Lesson Title: 
We Depend on the Land: Agriculture in California 

Grade Level: 
Grade Three Lesson 1

Unit of Study: 
Local History: Discovering Our Past and Our Traditions

History-Social Science Standard: 
3.1   Students describe the physical geography and use maps, table, graphs, photographs, and charts to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
3.1.1   Identify geographical features in their local region (e.g., deserts, mountains, valleys, hills, coastal areas, oceans, lakes).
3.1.2   Trace the ways in which people have used the resources of the local region and modified the physical environment (e.g., a dam constructed upstream changed a river or coastline.)

Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks:
Harcourt Brace: Communities.  Unit 1: Lessons 4-5.  Unit 2: Lessons 1, 2, 4, 5.

McGraw-Hill: Communities.  Unit 1: Living in communities.  Chapters 1-2. 

Setting of Context: 
Each place on earth has its own unique characteristics.  The physical features make up its natural environment and include landforms, bodies of water, climate, soils, natural vegetation, and animal life.  Human characteristics of a place are a result of human activity on the land.  

California’s varied geography and climate have made it the agricultural capital of the world.  Different regions are home to different crops depending on rainfall, soil, and climate.  Agriculture has changed over time with the development of machinery and new technologies; however, workers are still very necessary on the farms.  The workers move from one crop to another and one part of California to another during the year.  They follow the harvest. 

Focus Questions:
What are the geographic regions in California?
What regions are used for farming/agriculture?
What are California’s major crops?
How has work in agriculture changed over time?

Expected Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to color and label a map of California by geographic region.

Students will be able to identify the agricultural regions of California and describe why they are conducive to farming.

Students will be able to graph data of California’s major crops and write/say fact statements about the state’s agriculture.

Students will write/say sentences comparing and contrasting agriculture now and in California’s past.

Assessment:
Color and label map of California by geographic region
Chart where local produce is grown.  Explain where most of California’s produce is grown and why.
Graph data of crops in California and write observational sentences about graph.
Write a compare and contrast paragraph on farm workers now and in the past.

Key Concepts:
change, diversity, interdependence
environment, human-environment interaction/human-land relationships, region, work

Essential Vocabulary:
region
climate
agriculture
crop
migrant worker

Primary Sources:
Photographs, first-hand accounts

Visuals:
Maps, photographs, simulation, graphic organizers

Procedure

Motivation: 
Looking at a screen with various pictures of produce and crops (wheat, cotton, corn, hay, flowers, lettuce, celery, tomatoes, carrots, onion, pumpkins, figs, grapes, plums, nectarines, peaches, almonds, cherries, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, limes, dates), ask students to click on the items that they think are grown in California.  As students click on the pictures, a positive icon such as “YES” or a picture of California appear, students will see that all these items are grown in California.  Tell students that they are going to be learning about farming in California and how it has changed over time.

Making Connections: 
Ask students to select what they would like to eat for dinner.  Using the dinner plate (Appendix A), have students draw, type, or choose what they would like on their plate.  Highlight the items that came from a garden or crop, for example, cooked carrots came from a crop.  Lead a discussion in which the students brainstorm what might have to occur in a distribution process to get carrots from the field to their dinner plate.  Ask students if they know anyone who works in agriculture.  Chart or map the ideas on the word processor or on the graphic organizer (Appendix B). 

Vocabulary Activities:
1)	Click on the “Vocabulary Introduction” slide show.  Students will watch a short slide show with written text that is read aloud and highlighted as it is read.

Sample script: California is your state.  (map of U.S. with California highlighted)  Many people make California their home.  (multicultural faces)  Land and climate have always been one of the main reasons people have come to California.  The kind of weather a place has most often, year after year, makes up its climate.  (pictures of four main regions: coast, mountains, desert, and valley)  People say that you can find any climate you like in California.  There are four main regions in California.  These regions share the same kinds of natural features.  The Coastal Region is along the Pacific Ocean.(color map and add to map key) The Desert Regions are hot and dry, but people have used irrigation to turn parts of the dessert into farmland. ( color map and add to map key) The Mountain Regions cover more than half of the state.(color map and add to map key)  In between the Mountain Regions, there is the Central Valley. (color and add to map key)  The soil there is very good for growing crops.  (field)  There are many farms in the Central Valley.  It is famous for agriculture.  The farms need workers to help with the crops.  (farm workers in field)  These workers move from one crop to another and one part of California to another during the year.  They follow the harvest.  Because they have to move from place to place, they are called migrant workers.

With a partner or small group, have students watch the slide show again without the sound and highlight the five words that appear in the “Vocabulary Box” on the corner of the screen.  Using the contextual clues and group discussion, have groups type a group definition for each word. (a box “Vocabulary Guesswork”  will come up, i.e., region  Group definition: students type here their best guess based on context and group discussion)

After students have typed in their guesswork, they can then click on an icon with a glossary definition.  Words that are the same in each definition will be highlighted so students can see how close they came to the actual definition.  A picture, as well as the sentence in context will also be available on screen or use the Vocabulary Guesswork paper (Appendix C) and Definition paper (Appendix D).

2)	Print out the vocabulary word cards and display in the classroom for future reference and environmental print.  (Appendix E)

3)	Vocabulary Reinforcement Game
Students use the clues on the screen to review the essential vocabulary words or the game cards.  (Appendix F)  Divide students into groups of four members.  Each student gets a game card and takes a turn reading his/her card to the rest of the group.  Students record what they learn from each clue and try to write the correct word after all 4 members have read their card. 

Guided Instruction:
1)	Return to the map of the Natural Regions of California.  Describe each region using the following sample input and visuals.  Allow students to take notes on their graphic organizer (Appendix G) using words, drawings, or both. 

Coastal Region: California’s coastal region stretches for more than 800 miles (1,287 km) north and south along the Pacific Ocean.  People have lived along the coast for thousands of years.  This region has more cities than any other natural region.  It also has the most people than in all the rest of the State.  People from all over the world have moved to this part of the State in order to enjoy its sunny weather and world-famous beaches.

Mountain Region: Low mountains follow the California coast and reach north into Oregon and Washington.  These mountains called the Coast Ranges, are made up of several small mountain ranges.  The Coast Ranges give much of California’s coast a rocky, rugged look.  California’s largest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, stretches north and south across much of the eastern part of the State.  Sierra Nevada means “snowy mountain range” in Spanish.  Other mountains lie north of the Sierra Nevada.  These are called the Cascade Range.

Desert Region: Deserts stretch across most of the southeastern California.  The Mojave Desert covers a large area.  Within the Desert Region are several large valleys.  People have used irrigation ditches, pipes, or canals to carry water to these valleys and turn them into rich farmland.  Some areas of the desert are too hot and dry for farming or for large cities.

Central Valley: The Central Valley is a large, lowland area.  It lies in between the Coastal Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.  Fertile soil has washed down from the mountains into the valley.  Soil that is fertile is needed for farming.  Many of California’s largest farms are in the Central Valley.

After the students study the above descriptions and finish their notes, as pictures appear on the screen (various region photos or drawings), have students click on the section of the map that they think it belongs.  The picture will be outlined with the corresponding color on the map.

Practice/Assessment Opportunity:
A blank map of California appears on the screen (or Appendix H).  Students create a key by adding color to the regions and typing in or choosing the correct title for each region.  Print out map.  Now have students use their notes from the lesson to write three fact sentences for each region (Appendix I).

2)	Ask students to bring in a small bag of soil.  Spread the soil out on a paper surface and have students explore its consistency by rubbing the soil between their forefinger and thumb.  Have the students describe how their soil feels.  Chart their responses.  Soil is important as the home for plants to grow in.  Good soil is fertile.  It is a mixture of small particles of broken rocks, water, air, tiny living things (fungi and bacteria), and dead remains of living things (old roots, dead bugs, and so forth).  Using magnifying glasses, have students examine the soil more closely and feel it again.  Ask students if they think their sample is good soil for growing plants.  Encourage them to support their answers.  Using the student-made maps, ask students if they remember which region in California was best for farming and growing crops.  Elicit that the Central Valley is known for its fertile soil.  The Central Valley is home to California’s largest farms.  The Central Valley stretches for more than 450 miles (724 km).  It is actually made up of two valleys, the San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento Valley.  There is farming in other parts of the State, but most of the farming is done in the Central Valley.

3)	Using the map of California counties (Appendix J), have students list the counties that are in the Central Valley and rely heavily on the agriculture industry.

Practice/Assessment Opportunities:
Visit a local grocery store or market or use copies of labels.  Read the labels or interview a worker and find out where the produce comes from.  Chart responses on a world map or a state map.  Different seasons will have different results.  This activity would be interesting to do throughout the year.

Pretend you are the owner of a local market.  Write a letter to farmers in the Central Valley.  Explain what you need and why you think they can help you out.

4)	Use the agricultural map of California.  Compare it to the regional map.  Make a bar graph of the four regions and the number of crops that grow in each (graphing program).  Lead a discussion that focuses on these questions: Where are California’s major crops?  What are the major crops?  Make a circle graph (graphing program) that shows California’s major crops.

Practice/Assessment Opportunities:
Using the graphs bar graph and circle graph, students write fact sentences about their observation of the data, i.e., More than half of the crops grown in the Central Valley are lettuce.

Computer Simulation - become a truck driver who picks up and delivers crops to different regions in California.  The natural landscapes, famous landmarks, and major cities can be viewed from the window of the cab.

5)	Use the primary source photo of migrant farm workers (17 men in front of large machinery in lettuce fields.)  This photo was taken recently in the Salinas Valley.  Conduct a photo-analysis by asking these questions: What is happening in the photograph?  Can this machine work without people to help with the harvest?  How many people are working with this one machine?  Elicit that although a machine is being used, workers are still necessary on the farms.  These workers are picking and packing lettuce.  The workers move from one crop to another.  This is a photo of migrant workers. 

6)	Use the primary source photo of migrant farm workers in the past (with short-handled hoe.)  Conduct a photo-analysis by asking these questions: What is happening in the photograph?  What tool is being used?  How is this different from the more recent photo?  How has agriculture changed over time according to these two photos?  How has it stayed the same?

Complete a class Venn diagram. (Appendix K)

Practice/Assessment Opportunity:
Use the Compare/Contrast graphic organizer and the three structured writing papers to help students write a compare/contrast paragraph on the two photographs. (Appendix L)

Integrating Language:
Phonics and syllable review in Vocabulary Reinforcement Game
Sentence writing about regions of California
Mini-lesson on adjectives during soil exploration
Observational sentence writing about graphed data on crops
Compare and contrast paragraph writing of farm workers now and in the past
Mini-lesson on comma use while writing contrasting sentences

Enrichment:
Read aloud books such as Amelia’s Road by Linda Jacobs Altman (Lee and Low Books, Inc., New York) and Radio Man by Arthur Dorros (Harper Collins Publishers, New York).  Both offer depictions of farm worker life from a child’s perspective.

Service Learning: 
Identify the problem - Many students do not know what it feels like to be a farmer or to simply work the land.  With all of the rich land in California, why do people go hungry?

Develop a plan - Students will brainstorm the best way to become acquainted or, in some cases, more acquainted with the soil and how they could help the hungry in their own community. 

Initiate Action - Plant a garden if an area is available or small plants in the classroom.  Study and practice proper fertilization techniques to keep the soil fertile.  Harvest and give crops or plants to local families in need, charitable foundations, shut-ins, or nursing home residence. 

Reflection - Students will keep a journal and reflect as they care for their plants.  Did their attitude toward the plants/crops change as the time went on?  Have the students enter their feelings as they gave their harvest away.  How does their action to help the needy in their community relate to the life of César E. Chávez?  Students should learn that the conditions of farm workers improved mainly because of César’s efforts to bring dignity, justice, and respect to farm workers.  As a result his efforts, farm workers were given bathroom facilities and fresh cool water near where they worked.

Appendix A

My dinner plate

Appendix B

How my ________________ arrived to my dinner plate.

	

	

	

	

Appendix C

Vocabulary Guesswork

Read each sentence with your group.  Discuss the vocabulary word and agree on a definition using the clues provided in the sentences.  Write your group definition on the lines.

1.	There are four main regions in California.  These regions share the same kinds of natural features. 

Group definition: _____________________________________________

 
2.	Land and climate have always been one of the main reasons people have come to California.  The kind of weather a place has most often, year after year, makes up its climate.

Group definition: _____________________________________________

3.	There are many farms in the Central Valley.  It is famous for agriculture.

Group definition: _____________________________________________

4.	The farms need workers to help with the crops. 

Group definition: _____________________________________________

5.	These workers move from one crop to another and one part of California to another during the year.  They follow the harvest.  Because they move from place to place, they are called migrant workers.

Group definition: _____________________________________________

Appendix D

Read your group definitions again.  Now read the dictionary definitions below.  Highlight the words or phrases that are the same.  How close was your group to this definition?

region – a large part of the earth’s surface

climate – the prevailing weather of a place

agriculture -  the work of producing crops and raising livestock; farming

crop – any agricultural product, growing or harvested

migrant worker – a farm laborer who moves from place to place to harvest seasonal crops

Appendix E

region	
climate	
agriculture	
crop	
migrant worker	

Appendix F

A

1)	The word starts with the letter c.

2)	The word starts with the letter a.

3)	The word starts with the letter r.

4)	The words start with the letter m.

5)	The word starts with the letter c.

      

B

1)	The word ends with the letter p.

2)	The word ends with the letter e.

3)	The word ends with the letter n.

4)	The words end with the letter r.

5)	The word ends with the letter e.

C

1)	The word has 1 syllable.

2)	The word has 4 syllables.

3)	The word has 3 syllables.

4)	The words have 4 syllables.

5)	The word has 2 syllables.

D

1)	The word means – any agricultural product, growing or harvested

2)	The word means – the work of producing crops and raising livestock; farming

3)	The word means – a large part of the earth’s surface

4)	The words mean – a farm laborer who moves from place to place to harvest seasonal crops

5)	The word means – the prevailing weather of a place

Appendix G

Coastal Region	Mountain Region	
Desert Region	Central Valley	

Appendix H

(map of CA)

Appendix I

Fact Sentences

Use your notes and map to write 3 fact sentences about each region of California.

Coastal Region

1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mountain Region

1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Desert Region

1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Central Valley

1._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Appendix J

(map of CA counties)

Appendix K

       Farm Workers 							        						Farm Workers
       now														in the Past

Appendix L

What is being compared and contrasted?	How are they the same?	How are they different?	

Use some of these signal words when you write compare sentences:
too    the same as    alike    both    similar    have in common    resemble    in the same way    as well as

WRITING COMPARE AND CONTRAST SENTENCES

01. 

02.  

03. 

Use some of these signal words when you write contrast sentences:
but    different    even though    yet    however    in contrast     on the other hand    instead    otherwise

01.

02.

03.