Interest Approach Ask students to define agriculture. Ask them what the agriculture industry produces. If they have difficulty, ask them to explain the job of farmers. Let this discussion lead into the content of the lesson.

Student Learning Objectives Instruction in this lesson should result in students achieving the following objectives: 1 Describe how agriculture supports daily life. 2 Explain that agriculture is a science. 3 Discuss the uses of plants. 4 Discuss the uses of animals. 5 Describe how agricultural products are traded around the globe.

Terms The following terms are presented in this lesson (shown in bold italics): Agriculture Biology Commodity Export Import Science

Objective 1 Describe how agriculture supports daily life. Anticipated Problem: Why is agriculture important to everyday life? I. Agriculture is the growing and harvesting of plants and animals for use by people. It is made up of lots of different businesses. All of these businesses together make up the agricultural industry.

Objective 1 continued A. Due to the strength of our agriculture system, the American people have cheaper and safer food than any other people around the globe. 1. Americans spend only 7.1 percent of their yearly income for food. 2. In other countries, people can spend up to 50 percent of their annual income on food alone.

Objective 1 continued B. The American agriculture industry thrives because of our ideal climate, rich soils, and continuing advancement in technology and innovation. The success and wealth of the United States can be tied to the strength of our agriculture industry. C. One American farmer produces enough food to feed 129 people. 1. Since American farmers can efficiently feed so many people, other citizens are able to work in many different jobs. 2. If farmers were not able to produce large amounts of food, everyone would be responsible for growing or gathering their own food.

Objective 1 continued D. Agriculture is not only the farmers in the field. A number of other businesses and services support the farmer and process his or her products into market- ready products. 1. The agriculture industry in the United States employs more people than any other industry, over 20 percent of the civilian workforce. 2. Though the plants and animals grown on farms are used mostly for food and clothes, they can also be used in thousands of other by-products. For example, corn and soybeans are being used to make fuel for automobiles and the acid from the bodies of cattle is used in tire production.

Objective 2 Explain that agriculture is a science. Anticipated Problem: Why is agriculture considered a science? II. Science is defined as the study of natural occurrences. Agriculture is the management of those natural occurrences that produce food, fiber, and natural resources.

Objective 2 continued A. Farmers manage natural occurrences such as plant and animal life cycles to increase the production of food and by-products. B. Biology is the study of living organisms or their life cycles, growth, and reproduction. Through scientific research the agriculture industry continues to improve efficiency and production.

Objective 3 Discuss the uses of plants. Anticipated Problem: How are the plants produced by the agriculture industry used? III. Plants are the foundation of agriculture and have multiple uses.

Objective 3 continued A. Food 1. Plants provide us with fruits, vegetables, seeds, and processed ingredients such as flours, oils, sugars, and starches that are our main sources of food. 2. Plants also provide the food for animals that we use for meat.

Objective 3 continued B. Clothing 1. Plants provide us with fibers used to make clothing. 2. Cotton has been grown in this country for hundreds of years and is made into t-shirts, pants, and other clothing items.

Objective 3 continued C. Shelter and other wood products 1. Trees are used to build houses, buildings, and furniture. Most of the trees harvested for wood have been planted and maintained by tree farmers. 2. Trees are also used to make paper products. Paper is used for books, writing, wrapping, and packing materials. The large use of paper results in a strong forestry industry.

Objective 3 continued D. Medicine 1. A number of plants are grown and harvested for use in the manufacturing of medicines. 2. Foxglove is one of the many plants that can be used in the manufacturing of medicines. It is used to make the heart medication Digitalis.

Objective 3 continued E. Decoration 1. One of the fastest growing aspects of the agriculture industry is the use of plants in ornamental horticulture. 2. More people are purchasing plants, such as bushes, trees, turf grass, potted plants, and flowers, for the decoration of their homes and businesses.

Objective 4 Discuss the uses of animals. Anticipated Problem: How are the animals produced by the agriculture industry used? IV. Animals provide us with everyday products.

Objective 4 continued A. Food 1. Most of the animals produced in the United States are raised for food. 2. Beef cattle provide us with steaks, hamburger, roasts, and other meat products. 3. Dairy cattle produce milk that is used for drinking and to make products such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products.

Objective 4 continued 4. The pork industry supplies us with meat such as ham, sausage, bacon, ribs, and pork chops. 5. The poultry industry provides us with meat and eggs from chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other poultry animals. 6. Sheep and goats provide us with meat and milk. The meat from sheep is called lamb or mutton. 7. Fish, shellfish, and other aquatic animals are also grown on farms to meet the demand of consumers. This is called aquaculture.

Objective 4 continued B. Clothing 1. The hides of cattle and hogs are used to make leather products like coats, belts, and shoes. 2. Wool from sheep is spun into yarn to make sweaters, coats, socks, and other warm clothing.

Objective 4 continued C. Household items 1. Many household items are made from by-products of livestock. 2. Some of these include pet foods, detergents, candles, plastics, footballs, and baseballs.

Objective 4 continued D. Medicine 1. Animal by-products have been instrumental in the development of new treatments for diabetes. 2. Research is also being performed on organ transplants from pigs to humans.

Objective 4 continued E. Service 1. Animals are still used to complete work in many parts of the agriculture industry. 2. Horses are still used to herd cattle grazing on large areas of land. 3. Dogs are used on many farms to herd cattle and sheep.

Objective 5 Describe how agricultural products are traded around the globe. Anticipated Problem: How and why are agricultural products traded with other countries? V. Agricultural products are commonly called commodities. Commodities are imported and exported around the world daily.

Objective 5 continued V. Agricultural products are commonly called commodities. Commodities are imported and exported around the world daily. A. A commodity is any useful thing that can be grown, produced, sold, or bought. B. An export is a commodity that is grown in the United States and shipped to a foreign country. C. An import is a commodity that is purchased from another country and shipped to the United States.

Objective 5 continued D. The reason we trade commodities with other countries is because we cannot produce all the products we need in this country because of our climate. For example, cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate, are grown in tropical areas such as rainforests.

Objective 5 continued E. Agricultural commodities are shipped around the world by trucks, trains, boats, and planes. The Mississippi River is an excellent example of how grains are moved on barges from the Midwest to the South to then be shipped all over the world from the shipping ports in the Gulf of Mexico.

REVIEW 1. Why is agriculture important to everyday life? 2. Why is agriculture considered a science? 3. Discuss the uses of plants. 4. How are the animals produced by the agriculture industry used? 5. How and why are agricultural products traded with other countries?