ON THE FARM

Literature Focus Unit

EDU 315 By: Amanda Chumley

READING STANDARDS APPLIED

RL.10: Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

RI.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for answers.

W.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

SL.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LITERATURE SELECTION Fiction:

On the Farm by Julie Lacome

Winter Barn by Dorothy Ripley

The Farm Book by Jan Pfloog

When Cows Come Home by David L. Harrison

The Jolly Barnyard by Annie North Bedford

If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

The Berenstain Bears Down on the Farm by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Clifford’s Big Day on the Farm by Thea Feldman & Jim Durk

Henny Penny (classic story) by Paul Galdone

Henny Penny (adapted version) by Vivian French

What the Ladybug Heard by Julia Donaldson

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

The Cow who Clucked by Denise Fleming

Crabby Cratchitt by Gregory Maguire

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin

Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack

Barn Dance! by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault (Poetry)

Nonfiction:

Haystack by Bonnie and Arthur Geisert

A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston

Apples by Gail Gibbons

Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer

Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm by Deborah Hodge

The Life and Times of Corn by Charles Micucci

Farm Machines by Jennifer Blizin Gillis

Animals at a Glance: Farm Animals by Isabella Dudek

Geography for Fun: Food and Farming by Pam Robson

Animal-Go-Round by Johnny Morris

On the Farm by David Elliot

A Day at Greenhill Farm by Sue Nicholson

Food from Farms by Nancy Dickmann

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

THEME STUDY

Students will take part in a thematic unit on farm life, agriculture, and animals. This unit will integrate reading and writing with social studies, science, mathematics, art, music, and physical education.

Students will develop an understanding of life on a farm, crops, farm animals, farm machinery, farming techniques, and the effects of weather on farming.

LANGUAGE ARTS: READING ACTIVITIES

Students will read various fiction and nonfiction books and poetry about farm life, animals, crops, and machinery through silent reading, partner reading, guided reading, reading aloud, and reader’s theatre.

Students will read the new vocabulary words that they come across during silent reading to the class.

Students will read their animal stories and farm poetry to the class.

Students will share their science log entries.

Students will share personal entries about how farm animals and crops affect their everyday lives.

Teacher will read aloud from Henny Penny (classic story) by Paul Galdone, Henny Penny (adapted version) by Vivian French, Barn Dance! by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault (poetry), and other pieces of literature about farms and farm animals.

LANGUAGE ARTS: WRITING ACTIVITIES

Students will add farm theme vocabulary words to the Farm Word Wall.

Students will use a Venn diagram to write the similarities and differences between the two Henny Penny stories.

Students will use a Venn diagram to write the similarities and differences between the first farm tools and today’s farm machinery.

Students will match adjectives to various farm animals and will use the adjectives to write stories about these animals.

Students will create flap books in small groups based on a nonfiction book of their choice.

Students will write farm facts on sticky notes and add them to the Farm KWL Chart as the unit progresses.

Students will record their observations of the geminating seeds, terrariums, tiny creatures in their soil samples, whipped cream turned butter, and popped corn kernels by writing in science logs.

Students will daily write in food journals to record what they eat and where they think that food comes from.

Students will write poems about farms. Older students will construct a five-senses poem about what they see, hear, taste, feel, and smell on a farm. Younger students will dictate the words to be written in the blanks of the poem template found at http://www.prekinders.com/farm-theme/.

LANGUAGE ARTS: SPEAKING ACTIVITIES

Students will participate in a reader’s theatre of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin.

Students will join in a grand conversation on what they like/dislike about farm life.

Students will join in a grand conversation about the similarities and differences between the two Henny Penny stories.

Students will share their flap books with the class.

Students will discuss as a class their observations of the germinating seeds, terrariums, and sprouting plants.

With a partner, students will discuss what they observe with their five senses as the corn kernels pop.

In a small group, students will discuss where the food they eat comes from, and how a farm was involved in producing the food.

In a small group, students will dramatize the life cycle of a farm animal.

Students will recite their five-senses poems in the hot seat.

Students will take turns as the farmer’s almanac person to relate the daily forecast.

LANGUAGE ARTS: LISTENING ACTIVITIES

Students will listen to audio versions of farm literature.

Students will listen as the teacher discusses various crops, numerous farm animals, the weather’s influence on farming, how seeds sprout, and the history of farming in North Dakota.

Students will listen respectfully to their peers’ opinions during grand conversations and small group discussions.

Students will listen as a local farmer speaks to them.

Students will listen to recordings of farm animal sounds.

Students will listen to farm songs.

LANGUAGE ARTS: VIEWING ACTIVITIES

Students will view the farm KWL chart as the unit progresses.

Students will view farm paintings by famous artists.

Students will watch farm videos (See technology ideas).

Students will examine photographs of farms and animals.

Students will enjoy the farm art projects such as the farm collages, seed mosaics, and four seasons posters made by their peers.

Students will take a field trip to a local farm to observe the elements of a farm.

Students will watch the Reader’s Theatre performances.

Students will visualize the spellings of the words on the Farm Word Wall.

Students will watch as the seeds germinate, plants grow, water in their terrariums condense, corn kernels pop, and whipped cream turns into butter.

Students will use magnifying glasses to view the tiny creatures from their soil samples.

LANGUAGE ARTS: VISUALLY REPRESENTING

ACTIVITIES

Students will take photographs on their farm field trip.

Students will make collages of a barnyard by attaching cotton balls, raffia, newspaper scraps, tin foil, tissue paper, felt, beans, grains, and uncooked noodles on a barnyard template.

Students will create a Farm Word Wall.

Students will draw their science observations in their science logs.

Students will graph the number of students that favor strawberry, chocolate, and white milk.

Students will create their own posters representing the four seasons.

Students will create a seed mosaic with the seeds found in North Dakota by gluing seeds in a desired pattern on posterboard.

Students will create a daily log of a farmer’s daily schedule by drawing pictures next to each recorded time of day.

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES Science Standard: 2.1: Record and describe observations with pictures, numbers, or words Students will picture the life cycles of a variety of farm animals.

Students will investigate how long different seeds take to germinate by placing bean, corn, tomato, and watermelon seeds into sprout houses (Ziploc bags) and taping them to a window.

Once their seeds germinate, students will plant 3 each of the 4 different types of seeds (bean, corn, tomato, and watermelon) in clay pots. Students will plant another seed of their choice in a clear cup that they can take home.

Students will pour whipping cream into baby food jars. They will shake the jars until a ball of butter is formed in the jar. (Liquid and solid will separate). Then the class will spread the butter on bread to eat.

Students will investigate how the water cycle provides moisture to crops by making their own terrariums out of 2 litter bottles and observing the condensation on the terrarium walls.

Students will examine what happens to crops in all four seasons and visually represent their understanding by creating their four seasons posters.

Students will examine the tiny creatures that keep nutrients in the soil by placing a soil sample in a fine sieve that is balanced on top of a jar. The jar and sieve will be placed under a lamp, which will cause the insects to escape from the heat by retreating to the bottom of the jar. Students will then examine the creatures using magnifying glasses.

Students will list what helps a food crop grow (e.g. tools, fertilizer, water, good weather, and machinery) and what destroys a food crop (e.g. locusts, floods, droughts, pests, and diseases).

Students will name the types of clouds and weather events that help crops grow or destroy them.

Students will use their 5 senses to observe what happens when corn kernels are popped.

MATHEMATICS ACTIVITIES

Mathematics Standard: MD.3: Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks.

Students will graph the number of students that favor strawberry, chocolate, and white milk.

Students will be told that 100 corn kernels are in a container and will be asked to estimate how many corn kernels are in a variety of other same sized containers.

Students will measure their spouts and daily graph the data they collect.

Students will be given the same number of corn kernels, sunflower seeds, grains of wheat, and oats and will be asked to sort them out from each other.

Students will count these seeds, grains, and oats by 1’s, 2’s, and 5’s.

Once these crops are sorted and counted, students will glue same crops down in same rows.

Students will practice multiplication by multiplying the number of rows of crops by the number of columns.

Students will practice interpreting time on a clock by placing the hour and minute hands at the time they think the farmer wakes up, feeds the animals in the morning and evening, eats lunch, and comes in from a long day out in the fields.

Students will create a daily log of a farmer’s daily schedule by drawing pictures next to each recorded time of day.

SOCIAL STUDIES ACTIVITIES

Social Studies Standard: 2.1: Compare past and present family life over time

Students will identify the farming techniques of the first settlers in North Dakota.

Students will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast today’s farming techniques with those of the first settlers.

Students will study the great depression and identify the effects it had on farming in North Dakota.

Students will create a Venn diagram to compare the crops in various parts of the United States.

Students will bring empty food packages or pictures of food from home. They will take turns showing the class what they brought. As a class, they will discuss where the food comes from, and how a farm was involved in producing the food.

In small groups, students will color code a map of the United States based on the major crop of different regions.

A local farmer will visit the classroom.

MUSIC AND ART ACTIVITIES

Music Standard: 1.1: Echo/sing rhythms and melodic patterns.

Visual Art Standard:1.2: Know the different techniques used to create visual art.

Students will make collages of a barnyard by gluing cotton balls, raffia, newspaper scraps, tin foil, tissue paper, felt, beans, grains, and uncooked noodles on a barnyard template.

Students will mount and title photographs taken on their field trip to a farm.

Students will create a seed mosaic with the seeds found in North Dakota by gluing the various seeds in a pattern of their choice onto posterboard.

Students will draw and color an artistic background for their five-senses poems.

Students will make the sounds of animals on a farm.

Students will sing farm songs.

Students will listen to recorded music.

Students will create new lyrics to a traditional song such as “Old McDonald had a Farm.”

PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

PE Standard: 1.4: Use control in travel activities

Students will participate in a square dance.

Students will participate in a wheelbarrow race.

Students will play Horses Stop & Go (a version of Red Light/Green Light) where students gallop like horses while the teacher tells them to giddy up or ho.

Students will play Simon Says with the sounds and movements of animals.

Students will participate in a game of horseshoes.

Students will act out various animal movements in a game of charades.

TECHNOLOGY

http://www.idahopotato.com/kids

http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Farm/

http://www.kidsfarm.com/farm.htm

http://www.primarygames.com/science/farmanimals/games.htm

http://www.farmerama.com/

http://www.myamericanfarm.org/

http://www.farmsfoodfun.com/

American Agriculture Video Clip: http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX03605179565848045c0373&t=Agriculture

A Day on the Wheat Harvest Video Clip: http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX455f555f615c090663707f&t=Agriculture

Digital photography

Audiotapes of recommended farm animal and agriculture literature

Old McDonald Had a Farm: 20 Animal Songs for Children Audio CD

LANGUAGE ARTS STRATEGIES

Activating background knowledge: students will think of what they already know about farming, farm animals, and agriculture.

Brainstorming: Students will think of many ideas related to farming, farm animals, and agriculture through writing activities.

Connecting: Students will relate topics to the world around them by journaling, planting their own seeds, discussing where their food comes from, and role playing the life cycle of animals.

Predicting and Monitoring: Students will predict which seeds will germinate fastest and keep track of germination development and plant growth in science logs.

Playing with Language: Students will use language creatively through stories, poems, and journals.

Revising: Students will make changes to written activities.

Visualizing: Students will draw pictures in their minds and on paper.

GROUPING PATTERNS

Large Group: Grand conversations, field trips, singing songs, square dancing, wheelbarrow racing, Horses Stop & Go, Simon Says, Horseshoes, Charades, viewing videos, word wall, reader’s theatre, Venn diagram, farmer visit, seed planting, popcorn observing.

Small Group: Peer conferencing, soil experiments, small group discussions, creation of terrariums, identification of crops from various parts of the United States, color code map, mounting and titling farm photographs, nonfiction flap book, math estimation, and math survey.

Individual: Writing stories, poems, and journal entries, making barnyard collages, making butter, taking photographs, creating seed mosaics, making four season posters, sorting and counting seeds and grains, gluing seeds and grains in rows, and manipulate the hands on a clock.

ASSESSMENTS

Science log entries and KWL chart: Rubric

Participation in grand conversations

6+1 Writing Traits Rubrics and peer conferences for stories and poems using a numerical score.

Informal observation of author’s chair, hot seat, reader’s theatre, and grand conversations

Science lab reports checklists: assess if students can correctly perform and participate in science experiments

Math graphs, Venn diagrams, and social studies maps: checklist

Spelling test with words from the Farm Word Wall

Active participation in physical education and music performances

PE skills checklist for square dancing and playing horseshoes

Portfolio of art work: barnyard collages, poetry presentation, seed mosaics, four season posters, math rows and columns activity, and photography

TIME SCHEDULE Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Language Arts Read aloud: Henny Penny

stories, Grand

Conversations and Venn

Diagram about Henny Penny

stories, Teacher provides

information on farming

Listening Center and Silent

Reading: farm stories, Farm

Animal Adjective Matching

Activity, Writer's Workshop:

Write a story: The Great

Adventure of My Farm

Animal

Writer's Workshop: Farm

five-senses poetry, Guided

Reading: The Berenstain

Bears Down on the Farm

Writer's Workshop: Farm

Animal Story peer

conferences, Reader's

Theatre: Click, Clack, Moo:

Cows that Type, Nonfiction

Activity: Flap Books

Create new lyrics for "Old

McDonald had a Farm,"

Author's Chair: Share farm

animal stories, Hot Seat:

Five-senses poems

Art/Music View photographs and

paintings of farms and

agriculture, create four

seasons posters

Listen to kids songs about

farming and farm animals,

Create seed mosaics

Create an artistic

background for a farm five-

senses poem

Create Barnyard Collages Artist's Gallery: view

poems, collages, mosaics,

and posters; Perform farm

songs and sing the new

lyrics for "Old McDonald had

a Farm"

P.E. Learn square dance, Play

horseshoes

Practice square dance,

Wheelbarrow race

Practice square dance,

Horses Stop & Go

Practice square dance, Farm

animal Simon says

Perform square dance, Farm

animal charades

Math Graph likes/dislikes of

different milk flavors,

Estimation activity with corn

kernels

Measure sprouts, Graph

measurements, Farmer's

day clock activity

Measure sprouts and Graph

data, Sort seeds and grains

Measure sprouts and Graph

data, Glue like seeds and

grains in same rows

Measure sprouts and Graph

data, Multiply rows and

columns of seed/grain chart

Science Teacher provides

information on seeds and

crop growth, Place seeds in

sprout houses,

Dramatizations of farm

animal life cycles, Begin

science logs

Transfer seeds that have

germinated to pots, Teacher

provides information on

how the water cycle affects

crops, Make terrariums,

Continue science logs

Transfer seeds that have

germinated to pots,

Observe terrariums,

Teacher provides

information about soil

nutrients, Examine tiny

creatures from soil sample,

Science logs

Transfer seeds that have

germinated to pots,

Observe terrariums,

Teacher provides

information about foods

from farms, Make butter,

Continue science logs

Transfer seeds that have

germinated to pots,

Observe terrariums,

Observe corn kernels being

popped, Continue science

logs

Social Studies Read aloud: Ox-Cart Man,

Discuss the lives of the first

settlers in North Dakota

Journal: How do you think

the first settlers farmed?

Venn Diagram: Compare

and contrast farming

techniques

Teacher provides

information on the various

crops throughout the United

States, Fill in Venn diagram

with crops in two different

regions of the United

States, Color code a map of

the United States based on

the major crop of different

regions

A visit from a local farmer Bring empty food packages

and discuss what crops and

what regions the foods may

have come from, Next

Week: field trip to a local

farm

Morning

Afternoon