Chapter 10 Farming

Chapter 10 Overview  

This chapter provides the fundamental knowledge on agricultural practices.  The importance of soil characteristics is also discussed.  Soil type along with soil horizons are two important concepts for AP students.  Soil conservation practices, water usage and irrigation, pesticide usage and integrated pest management, organic farming and sustainable agriculture are topics to be stressed to the AP student.      

Chapter 10 daily grade opportunities
due by date listed with 10 point deduction for each late day.
Case study (due 11/10)
Cornell Notes - here's the powerpoint (due 11/13)
Chapter 10 learn smart module (due 11/13)
Free response question (due 11/12)
Chapter 10 quiz (due 11/13)

Chapter 10 projects -
Pesticide Pamphlet Activity  (due 11/13)
Each student is assigned a specific pesticide.  Use the EPA website or perform a Google search for a list of pesticides.  Students construct a tri-fold pamphlet.  Items to be included on the pamphlet are: name, chemical formula or structural formula, type of pesticide, use, efficacy, hazardous information, environmental effects, first aid (if necessary), photos of usage, and a bibliography on the back page.  Include any references to the material in the chapter that students have learned.  Students can be very creative with this project.

Soil Texture and Permeabililty lab  ( full lab report due 11/13)

Virtual Soil Permeability lab


Cornell Notes questions 
 
1. Describe the characteristics of soil, both physical and chemical properties. Explain how soil profiles differ from biome to biome. 
 
2. Explain soil erosion and desertification.  Describe the role of water as it relates to plant growth and erosion.   
 
3. Discuss the role of pesticides as well as the effects of pesticides on the environment.  Discuss the implications of integrated pest management. 
 
4. Describe the methods used for soil conservation. 
 
5. Discuss the nature of organic farming and sustainable agriculture.   

6. What are the three main particles that make up soil in order from smallest to the largest? 

7. Pesticides can be target specific.  What type of pesticide would be used for the following species?  (a) aphids eating a tomato plant, (b) dandelions growing in a lawn, (c) rats in a grain barn, (d) beetles eating raspberry bushes   (a) insecticide, (b) herbicides, (c) rodenticides, (d) insecticides  

8. What is the pesticide treadmill?  How does it occur?  

9. How are biological organisms used to control pests in agriculture?  

10. What is IPM?  

11. What are three methods of soil conservation?  

DOL Practice Questions: perhaps you should make a special section for these in your notebook??

Multiple Choice: 
Directions for questions 1-5: The lettered choices below correspond to the descriptions given in questions 1-5.  Select the one lettered choice that best fits each statement.  Each choice may be used once, more than once, or not at all. 
(A) contour plowing 
(B) strip cropping 
(C) no-till agriculture 
(D) terracing 
(E) shelter belts 
 
1. shaping the land to create level platforms 
2. used to prevent wind erosion 
3. planting crops across the hill 
4. planting different crops in alternating rows 
5. planting crops without plowing the land 
 
6. All of the following result in top soil loss except (A) gullying 
(B) sheet erosion 
(C) wind erosion 
(D) weathering of parent material 
(E) desertification 
 
7. The soils in this biome have very little organic material and are composed of nutrient poor iron rich clays. 
(A) temperate rain forests 
(B) tropical rain forests 
(C) temperate grassland 
(D) temperate deciduous forest 
(E) taiga 
 
8. The role of soil bacteria, algae, and fungi is 
(A) the depletion of nutrients from the soil 
(B) the depletion of water from the soil making it unavailable for plants 
(C) the decomposition and recycling of leaf litter to make nutrients available to plants 
(D) to cause diseases in plants 
(E) to not do anything beneficial in the soil  

9. Foods are grown in this deep organic rich soil horizon. 
(A) D 
(B) B 
(C) E 
(D) O 
(E) A 
 
10. The neem tree is 
(A) native to North America 
(B) a natural insecticide 
(C) a fruit tree 
(D) a nut tree 
(E) a GMO  
 

Free-Response Question: 
Directions: Answer all parts of the following question.  Where explanation or discussion is required, support your answers with relevant information and/or specific examples.  When a calculation is required, be sure to show how you arrived at your answer. 
1. Top soil is very important for agricultural production.   
 
(a) Describe the process of soil formation. 
 
(b) Identify and describe TWO chemical properties of soil and TWO physical properties of soil. 
 
(c) For one of the properties that you identified in 

(b) explain the importance of that property. 
 
(d) Identify two methods that will decrease the amount of soil erosion. 
 
(e) Suppose a farm is suffering from a pest resurgence.  Suggest TWO methods to remediate this, other than the use of traditional pesticides.