What is Agriculture?

– Agree or Disagree
Directions: Using the resources at this link and your own knowledge and opinions,
state whether you agree or disagree with the following statements by placing an “x” in
the appropriate column.
Statement Agree Disagree

We depend on agriculture to feed our population.

Agriculture refers only to growing plants, not to raising animals.

Products such as clothing made from leather and wool only come from
factories, and not from agriculture.

Agriculture used to be important, but now that we have factories, we don’t

need agriculture.

Agriculture is important to people living in urban areas.

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Examples of Agriculture in Practice
Agriculture is used to meet a wide range of goals.
Directions:
1. Preview the questions below.
2. Watch at least two of the following three videos of a sheep farm, a llama farm, and an urban
farm with a variety of plants and animals. (Click the underlined words.)
3. Answer the questions.

Farm #1 Farm #2
1. Which farm are you writing about? 1. Which farm are you writing about?

2. What are the goals of this farm? 2. What are the goals of this farm?

3. What is a question you still have about this farm? 3. What is a question you still have about this farm?
What resources do you need for agriculture?
Imagine that you are hired to build a farm.
What will you need? Your exact answer may depend on what plants you choose to grow or what animals you
choose to raise.
If you are growing plants (or if you need to grow grass to feed cows), you will need to provide plants with the
resources they need to complete photosynthesis.

Directions:
1. Preview the fill-in-the-blanks diagram below.
2. Click the link to review the basics of photosynthesis.
3. Fill in the blanks to show what three things are required for photosynthesis.

type answer type answer type answer Photosynthesis

+ + Glucose + Oxygen
here here here

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The Building Blocks of Agriculture
Directions: Agricultural products are made of chemicals.
1. Preview the questions below.
2. Watch the video at the link.
3. Answer the questions in the boxes provided.
What four chemical elements are most commonly found What are three places on a farm
in agricultural products such as cows and tomatoes? where you might find these
elements?
1.
1. 2. 2.
3.
3. 4.

How is chemistry important in agriculture?

Chemistry is important in agriculture because . . .

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The Building Blocks of Agriculture – Nitrogen
In plants and animals, nitrogen (N) is found in the amino acids that form the building blocks of proteins. Nitrogen
cycles between the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere via the nitrogen cycle.
However, farmers also supply their crops with nitrogen in the form of ammonia-based fertilizer.
Directions: Locate the nitrogen (N) in the fertilizer below and move it to complete the amino acid.

Ammonia Amino Acid

If nitrogen reaches plants naturally through the nitrogen cycle, why do you think that farmers
add nitrogen-containing fertilizer to their crops? Use this video to inform your answer.
I think . . . because . . .

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The Use of Fertilizers in Agriculture
Directions:
1. Preview the questions below.
2. Examine the graph at the right.
3. Then watch this video.

Use the graph to decide:

1. What was the world population in 2015?
In 2015, the world population was
approximately…

Use the graph to decide:

2. How much of the world’s
population in 2015 depended on
fertilizer?
In 2015, approximately ________
of the world’s population
depended on fertilizer.
3. In your own words, define
eutrophication in 1 - 2 sentences.
Eutrophication is….
4. According to the video, how do
fertilizers cause the process
called eutrophication?
Fertilizers cause eutrophication
by…
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