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Bridging the Gap Between Town and
Country
Curriculum
| English: |
Oral, Visual, Written, Reading, Writing,
Listening, Viewing, Speaking, Presenting |
| Social Studies: |
Place and Environment |
| Science: |
Making Sense of the Living World |
| Links to |
Maths, Music, Art |
Levels 2-4
Key Ideas
- The majority of our children live in cities.
- Most of them aren't lucky enough to have had a farm
holiday or to have worked on a farm.
- Many of them are only vaguely aware of what animals
are found on a farm and how they are cared for.
- Sometimes what happens to farm animals is difficult
for city dwellers to accept.
- We need to find out more before making a judgment
What do we know? Survey & Share.
- How many pupils in the class/school have visited
a farm?
- Where was this farm? Can you locate the general area
on an atlas?
- Have pupils orally share their experiences.
- Brainstorm and List. What animals are found on New
Zealand farms?
- Discuss & Write. After group discussion, have
pupils write a short paragraph on why they think it is necessary to farm animals.
- Devise visual methods of displaying the uses and
the end products we get from farm animals, e.g sheep - wool - carpets cows - milk
- cheese - yoghurt
The Needs of Farm Animals
- Introduce the scenario that the students have just
been appointed to an important Government Committee to draft laws about the needs
of farm animals and how they should be treated in New Zealand.
- Have groups discuss, list and report back their considerations.
- Debate fully and draw up a class charter of farm
animal needs.
Compare with these documented needs
of farm animals below.
- Five Basic Requirements
- Freedom from hunger and thirst.
- Provision of appropriate comfort
- Freedom from pain, injury and disease.
- Freedom to express normal behaviour.
- Freedom from fear and distress (conditions and treatment
that avoid mental suffering
Becoming a Farmer
Although students may not come
up with the right solutions, the following activities are designed to help them consider
and think through important issues.
Also build a list of questions in preparation for
a farm visit or a classroom visit by a veterinarian
Group Debates:
- "Sheep are healthier with docked tails"
"An electric fence is cruel to farm animals".
"A sheep should never be shorn".
"Farmers 'children don't need pets".
Applying their Charter. A Scenario
to Discuss and Answer.
Each group has been asked to look after a farm for
a week while the farmer is on holiday. Try to name at least four things they would
do to make sure the stock stay healthy and safe with reference to their farm animal
charter, e.g.
- check for injury or disease (call a veterinarian
immediately if required)
- make sure they have clean water
- make sure they have adequate feed and move to a new
pasture or feed out if necessary
- check that the stock have not got on the road or,
broken through a fence
- milk the cows twice a day
- make sure the dogs are exercised, fed and have water
- ensure there is adequate shelter
An Issue to Face up to
- Discuss:Why do farmers farm animals? List students
responses, e.g. for food, for clothing, to export, to make a living, as a life style
- Why do we eat animals? Allow for full ranging discussion.
Point out that most humans and many animals are meat eaters and this has been a practice
for centuries.
- Develop the idea that as human beings it is our duty
to ensure that animals are kept healthy, well cared for and killed humanely.
Planning a Farm Visit
Planning a farm visits the best way of closing the city/ country gap and provides
countless opportunities for exciting educational activities. Involve your pupils
fully with planning for a farm visit by having them:
- write letters to the farmer before and after the
visit
- suggest suitable clothing
- help with transport arrangements including drivers
maps
- involvement in fund raising activities if necessary
Sample Questions to Ask
Make the study of animals a main focus of the visit
but include other farming concerns such as soil, waste, equipment, land care, crops,
lifestyle, pest control.
Have students discuss and prepare a full list of questions they would like answered
(many will have arisen from the previous activities).
Sample questions to ask the farmer
What animals do you have on your property?
How many animals (in categories) do you have on your property?
Why do you choose to farm these animals?
What do you feed the various animals and why?
What diseases and problems do your stock face?
How do you keep your stock healthy?
Where do you get your water for animals and how do
you get it to the animals?
What happens to the stock when it leaves here?
Why do you like living on a farm?
What special problems with climate (snow, flood, drought)
can affect your farm and stock and how do you cope/prepare for them?
Do you and your family have any pets? How do you look after them?
Other Areas of Focus
Climate • Farm Equipment • Chemicals • Waste Land Care • Soil • Lifestyle
Further Directions
- Prepare a class 'Learning about the Country 'expo
for other classes. Include photographs, written reports, tape recorded interviews,
a video, displays based on your farm visit.
Use e-mail to correspond with children in another school in the city of the country.
or school in the country. Find out about their lifestyle and their pets.
Write a story or prepare a chart comparing the lifestyle of a country animal with
that of a city animal.
Do you have a lesson you would like
to share with other teachers? Simply email us an attached Word, Works or PDF file
and we will add it to our library. Don't forget to include your name and school so
we can acknowledge your work.
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