Class 9

Lesson 9.1
Improvement in Food Resources- Chapter 15
Parameters Description Note for teachers

Chapter Chapter 15: Improvement in Food Resources This Lesson

Covered Plan can be
taken up after
teaching them
about Rabi and
Kharif crops,
from Chapter 15

Name of NCERT, Science Textbook for Class IX

the Book

Learning Indian economy is based on agriculture, and with increasing population, the
Objectives demand for agricultural commodities is increasing day by day. This lesson plan
will help the learners think from a perspective of an amateur or new farmer,
about all the pre-requisite agricultural practices necessary to implement
before sowing the crop and to ensure high productive yield
To enable learners to:
Scholastic:
Stage 1: Conceptualization
● Identify different crops grown depending on the season.
● Access the prerequisites before sowing a crop.
● Differentiate between Rabi, Kharif and Zaid season crops.
● Understand the relevance of environmental conditions in farming.
AI + Tinkering:

Stage 2 : Contextualization by applying Design Thinking framework

● Identifying the problem in the given scenario
● Ideate on finding solutions to segregate various crop based on
cropping seasons to identify crops with high yield (cash crops) to
earn maximum profit and develop an automatic crop identification
system

Stage 3: Prototype to develop an AI model for identifying crops

● Understand how to develop an AI-enabled image classification
model.
● Learn how to create mobile applications using Scratch.
● Brainstorm and ideate ways to use technology for better farming.
Stage 4: Developing Farmer’s App for automatic identification and
generating information about the crop of interest
● Come up with ideas to develop a mobile application that helps farmers
stay up to date with crop-related information automatically using App
Inventor.

Time Required 5 periods of 45 minutes each.

Classroom/ATL Seating arrangement -
Arrangement ● Theory Sessions – regular classroom arrangement.
● Activity Sessions – Flexible (for group / pair work).

Material ● Smart Class setup

Required ● Whiteboard & Marker
● Computers
● Good internet connectivity

Pre – Teacher to keep the following resources ready before the session :
Preparation How cropping patterns increase the farm yield
Activities ● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAjIxWtQ19Y&ab_channel=CBSE

Previous Scholastic:
Knowledge The learner understands the concept of:
● Agricultural practices (grade 8).
● Cropping seasons (Rabi and Kharif).
● Season based sown crops.

Methodology Stage 1: Conceptualization Scholastic: (Science Teacher) Methodology

1. Ask learners to list the natural phenomena or physical quantities (external
stimuli) like rainfall, sunlight, humidity, etc. that directly affect the plant
growth.
2. Now, ask them to highlight the weather phenomena that affect the plant
growth out of their list.
3. Ask learners to list down the reasons behind farmers adhering to cropping
seasons when growing crops. (Hint: To enhance crop yield, which means
more cash flow)
4. Explain the various cropping patterns that farmers use to enhance their
farm yield with this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=FAjIxWtQ19Y&ab_channel=CBSE

Teachers can use PowerPoint presentations to create graphs that plots the
various types of crops against its profits

Contextualization:

Stage 2 : Apply Design Thinking framework (refer to chapter 2.1 for details on
Design thinking Framework) on the given scenario Segregation of
various crops based on cropping seasons (Subject Teacher & ATL in-
charge).

Problem Statement / Scenario:

Deen Dayal was a middle-aged wealthy farmer living with his joint family in his
ancestral mansion. He owned huge farmlands in Satara district. After his
untimely death, his eldest son Ameya had to quit his job as an investment
banker and relocate to Satara to take care of the family business. His family had
always been a mass producer of Rabi Jowar and Kharif Jowar. His
uncle
explained the difference between the seed type and climatic prerequisite
of growing them.

Although Jowar farming had always been profitable, Ameya wanted to

explore some other cropping patterns that would go with cash crop farming.
Ameya was still not sure which crop to choose from and what parameters the
success depends upon. Ameya approached his uncle to take his advice on
growing a cash crop. His uncle did seem to talk a lot, but Ameya understood
that even his uncle was clueless. He told Ameya to decide fast as the season
for sowing the Rabi crop was approaching. But Ameya had still not decided on
which crop to sow along with Jowar.

The Teacher will now apply the design thinking framework to the
given scenario:

Empathize: The students will now reflect on the scenario:

1. What could be Deen Dayal’s age at the time of his death?

2. How much experience did Ameya have in the agricultural sector?
3. Did Deen Dayal have time to pass on his knowledge and legacy
to Ameya?
4. Did Ameya have any plans of coming back to Satara?
5. Does he know what cropping patterns mean?
6. Does Ameya understand the meaning of Rabi, Kharif and Zaid seasons?
7. Instead of growing cash crop in his entire farm, he is planning to co-grow
a cash crop and Jowar. Is it a good idea? (Hint: Perhaps, he is playing safe,
in case the experiment doesn’t work, he won’t end up losing a everything
8. Is Ameya equipped with sufficient knowledge about farming?
9. Has he decided which cash crop to grow?
10. Was Ameya’s uncle knowledgeable?
11. Did Ameya have anyone to depend upon on his decision on choosing the
crop?

Define: Ask students to identify the problems that Ameya might face in
the given scenario. What are the major hurdles in his way to obtaining high
yields in their farms?

Ideate: Students to arrive at the solution to identify crops with high yield
(cash crops) to earn maximum profit and develop an automatic crop
identification system based on Computer Vision. Teacher can suggest
students to come up with another solution/model.

Stage 3: Prototype to develop an AI model for identifying crops (Subject

Teacher and AI Faculty).

Students will create an AI model to identify crops (Ex: Rabi and Kharif) -
providing the name of the crop, its origin, and more information about the
recognized crop. Steps of implementation are:
Problem Statement / Scenario:

Ameya benefited a lot from a simple tool that could identify cropping season
based on crop pictures. He made another plan, in investing in a mobile app
that can help millions of farmers across India to choose from a variety of crops
and experiment with growing it on their land.

Empathize: The learners will now reflect on the scenario:

1. Do you think Ameya is a smart investor?

2. How did he benefit from the AI enabled solution?
3. Will a user-friendly mobile app help people like Ameya in
obtaining optimal yields from their harvest?

Define: Ask students to identify various features of interest to develop a

mobile application to keep farmers up to date with various crop related
information.

Ideate: Students come up with a plan to develop a mobile application that

helps farmers stay up to date with crop-related information.