Alaska Agriculture-Farming Kindergarten Thematic Unit ...



Alaska Agriculture-Farming Kindergarten Thematic Unit Overview by Dawn Robinson

|Theme-Objective |Day 1-Overview & Intro Soil |Day 2-Seed to Plant |Day 3-Farming in Alaska (grains, |Day 4-Ranching in Alaska (beef, |Day 5-Dairy Farm and Milk Products|

| | | |fruits & veggies) |bison, caribou, pigs, fish, | |

| | | | |poultry) | |

|Worksheets |Farm Fresh Food by |Seed to Plant Shape Book |Pages 1-4 of Farming in Alaska |Farm Life by |Pages 5-6 of Farming in Alaska |

| | | |Collage Book | |Collage Book |

|Songs |Planting Time, I’ll Plant a Little |This is the way we plant our seed… |Ten Little Potatoes, Old McDonald |Eight Pigs, This Little Calf, The |This Little Cow |

| |Seed | |Had a Farm |Red, Red Hen | |

|Activity Set 1 |KWL Farming |Look at different seeds, select 1 for |How does a farm work? |1. Prepare a farm fresh soup with |1. Make butter, taste test it. |

| |Explore totes of gravel, sand, |their farm plot and plant it. Discuss|How would you set up a farm? Make|poultry and one from fish and |2. Time how long it takes to make,|

| |silt, and soil |care throughout ensuing weeks. |a model farm and what would you |produce from farmer’s market |discuss flavor with group. |

| | | |grow? |2. Graph likes/dislikes | |

|Video |Food Doesn’t Grow in the |Plant or The Magic School Bus (Gets |Primary Science Disc. 2 & 3 select|Kid TV News: Pork |Moo 2 You |

| |Supermarket |Planted or Goes To Seed) |sections | | |

|Activity Set 2 |Prepare a milk jug farm plot with |Bread in a Bag (Ziploc) |1. Taste test Alaska Grown Veggies|Prepare a Feed Sack (Ziploc bags),|1. Make ice cream (in a Ziploc |

| |layers of gravel, sand, silt, and | |and Fruits |choose 1) pig 2) beef or 3) horse |bag) |

| |soil | |2. Graph students 1st, 2nd, and |and enjoy! |2. Explain to another student how |

| |Water Cycle Bracelet | |3rd favorites/dislikes | |you made your ice cream. |

|Discussion |Why is dirt important? How weather |How a seed can grow to be a plant. |What kinds of fruits and |Where does the meat we get from |What is made from milk? |

| |affects growing things. | |vegetables are grown in Alaska? |the store come from? | |

Remember this is kindergarten, we aren’t teaching for mastery, just introducing and exposing them to hands on experiences and concepts. Some of the books are wordy, and if you want just explain the pictures, don’t read word for word, just show them and explain what’s there/important. All of these one day explorations can very easily be built into week long themes. There are some great resources and links out there; I found most of this info from: and following different links.

All of these videos and books are available through inter-library loan but be careful, I found out the hard way that a library can refuse to loan so you may have to substitute and plan on it taking a week or two to get materials requested.

Day 1 – Soil, Why is Dirt Important?

|Theme-Objective |Day 1-Overview & Intro Soil |

|Books |A Handful of Dirt, Soil, Water Dance |

|Worksheets |Farm Fresh Food by |

|Songs |Planting Time, I’ll Plant a Little Seed |

|Activity Set 1 |KWL Farming |

| |Explore totes of gravel, sand, silt, and soil |

|Video |Food Doesn’t Grow in the Supermarket |

|Activity Set 2 |Prepare a milk jug farm plot with layers of gravel, sand, silt, and soil|

| |Water Cycle Bracelet |

|Discussion |Why is dirt important? How weather affects growing things. |

Start the day with some prep prop work, arrive dressed as a “farmer” and have a couple bales of hay in the classroom and a scarecrow for good effect. Maybe arrange a “nest’ with some eggs in it if you can trust your kiddos not to crush them-or better yet find some good fake ones.

Directions for the Water Cycle Bracelet are:



|Theme-Objective |Day 2-Seed to Plant |

|Books |The Tiny Seed, How Do Plants Grow? |

|Worksheets |Seed to Plant Shape Book |

|Songs |This is the way we plant our seed… |

|Activity Set 1 |Look at different seeds, select 1 for their farm plot and plant it. Discuss care |

| |throughout ensuing weeks. |

|Video |Plant or The Magic School Bus (Gets Planted or Goes To Seed) |

|Activity Set 2 |Bread in a Bag |

|Discussion |How a seed can grow to be a plant. |

Day 2 – From Seed to Plant

Planting the milk jug garden is a great science and math activity. Student will have to water it everyday (I use the little Dixie cups) and they can keep a record and record when it starts to grow and how big the shoots are in cm. then in inches. This extension would take a couple months.

The Bread in a Bag is a Ziploc bag activity found at: Illinois’ Ag, Ziplocs, and You

|Theme-Objective |Day 3-Farming in Alaska (grains, fruits & veggies) |

|Books |Farmer Grows a Rainbow, Eating the Alphabet |

|Worksheets |Pages 1-4 of Farming in Alaska Collage Book |

|Songs |Ten Little Potatoes, Old McDonald Had a Farm |

|Activity Set 1 |How does a farm work? |

| |How would you set up a farm? Make a model farm and what would you grow? Would it grow in |

| |Alaska? |

|Video |Primary Science Disc. 2 & 3 select sections |

|Activity Set 2 |1. Taste test Alaska Grown Veggies and Fruits |

| |2. Graph students 1st, 2nd, and 3rd favorites/dislikes |

|Discussion |What kinds of fruits and vegetables are grown in Alaska? |

Day 3 – Farming in Alaska

I would set up a taste testing (one bite size piece of each veggie) and make some white flour bread, barley, and rye for them to taste test grains. See graphing pages attached.

|Theme-Objective |Day 4-Ranching in Alaska (beef, bison, caribou, pigs, fish, poultry) |

|Books |From Egg to Chicken, Pigs, Amazing Grazing |

|Worksheets |Farm Life by |

|Songs |Eight Pigs, This Little Calf, The Red, Red Hen |

|Activity Set 1 |1. Prepare a farm fresh soup with poultry and one from fish and produce from |

| |farmer’s market |

| |2. Graph likes/dislikes |

|Video |Kid TV News: Pork |

|Activity Set 2 |Prepare a Feed Sack (Ziploc bags), choose 1) pig 2) beef or 3) horse and enjoy! |

|Discussion |Where does the meat we get from the store come from? |

Day 4 – Ranching in Alaska

Take your leftovers from yesterday and throw them into a crock pot along with some local meat (fish, chicken, elk, bison, etc.) and have the kids help (I use a hand chopper). I use a simple t graph with tally marks for like or dislike.

First have students choose if they want to be a pig or a cow then divide them into their groups and have them make a Feed Sack snack from .

|Theme-Objective |Day 5-Dairy Farm and Milk Products |

|Books |The Milk Makers, Extra Cheese Please |

|Worksheets |Pages 5-6 of Farming in Alaska Collage Book |

|Songs |This Little Cow |

|Activity Set 1 |1. Make butter, taste test it. |

| |2. Time how long it takes to make, discuss flavor with group. |

|Video |Moo 2 You |

|Activity Set 2 |1. Make ice cream (in a Ziploc bag) |

| |2. Explain to another student how you made your ice cream. |

|Discussion |What is made from milk? |

Day 5 – Dairy Farming and Milk Products

Have salty saltines on hand when you make your butter then you won’t have to salt it (unsalted butter tastes “weird” to students who are use to salted). Fill a baby jar half full of heavy whipping cream and do a shaking dance/walk for about 10 minutes, drain off the excess liquid (can discuss curds and whey from Little Miss Muffet) and spread on their crackers and eat their homemade butter!

Again go to the Illinois Ag, Ziplocs, and You for the ice cream in a Ziploc bag…after they make it and taste it have them explain to a partner how they made it and why they chose what flavor they did (make them verbalize and communicate the process).

It would be a good idea just to list EVERYTHING that they can thing of that is made from milk (great vocabulary builder).

Day 6 – Culminating Field Trip to Spring Creek Farm, Havermeister Farm, and Matanuska Creamery

Have a picture checklist for the students to keep their eyes out for and a couple blanks for anything else of interest they may see. Use crayons because pencils can break and poke. See attached sample from but you can personalize one with clipart if there is something specific you know you want your kids to see.

Day 7 – Alaska’s Agriculture Wrap Up

Each student will make their own Alaska’s Agriculture book, see attached book. They will cut and paste pictures of the different food groups on each page stating his/her favorites. After the books are done they will share it with classmates and family.

Day 8 – Alaska Agricultural Products and the Food Guide Pyramid (great way to introduce a unit on nutrition!)

Introduce the Food Guide Pyramid. Why we have a FGP and how it helps us make healthy choices. Have pictures of Alaskan grown fruits, vegetables, animals, products, etc. and a giant size Food Guide Pyramid that students can tape up where they think they belong. Go over everybody’s choices as a class and see if they are all right!

Attachments

What do you know about farming in Alaska?

|What You KNOW |What You WANT to Learn |What You LEARNED |

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If students are having a hard time you can prompt them with what did you eat this morning for breakfast? Where do you think that came from? The grocery store? Where did the grocery store get it from? Where did the manufacturer get it from?

[pic] __________

[pic] __________

[pic] __________

[pic] __________

[pic] __________

Graphing Our Favorite Vegetables

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|Celery |Potatoes |Zucchini |Broccoli |Cauliflower |Carrots |Cucumbers |

|[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |

Graphing Our Favorite Fruits

|Strawberries |Cherries |Apples |Tomatoes |Blueberries |Raspberries |

|[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |[pic] |

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Graphing Our Favorite Grains/Breads

|White Bread [pic] | | | | | |

|Wheat Bread [pic] | | | | | |

|Rye Bread | | | | | |

|[pic] | | | | | |

|Bagels | | | | | |

|[pic] | | | | | |

|Muffins | | | | | |

|[pic] | | | | | |

|Barley | | | | | |

|[pic] | | | | | |

|Fry Bread | | | | | |

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|Croissants | | | | | |

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Hello! My name is _______________________________. I am _____ years old. I live in the Matanuska Susitna Valley of Alaska. There are many things grown in Alaska. They are grown all over the state! My favorite [pic]thing to eat is ______________.

Page 1

Here are some of the vegetables farmers grow in Alaska. My favorite [pic] vegetable is ________________.

Page 2

Here are some of the grains farmers grow in Alaska. Horses and cows love that fresh hay! My favorite [pic] grain food is _______________.

Page 3

Here are some of the fruits farmers grow in Alaska. My favorite [pic]fruit is ________.

Page 4

Dairy farmers use cows to get milk and make yummy stuff we can eat like yogurt, cheese, and ice cream! My favorite [pic]food from milk is _______________.

Page 5

Ranchers take care of animals so that we can eat meat like hamburgers and steak from cows. Eggs and chicken come from chickens. We can also get fresh turkeys and ducks. Caribou or reindeer make good roasts and sausages too! Pigs make some of our favorite foods-ham, bacon, and pork chops. My favorite [pic]meat to eat is ________________.

Page 6

Farming/Agriculture Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays

Soil/Dirt/Planting



Planting Time Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"

Dig, dig, dig the earth (make digging motion)

Then you plant your seeds (pretend to drop seeds)

A gentle rain (Flutter fingers down)

And bright sunshine (Circle arms above head)

Will help your flowers grow (Hold one arm parallel to ground and move other arm up behind it with fingers extended to represent a flower growing)

I'll Plant A Little Seed Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "I'm A Little Teapot"

I'll plant a little seed in the dark, dark ground.

Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.

Down comes the cool rain, soft and slow.

Up comes the little seed, grow, grow, grow!

Planting Song added 3-24-03 Original Author Unknown

I took a little seed one day

About a month ago..

I put it in a pot of dirt

In hopes that it would grow.

I poured a little water

To make the soil just right.

I set the pot upon the sill

Where the sun would give it light.

I checked the pot most every day,

And turned it once or twice.

With a little care and water

I helped it grow so nice.

This is the way we plant out seeds Original Author Unknown

Sung to: "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush."

This is the way we plant our seeds,

Plant our seeds, plant our seeds.

This is the way we plant our seeds,

Early in the morning.

This is the way the wind does blow,

Wind does blow, wind does blow.

This is the way the wind does blow,

Early in the morning.

This is the way the rain comes down,

Rain comes down, rain comes down.

This is the way the rain comes down,

Early in the morning.

This is the way the sun shines bright,

Sun shines bright, sun shines bright.

This is the way the sun shines bright,

Early in the morning.

This is the way the seed grows up,

Seed grows up, seed grows up.

This is the way the seed grows up,

Early in the morning.

This is the way we hoe the soil,

Hoe the soil, hoe the soil.

This is the way we hoe the soil,

Early in the morning.

This is the way we pick our beans,

Pick our beans, pick our beans.

This is the way we pick our beans,

Early in the morning.

Farming/Fruits/Vegetables/Grains



Ten Little Potatoes

I dug deep and see what I found,

(Make digging motion as if holding a shovel.)

Ten little potatoes hiding underground.

(Hold up ten fingers and pulse hands.)

Shook off the dirt, (Make shaking motion with both fists.)

Put them in a sack, (Pretend to sling sack over back.)

Ten little potatoes carried on my back.

(Hold up ten fingers and pulse hands.)

Chopped them, cooked them,

(Make chopping motion with one hand on palm of other hand.)

And right before my eyes,

Ten little potatoes (Hold up ten fingers and pulse hands.)

Turned into French fries. (Wiggle all fingers when you say “fries”.)

Ranching Livestock



THIS LITTLE CALF

(Extend fingers, push each down in succession)

This little calf eats grass.

This little calf eats hay.

This little calf drinks water.

This little calf runs away.

This little calf does nothing

But just lies down all day.

(Rest last finger in palm of hand)



Eight Pigs

Two mother pigs lived in a pen, (Thumbs up)

Each had four babies and that made ten.

(Fingers of both hands.)

These four babies were black and white.

(Fingers of one hand.)

These four babies were black as night.

(Fingers of other hand.)

All eight babies loved to play. (Wiggle fingers.)

And they rolled and they rolled in the mud all day. (Roll hands.)



Red Hen, Red Hen

(Tune: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep")

Red, hen, red hen, have you eggs for me?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. A lot as you can see.

One to hard-boil.

Another one to fry.

Another one to scramble.

And Easter eggs to dye.

Red hen, red hen have you eggs for me?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. A lot as you can see.

Dairy/Milk



This Little Cow (Tune: This little piggy)

This little cow eats grass,

This little cow eats hay.

This little cow drinks water.

This little cow runs away.

And this little cow does nothing,

But lie and sleep all day.

MOO!

Clipart for Food Guide Pyramid Activity

Make a giant pyramid based on the pyramid picture below:

[pic]

Grains

[pic][pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

Fruits

[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]

Vegetables

[pic][pic][pic][pic]

[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]

Meat and Beans

[pic]

[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]

Dairy

[pic][pic][pic][pic]

Oils

[pic] [pic]

Sweets

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Other

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Enrichment/Center Activities if students get done early:

1. Puzzles, make some puzzles out of old calendar pictures or pictures downloaded from the internet, mount them to tagboard and laminate them if you want them to reuse, cut them up into 4, 6, or 9 piece puzzles for the students to put together.

✓

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2. Coloring pictures of farm life, some great ones (free!) are at:

• this is an ABC of Farming Coloring Book-28 pages!

• this is a great overall farming coloring book-28 pages.

• has I See Farm Animals and How Many Farm Animals? Great printable shape books.

• has some great ideas/coloring sheets

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3. Farm Fresh Snack-make a rebus for kids to follow directions

• Measuring a Snack from

• Make a Chicken Feed Sack from

4. Have a mock farm that they can set up or play with, they can show how they would set up a farm if they had one.

5. Have different costumes the kids can dress up as farm animals, vegetables, farmer workers, etc.

6. Have masks that the kids can color and they can be a cow, a pig, a chicken, etc. Be creative, dig out the feathers and art crafts and let them go to town!

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