Topic: Differentiation of crop plants in the world. Differentiation of cereal crops. Differentiation of stimulant crops

Target group

2 grade high school and technical high school student (basic scope)

Core curriculum (basic scope)

X. Agriculture, forestry and fishing: factors of agricultural development, including changes in Polish agriculture, areas of cultivation and animal breeding in the world and in Poland, structure of agricultural land in the world and in Poland, forestry, fisheries.

Student:

3) explains the geographical range of major crops and animal husbandry in the world and in Poland

General aim of education

The student will discuss the diversity of cultivated plants in the world and will indicate the areas of cultivation of cereals and stimulants in the world.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• determine the distribution of the main areas of cultivation in the world;

• exchange the types of cereals grown in the world;

• indicate the distribution of cereals in the world;

• exchange the types of stimulants and indicate on the map their cultivation in the world.

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• exposing

  • film.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

• The teacher begins classes from the interactive exercise for students - puzzles, which present one of the most commonly grown plants in the world, which is the basis of feeding many people.

• The teacher explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

Realization

• Work in pairs. Students use source materials such as textbooks, e‑textbooks and geographical atlases to prepare information on the place of rice cultivation in the world and its requirements.

• Students identify rice cultivation sites on the world map and provide its climate and soil requirements. The teacher asks a question to the students, what affects the diversity of arable crops in the world? Talk.

• Work in pairs. Students develop the distribution of the most important cereals in the world and in Poland: wheat, maize. They prepare information about their climate and soil requirements.

• Work in pairs. Students, using geographical atlases, the Internet and e‑textbook, search for the world of coffee, tea and cocoa. They indicate what role they play in the human body.

• Students, working individually or in pairs, carry out interactive exercises to check and consolidate knowledge learned during the lesson. Selected people discuss the correct solutions for interactive exercises. The teacher completes or corrects the statements of the proteges.

• Work in pairs. Students develop the distribution of the most important cereals in the world: wheat, maize. They prepare information about their climate and soil requirements.

Summary

• The teacher asks the students questions:

  • What did you find important and interesting in class?

  • What was easy and what was difficult?

  • How can you use the knowledge and skills you have gained today?

  Willing/selected students summarize the lesson.

Homework

• Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Differentiation of crop plants in the world. Differentiation of cereal crops. Differentiation of stimulant crops

Food plants are plants that serve humans as food, e.g., cereals, legumes, plants cultivated for their roots, tubers, vegetables, and fruits.
Another group is made up of plants which are raw materials for various industries, i.e., those used to produce fibers (fiber plants), oil (oil plants), sugar, and rubber.
A peculiar group of crop plants which do not contain nutrients, are not raw materials for industry, but are cultivated for their content of stimulating substances, are the stimulant cropss.
Fodder plants are used as animal feed.

Cereals are the most widely cultivated group of plants in the world, and are the basis of feeding people and many farm animals. From a biological point of view, cereals are grasses. Their cultivation is relatively easy for humans. They bear fruit around the time they are sown, with the exception of few winter cereals. The grains, which contain carbohydrates, protein, fats, and vitamins, usually have high nutritional values. They are easy to store. Only moisture can be dangerous for them. They retain their ability to germinate for many years. Not only are cereals used to produce flours and groats, but also oils, syrups, flakes, malt, alcohol, and bran. As a result, they have a very wide range of applications. Their crops take up about half of all arable land. Worldwide, the most important cereals are wheat, rice, and corn.

Although wheat comes from the Middle East, it is currently cultivated relatively little in that region. The largest areas of cultivation are in Europe, North America, and East Asia, slightly smaller in South America, South Asia, and Australia.

The distribution of the crops suggests that wheat needs a warm climate. It does not tolerate too high or too low temperatures well. In addition, it needs fertile soils – hence its crops in the North China Plain, upper part of the Ganges Lowland, and the formerly grassy (steppe) areas of both Americas and Eurasia.

Interesting information can be obtained from the data on yields, which do not depend on the surface areas of crops, and are usually given in decitons per hectare. 1dt (one deciton) equals 0.1t (one tenth of a ton).

India’s yield, which is just above the global average, should not come as a surprise, because it is still a developing country. On the other hand, the United States and Australia are clearly highly developed countries – there is no shortage of knowledge or resources there. In France, the same surface area produces more than twice as much wheat as in the US, and more than three times compared to Australia.

The explanation of these differences is the way of management. In large countries, increase in production consists in increasing the area of crops. No additional resources are needed. This is an example of extensive farming, i.e., agriculture that uses little capital expenditure (mineral fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and/or little human labor per unit of area. France cannot take such an approach. Large yields are obtained thanks to large capital expenditure: modern and therefore expensive seeds, as well as artificial fertilizers and protection measures. This is an example of intensive farming.

Corn is the most productive cereal. Its global average yield is about 50 dt/ha.

It comes from Central America, but has spread very widely to regions with warm or, possibly, temperate climates. It needs a long summer for the grains to develop fully. Its great advantage is the relatively low demand for water.

Rice is a rather unique plant. In order to grow, it needs high air temperatures and large amounts of water. This limits the cultivation opportunities to certain areas of the world.

Cultivation is performed in two stages: first, the seeds are sown in the soil, and then, after a few weeks, the seedlings are replanted in water‑flooded fields. This requires a great deal of human labor and coordination because the flooded fields form a system of interconnected reservoirs.

Stimulant crops are plants that contain substances which stimulate the human body. The most popular are coffee, tea, cocoa, and tobacco.

Coffee, which comes from the Ethiopian Highlands, owes its stimulating and invigorating properties to caffeine.
Known since ancient times in the Middle East, it was brought to Europe in the 16th century. In the 17th century, colonizers began to cultivate it on the lands they controlled.

Leaves and buds are used in the production of tea. Tea contains small amounts of theine (a variety of caffeine) as well as numerous antioxidants and vitamins. The tea shrub comes from China and was brought to Europe in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the English started growing it in their colonies, which started its popularization. Currently, approximately 4.8 million tons of tea are harvested.

Tea shrubs require fairly high air temperatures and heavy rainfalls. They are often grown in the mountains because lower temperatures slow down the growth of the shrubs.
After harvesting, the leaves and buds are dried, and some of them additionally fermented. In the former case, green tea is obtained, in the latter – black tea.

The fruit (beans) of the cacao tree are used not only for the preparation of the drink containing the revitalizing theobromine. Once harvested, the beans are fermented, and then dried, roasted, and ground. This is how the so‑called cocoa paste is made, which is used in the production of chocolate. From the paste, using a press, ‘cocoa butter’ is made, which is used mainly in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries but also as an additive in chocolate, as well as ‘cocoa cake’ which, after being ground, produces the powder for making the drink.
In 2010, 4.2 million tons of cocoa beans were harvested.

Although the cacao tree comes from South America and Central America, it is cultivated the most in West Africa where, around 1880, the British founded their plantations. It requires high temperatures and very heavy rainfalls.

• Food plants provide food for people, and fodder plants provide food for animals.

• Cereals are the most important group of food plants in the world. The most popular cereals are wheat, corn, and rice.

• The substances contained in stimulant crops stimulate the body. The most popular stimulants are coffee, tea, and cocoa.