BASIC SCIENCE 

BASIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (BST) 

FIRST TERM WEEK 3

PRIMARY 6 (BASIC 6) 

THEME – IMPROVING CROPS YIELD 

PREVIOUS LESSON – Living and Non Living Things – Identification and Characteristics of Living Things and Non Living Things Primary 6 (Basic 6) Term 1 Week 2 Basic Science and Technology or Living and Non Living Things – Identification and Characteristics of Living and Non Living Things ASEI PDSI METHOD (Primary 6)

 

TOPIC: GROWING OF CROPS 

LEARNING AREA 

1. Growing Crops with Compost and Fertilizer

2. Conditions for Growing Better Crops

3. Importance of Manure and Fertilizers on the soil

4. Components of Fertilizer

5. Revision and Weekly Assessment Test

 

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the lesson, the pupils should have attained the following objectives (cognitive, affective and psychomotor) and be able to:

1. state the condition for growing better crops.

2. write the importance of fertilizer to the soil.

3. mention the components of fertilizer.

 

ENTRY BEHAVIOR

The pupils can identify and describe farm crops.

 

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

The teacher will teach the lesson with the aid of,

1. Soil

2. School’s farm

3. Maize, beans, spinach seedling

4. Animals dung

5. Compost

6. Chemical fertilizer

7. Farm implement – hoe, shovel, cutlass, hand towel, etc.

 

METHOD OF TEACHING

Choose a suitable and appropriate methods for the lessons.

Note – Irrespective of choosing methods of teaching, always introduce an activities that will arouse pupil’s interest or lead them to the lessons. 

 

REFERENCE MATERIALS

1. Scheme of Work

2. 9 – Years Basic Education Curriculum

3. MacMillan Basic Science and Technology Book 6

4. Foundation of Basic Science and Technology Book 6

5. All Relevant Material

6. Online Information – Improving Crop Yield – Growing Crops with Compost and Fertilizers ASEI PDSI METHOD (Primary 6)

 

CONTENT OF THE LESSON

LESSON 1 – INTRODUCTION TO GROWING OF CROPS 

Growing crops is the process of planting and cultivating plants for food or other purposes. To cultivate plants means to caring for or raising plants. The process of growing crops includes preparing the soil, planting seeds or seedlings, watering and fertilizing the plants, and harvesting the crops when they are ready.

Crops are useful plants that intentional grown for consumption or other purposes. For example – maize, pineapple, plantain, yam, cocoyam, palm tree, etc. But weeds are unwanted plants. A weed is a plant growing where it is not wanted. For example –  crops, grasses and trees that are not intentionally grown.

 

MEANING OF FERTILIZER 

A fertilizer is any material added to the soil to increase its nutrient level. Fertilizer is needed where soil has lost its nutrients due to continuous cropping or erosion. Crops planted in an infertile soil will produce low yield and waste the effort of the farmers.

 

TYPES OF FERTILIZER

There are two major types of fertilizer:

1. Compost fertilizer

2. Chemical fertilizer

 

LESSON 2 – GROWING CROPS WITH COMPOST AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS 

GROWING CROPS WITH COMPOST FERTILIZERS 

Compost is a decomposed organic matter commonly known as manure. It is a valuable fertilizer for growing better crops. A compost is made from the mixture of soil with plants and animals waste. It is applied to the soil to increase soil fertility and promoting plant health.

 

GROWING CROPS WITH CHEMICAL FERTILIZER

Chemical fertilizers are the most commonly used in farming to increase crop production. Chemical fertilizer provide the soil with essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Chemical fertilizer are also called NPK fertilizers. N stands nitrogen, P stands Phosphorus and K stands for Potassium.

 

LESSON 3 – CONDITIONS FOR GROWING BETTER CROPS 

The condition for growing better crops include –

1. Good and improve seeds or seedlings.

2. Soil nutrients.

3. Fertilizer, if the soil loose its nutrients.

4. Good and favorable weather conditions such as rain water, good temperature, warmth and sunlight. Plants need sufficient water and sunlight in order to well and produce better crops.

 

IMPORTANCE/EFFECTS OF FERTILIZERS TO THE SOIL 

1. It helps crops to grow strong and tall.

2. It makes crops develop large leaves.

3. It helps crops to produce good fruits and seeds.

4. It protects crops against diseases.

5. It improves soil structure.

 

PRESENTATION

To deliver the lesson, the teacher adopts the following steps:

1. To introduce the lesson, the teacher revises the previous lesson by asking questions based on what he/she has taught and what the pupils have learnt.

2. Teacher groups the pupils into two or more groups depending on the size of the class.

3. Teacher displays charts/posters showing different types of growing crops and asks the pupils to identify and discuss the process of growing crops.

4. Teacher actively participates in the groups discussions on the process growing crops.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils in the groups discuss the process of growing crops with their teacher.

5. Teacher uses the charts/posters and the pupils relevant responses to introduce the lesson and explains the process of growing better crops and the use of fertilizers for growing better crops.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils pay attention to the lesson introduction, listen to the teacher’s explanation on the process of growing better crops and the use of fertilizers for growing better crops.

6. Teacher leada a class discussion on growing crops with compost and chemical Fertilizers.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils participate actively in the class discussion, differentiate between growing crops with compost and chemical fertilizers.

7. Teacher itemizes the conditions for growing better crops and leads a class discussion on why they are important.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils participate actively in the class discussion on the conditions for growing better crops.

8. Teacher uses charts showing different conditions of growing a better crops to explain the importance of fertilizers to the soil.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils listen carefully to the teacher’s explanation, understand and appreciate the important use of fertilizers for growing a better crops.

9. Teacher arranges for agric extension worker to talk to and train pupils on growing healthy crops, if available.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils listen attentively, learn and appreciate the importance growing better crops.

10. Teacher summarizes the lesson on the board with appropriate evaluation.

Pupil’s Activities – The pupils participate actively in the summary of the lesson by responding correctly to most of the questions write as instructed.

 

POST LESSON ACTIVITIES

1. Visit the school’s farm (if any) to prepare the soil and cultivate the plants.

2. Prepare a compost pit for growing crops.

3. Grow some crops with/out any types of fertilizers.

4. Compare the result of growing crops with/out fertilizers.

 

CONCLUSION

To conclude the lesson for the week, the teacher revises the entire lesson and links it to the following week’s lesson.

NEXT LESSON – The Human Circulatory System (The Human Heart) – Meaning of Circulatory System | The Structure and Functions of the Heart Primary 6 (BASIC 6) Term 1 Week 4 Basic Science and Technology

 

LESSON EVALUATION

Teacher asks the pupils to:

1. discuss how to grow a better crop.

2. explain the term – cultivate plants.

3. differentiate between compost and chemical fertilizers.

4. state the full meaning of NPK.

5. mention 5 conditions for growing better crops.

6. discuss 5 importance of fertilizer to the soil.

7. mention the elements of chemical fertilizer.

8. use compost and chemical fertilizer to grow grow crops;

9. Compare the effects of chemicals fertiliser and compost on:

A. Maize

B. Spinach or vegetable crops, etc.

 

WEEKLY ASSESSMENT TEST

INSTRUMENT – Answer all the questions.

1. _____ is the process of planting and cultivating plants for food or other purposes.

A. Growing Crop

B. Growing weed

C. Growing food

 

2. _____ are useful plants that intentional grown for consumption or other purposes.

A. Weeds

B. Crops

C. Plants

 

3. _____ are unwanted plants.

A. Weeds

B. Crops

C. Plants

 

4. _____ is a plant growing where it is not wanted.

A. Weeds

B. Crops

C. Plants

 

5. _____ is any material added to the soil to increase its nutrient level.

A. Fertilizer

B. Water

C. Protein

 

6. Fertilizer is needed where soil has _____ its nutrients due to continuous cropping or erosion.

A. gain

B. lost

C. farm

 

7. Crops planted in an infertile soil will produce _____ yield and waste the effort of the farmers.

A. low

B. medium

C. high

 

8. Chemical fertilizers are the most commonly used in farming to _____ crop production.

A. increase

B. decrease

C. gain

 

9. _____ provide the soil with essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

A. Compost fertilizer

B. NPK fertilizer

C. Manure fertilizer

 

10. Chemical fertilizer are also called _____.

A. manure

B. compost

C. NPK

 

11. Compost is a decomposed organic matter commonly known as _____.

A. chemical fertilizer

B. manure fertilizer

C. NPK fertilizer

 

12. _____ is made from the mixture of soil with plants and animals waste. It is applied to the soil to increase soil fertility and promoting plant health.

A. NPK fertilizer

B. Chemical fertilizer

C. Compost

 

13. To cultivating plants means to caring for or raising plants. True/False

14. The process of growing crops not necessarily includes preparing the soil, planting seeds or seedlings, watering and fertilizing the plants, and harvesting the crops when they are ready. True/False

15. What is the different between compost and chemical fertilizers?