupils can make their own cards over several lessons, or by working in groups in 1 or 2 lessons. The lesson could also be run in an IT EXERCISE with the pupils using Power Point or Publisher to produce the cards with clip art or other suitable images.

Download FULL SET of cards to print here - Farmers v Bugs Cards

Basic Lesson Tasks:

These are the same regardless of whether students make own cards or not.

  1. Play intro video and then ask class what they know about how: flour, milk, crisps and lamb chops are produced. Then ask how easy they thing it is to produce each of these things. Explain that they are going to look at each of these in turn before playing a card game to see what they can remember.

  2. Show class a completed set of cards and explain how they will be using these cards or making their own to play a game at the end of the lesson / topic.

  3. Play each of production videos (these are on products pages listed above) then discuss what has been shown at end, it may also be useful to have cards on display as you play the video and talk about it. (Notes / crib sheet for teachers are on each products specific page)

  4. Next step will depend on how lesson is being run. Pupils will need at some point need to be in groups of 4-6 either to make cards or to play game.

Option 1 - using downloaded cards:

    • Give out cards for product just seen on video and get pupils in groups to take it in turns explaining what is happening on each of cards.

    • Play videos for each of other products, including Bugs, taking time to discuss afterwards and for pupils to explain what each of cards show as above.

    • Play game - see below for rules

Option 2 - pupils make sets of cards in groups in 1 or 2 lessons

    • Allow pupils time - perhaps rest of an hours lesson, to produce set of cards for videos just shown

      • The making of cards can he highly adaptable - cards can be made in groups, each pupil can make own set, cards could be made as an IT task, it all depends on the age of group and how long you want to spend on each product and the topic as a whole.
Option 3 - Pupils each make own set of cards for each product + Bugs - extended topic over several lessons.

(Could reduce this and give out cards for some products depending on time want to spend on this)

Playing the Farmers v Bugs Game.

The game is suitable for 4-6 players. The winner of the game is the first player to collect all six cards for either 1 product or the Bugs.

There are 2 sets of the bugs cards so there should be 2 players collecting bugs cards in each game, this should make it easier for them to win, thus illustrating the reality faced by farmers in battling disease, pest, weed and weather.

The game starts with all the cards turned face down. The first player turns over the first card and that is the type of card they are to collect.

Each player then in turn does the same - if they turn a card the same set as which someone is already collecting then this is put face up on the desk.

Turns then continue with players turning over a card which they keep if needed or place face up on turned pile if not. If the top card is one they need then they can take this card without turning one over from face down pile.

This continues until all cards are turned then pack is shuffled and turned face down to go through again.

The winner is the first person to collect all 6 cards for their set.

 

National Curriculum Reference

Teachers Notes:

These activities have been designed to be suitable for use at KS 1, 2 + 3....

The differentiation of these ideas for a particular group will come from:

  • the amount of input the teachers gives during the running of the activities by use of Q & A for example.

  • the outcome which is expected from the pupils at the end of the lesson

Our expectation is that pupils will achieve our vision "for all the school children in the UK to have a basic knowledge of where their food comes from and how it is produced from an early age" over the period of their education at KS 1-3 and not in a single episode, knowledge gained in such a way is far more deep rooted and better understood.

Knowledge, skills and understanding:

Personal Learning and Thinking Skills.

The activities included in this section are designed to encourage pupils to think more carefully about how their food is produced and where it comes from.

They will help pupils to acquire and develop their Personal Learning and Thinking Skills, allowing them to become:

  • team workers

  • self managers

  • independent enquirers

  • reflective learners

  • creative thinkers

  • effective partcipators

By engaging in these activities pupils will be encuraged to join in and form their won opionions. In doing so they will need to:

  • listen to the opionions of others

  • change thier views in light of further information

  • work together in pairs or groups

  • develop individual work

  • suggest possible solutions

  • create new designs

  • evaluate their work

    •  

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