Assessing Agricultural Practices: Weighing the Pros and Cons of Farming Systems Agricultural Science JSS 2 First Term Lesson Notes Week 9

Lesson Plan for Agricultural Science JSS 2

Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: JSS 2
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 12-13 years
Topic: Agricultural Practices
Sub-topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Farming and Cropping Systems
Duration: 80 minutes

Behavioral Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Identify the advantages of different farming and cropping systems.
2. Describe the disadvantages of each system.
3. Compare the effectiveness of various systems in agriculture.

Keywords

• Farming systems
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• Mixed farming
• Mono cropping
• Sole cropping
• Mixed cropping

Set Induction

Begin the lesson by asking students what they think are the benefits and challenges of different farming practices they’ve learned about previously.

Entry Behavior

Students should have prior knowledge of farming and cropping systems from previous lessons.

Learning Resources

• Charts comparing advantages and disadvantages of farming systems
• Case studies of farms using different systems
• Visual aids (diagrams, images)

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge

This lesson builds on the previous week’s discussion of farming systems, focusing specifically on their pros and cons.

Embedded Core Skills

• Critical thinking
• Analytical skills
• Group discussion

Learning Materials

• Agricultural Science textbooks
• Comparison charts
• Real-life examples of different farming systems

Reference Books

• Lagos State Scheme of Work for Agricultural Science JSS 2
• Agricultural Science for Junior Secondary Schools by O. Adeniyi

Instructional Materials

• Charts showing advantages and disadvantages
• Diagrams of various farming systems
• Case studies illustrating real-world applications

Content

I. Advantages and Disadvantages of Each System

1. Mixed Farming
   • Advantages:
     • Diversifies income sources (crops and livestock).
     • Reduces risks of total crop failure due to varied products.
     • Provides organic manure for crops from livestock waste.
   • Disadvantages:
     • Requires more management skills and resources.
     • Higher initial investment costs for equipment and infrastructure.
2. Mono Cropping
   • Advantages:
     • Easier management and specialization in one crop.
     • Higher yields for the specific crop grown due to focused care.
   • Disadvantages:
     • Increased risk of pest and disease outbreaks.
     • Soil depletion from continuous cropping of the same plant.
3. Sole Cropping
   • Advantages:
     • Allows for efficient resource use focused on one crop.
     • Potential for higher profits if market conditions are favorable.
   • Disadvantages:
     • Vulnerability to market fluctuations and price drops.
     • Increased susceptibility to crop failures from pests or adverse weather.
4. Mixed Cropping
   • Advantages:
     • Maximizes land use efficiency and crop diversity.
     • Reduces weed competition and pest outbreaks by planting different species together.
   • Disadvantages:
     • More complex to manage and plan crop arrangements.
     • Potential for competition for nutrients and water among different crops.

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions (15)

1. Mixed farming diversifies ____ sources (a) labor, (b) income, (c) water, (d) machinery).
2. One advantage of mono cropping is easier ____ (a) planting, (b) harvesting, (c) management, (d) selling).
3. Sole cropping can lead to increased ____ to market prices (a) success, (b) risk, (c) yield, (d) profit).
4. Mixed cropping helps to reduce ____ competition among plants (a) water, (b) nutrient, (c) sunlight, (d) space).
5. A disadvantage of mono cropping is the risk of ____ (a) higher yields, (b) pests, (c) better growth, (d) soil enrichment).
6. One advantage of mixed cropping is that it maximizes land use ____ (a) efficiency, (b) problems, (c) cost, (d) tools).
7. Mixed farming provides ____ manure for crops (a) chemical, (b) organic, (c) artificial, (d) solid).
8. The practice of growing only one type of crop is known as ____ cropping (a) mixed, (b) mono, (c) diverse, (d) sole).
9. A disadvantage of mixed farming is the need for more management ____ (a) money, (b) skills, (c) time, (d) labor).
10. Soil ____ is a concern with continuous mono cropping (a) health, (b) depletion, (c) fertility, (d) improvement).
11. Mixed cropping reduces the likelihood of total crop ____ (a) success, (b) growth, (c) failure, (d) planting).
12. Sole cropping allows farmers to focus on ____ resource use (a) diverse, (b) efficient, (c) poor, (d) chemical).
13. One challenge of mixed cropping is managing competition for ____ (a) profits, (b) nutrients, (c) space, (d) labor).
14. Mono cropping can lead to increased ____ of pest outbreaks (a) reduction, (b) improvement, (c) risk, (d) growth).
15. One advantage of mixed farming is it reduces risks from total crop ____ (a) yield, (b) growth, (c) loss, (d) planting).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the main types of farming systems?
   The main types include mixed farming, mono cropping, sole cropping, and mixed cropping.
2. What is the advantage of mixed farming?
   It diversifies income and reduces the risk of total crop failure.
3. How does mono cropping affect soil health?
   It can lead to soil depletion due to the continuous planting of the same crop.
4. What is a disadvantage of sole cropping?
   Sole cropping increases vulnerability to market fluctuations and pest outbreaks.
5. Why is crop diversity important in mixed cropping?
   Crop diversity helps reduce pest outbreaks and maximizes land use efficiency.
6. What challenges do farmers face with mixed cropping?
   Managing different crops can be complex and may lead to competition for resources.
7. How does mono cropping benefit farmers?
   It allows for focused management and potentially higher yields for specific crops.
8. What is mixed cropping?
   Mixed cropping involves growing two or more different crops simultaneously.
9. What is one disadvantage of mixed farming?
   It requires more management skills and resources.
10. Why might a farmer choose sole cropping?
    For the potential of higher profits and efficient resource use on one crop.

Presentation

1. Step 1: Recap previous lessons on farming systems and their definitions.
2. Step 2: Discuss the advantages of mixed farming and its impact on income.
3. Step 3: Explain the risks associated with mono cropping and sole cropping.
4. Step 4: Compare mixed cropping with the other systems, highlighting its benefits.
5. Step 5: Encourage student discussion on their experiences and opinions about different systems.

Teacher’s Activities

• Introduce the advantages and disadvantages of each farming system.
• Facilitate group discussions and comparisons.
• Use visual aids to support explanations.
• Encourage questions and facilitate understanding.

Learners’ Activities

• Participate actively in discussions.
• Work in groups to analyze and list advantages and disadvantages.
• Engage with charts and diagrams to deepen understanding.

Assessment

• Monitor group discussions for understanding.
• Use fill-in-the-blank questions to evaluate knowledge retention.
• Ask students to present findings on their assigned farming system.

Evaluation Questions

1. Describe the advantages of mixed farming.
2. List two disadvantages of mono cropping.
3. What are the risks associated with sole cropping?
4. Explain the benefits of mixed cropping.
5. Why is managing mixed cropping challenging?
6. What is a major concern with mono cropping?
7. How can mixed farming benefit soil health?
8. Why might farmers prefer sole cropping?
9. Discuss the importance of crop diversity in farming.
10. What challenges do farmers face with mixed cropping?

Conclusion

• Summarize the main points of advantages and disadvantages discussed.
• Encourage students to think critically about which farming system might be best for specific situations.
• Collect and assess any written work, providing feedback.

More Useful Links

• General Cleaning and Revision on Problems of Farm Managers Agricultural Science JSS 2 First Term Lesson Notes Week 1
• Resources in Our Environment and Their Uses: Understanding and Conservation Social Studies JSS 1 First Term Lesson Notes Week 4
• Exploring Agricultural Practices: Systems that Shape Our Farms Agricultural Science JSS 2 First Term Lesson Notes Week 8