Focus: Social Studies

Farming
Holiday House, 1988
(Available in Canada from Thomas Allen & Son; in UK and AUS from Baker & Taylor Int.)

Summary
Farming examines inside and outside farm chores during each of the four seasons with
simple text and pictures. The last pages contain a summary of six primary types of
farming.

Activities
 Brainstorm a list of farm animals. Graph the number that walk either on two or
four feet.
 Make a concrete activity about gardening. You will need lots of cardboard tubes
(from toilet paper or paper towels), drawing paper, and a stapler. Assign groups of
children to draw pictures of these plants: corn (yellow), beans (green), tomatoes
(red), potatoes (brown), and carrots (orange). Cut the tubes into three-inch (8 cm)
lengths and staple a picture to each one so that it will stand up. You will have a
dimensional garden to plant (sort) by color, type of vegetable, or those that grow
above or below ground. Store these in a basket for free time play activities.
 Ask children to bring in vegetables for a tasting party. You may wish to provide a
dip or cheese sauce.
 Plan a field trip to a farm and/or grocery store. Discuss the progression of food
from the field to the market and the table.
 Write original poetry about farm animals following this form:

Adjective
Adjective

Noun
Verb Verb
Adjective
A four-word sentence
Adjective
Verb Verb
Noun

Adjective
Adjective

Combine the poems in a barn-and-silo shape book.

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Favorite Authors: Gail Gibbons

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Focus: Social Studies

Farming

(cont.)

Activities (cont.)
 If appropriate, ask students to locate animal names and products in the dictionary.

They should list the words and page numbers and trade papers with other students
for checking. Combine the lists into one master list showing alphabetical order.

 Make cut-paper murals for each season on the farm.

 Purchase carrots (with tops); cut off the leaves and all but one inch (2.5 cm) of each

carrot. Place in a shallow pan of water in a sunny window. They should sprout new
leaves in a week or less. Insert four toothpicks in the sides of a sweet potato. Set it
in a jar with the root end in water. New growth will sprout, and the result can be
watched throughout the school year.

 You can cook apples in an electric skillet or microwave. You will need apples,

sugar, cinnamon, a sharp knife, a little water, a large spoon, Styrofoam. cups and
plastic spoons. Use the cooking experience as a lesson in fractions (when cutting
the apples), and measuring (sugar/cinnamon). Cook the apples until they are soft
and serve them in Styrofoam cups.

 Summarize the information in the book on page 32.

 Make the mini-book about farms on page 33.
 Use magazine pictures to make a chart of farm products by food groups.
 Creative writing questions and topics:

Which do you think is the best season on the farm? Why?

Which farm chore do you like the best? Why?
Would you prefer life on the farm or in the city?

Bibliography
My Cousin Kate by Michael Garland, Crowell, 1989.
The Milk Makers by Gail Gibbons, Macmillan, 1985.
Family Farm by Thomas Locker, Dial Books, 1988.
Farm Alphabet Book by Jane Miller, Scholastic Books, 1981.

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Favorite Authors: Gail Gibbons

Farming

Focus: Social Studies

Seasonal Chores
Fill in the chores to complete this summary web.

inside
1.

_____________________

2.
3.

outside

spring

1.

_____________________

_____________________

2.

_____________________

_____________________

3.

_____________________

inside
1.

_____________________

2.
3.

outside

summer

1.

_____________________

_____________________

2.

_____________________

_____________________

3.

_____________________

inside
1.

_____________________

2.
3.

outside

fall

1.

_____________________

_____________________

2.

_____________________

_____________________

3.

_____________________

inside
1.

_____________________

2.
3.

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outside

winter

1.

_____________________

_____________________

2.

_____________________

_____________________

3.

_____________________

Favorite Authors: Gail Gibbons

32

Teacher Created Materials, Inc.

Farming

Focus: Social Studies

My Farm Book
Draw the pictures and cut apart the pages to make a book about different kinds of farms.

Dairy Farms

Egg and Poultry Farms

Grain Farms

Fruit Farms

Vegetable Farms

Cattle Farms and Ranches

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Favorite Authors: Gail Gibbons

Farming

Focus: Social Studies

Inside and Outside

In the spaces below draw pictures to show what you like to do inside and outside. Write a
sentence to tell about your picture.
What season is it?

Inside

________________________________________________________________________________

Outside

________________________________________________________________________________

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Favorite Authors: Gail Gibbons

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Teacher Created Materials, Inc.