Lesson Plan
Anthropology Lesson Plan (3rd-6th grade)
Estimated Time: 30-45 minutes
Purpose of the Lesson
To introduce students to the cultural background of growing and using wheat in California.
Lesson Objectives
As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:
Have a solid understanding of the history of wheat in California, its uses, and how the agricultural landscape has changed over time.
Have a basic understanding of soil health and how farms can be organized, and how this connects with the history of California agriculture.
Suggested CDE Standards
Grade 3:
Category: LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Title: 3-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
Performance Expectation: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of environmental changes could include changes in land characteristics, water distribution, temperature, food, and other organisms.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to a single environmental change. Assessment does not include the greenhouse effect or climate change.]
Grade 4:
HSS-4.4 Students explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power, tracing the transformation of the California economy and its political and cultural development since the 1850s.
Grade 5:
5-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity
Performance Expectation: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
Grade 6:
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
Lesson Activity
Time 0-10 min:
Introduction
Before explaining the background of wheat production in California with students, ask students to share what they think are the most common crops grown in the state and why.
Then, share the background information about how California was the leading producer of wheat in the U.S. in the 19th century, ask them why they think grain is no longer grown as extensively.
Time 10-25 min:
Instruction and New Information
Introduce the terms monoculture and polyculture. Ask students to draw two pictures, one of a monoculture farm, and one of a polyculture farm.
Explain how growing wheat as a monoculture led to the downfall of wheat production for farmers because it decreased the health of the soil.
Introduce the term crop rotation, explain how it helps the soil be healthier and could have helped wheat farmers in the past in California.
Draw a diagram demonstrating the idea of crop rotation, split students into groups - each group will represent one crop, for example a group of wheat, a group of beans, and a group of corn.
Time 25-35 min:
Student Simulation
Designate a section of the room (or a space outside) as the active “farm”, have student groups rotate around the room to demonstrate the practice of crop rotation
When a student group is the active crop being “grown”, have them share out what their crop is and what it is used for - ie. animal feed, human feed, what kind of foods does it make that we eat?
Background
Wheat was grown extensively throughout California in the 19th century, to feed miners and loggers in the state during and after the Gold Rush.
By 1850, California’s wheat production was higher than the local consumption of grain, and much of the grain was exported overseas to European markets. The wheat was also used to feed soldiers fighting on both sides during the Civil War.
California has an ideal landscape for growing food because of its fertile soil, rainy, cool winters and hot, dry summers.
Because of the monetary value of wheat in the 19th century, wheat was grown intensively as a monocrop, which over time decreased the fertility and health of the soil.
California farmers had to transition to growing different specialty crops on a smaller scale, such as grapes and fruit, because the land could no longer support extensive grain farming, and farmers could no longer make money growing wheat.
Today, many different kinds of wheat are grown in California, but at a much smaller scale than before.
Vocabulary
Monoculture: The growth of only one kind of crop on a farm
Polyculture: The growth of multiple crops together
Crop rotation: The practice of planting one crop after another in order to increase the health of the soil and help the plants grow better
Adaptations
Print out pictures of the crops (wheat, beans, corn) for better student engagement
Use crops relevant to your county/town
Show any supplemental educational videos available online
Assessment
What is monoculture?
What is polyculture?
Compare and contrast monoculture and polyculture.
What is crop rotation, and how is it used in wheat production?
Why is crop rotation essential for good soil health?
Why is soil health important for crop/wheat growth?
For Additional Information
Original Lesson [link]
Printable Version:
