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www.edu.pe.ca/agriculture/index.html

Agriculture Education Prince Edward Island

Canada / Atlantic Provinces Farm Business Management Programs

Prince Edward Island Agricultural Human Resources Development Council Inc.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The first edition Agri-Environmental Resources was designed to give Atlantic Canadian teachersup-to-date information on environmental issues facing the agricultural industry.

The Prince Edward Island Agricultural Human Resources Development Council Inc. would like tothank the Canadian Heritage, the Francophone Division of the PEI Department of Technology andEnvironment and the Atlantic Farm Business Management Programs for their partnership indeveloping this resource.

Thanks is also extended to Jennifer Craig, BSc. (Agr.), BEd., for researching, developing, andwriting this resource.

We thank the following organizations for their generous permission to use their material:

1. Atlantic Farmers Council, Atlantic Environmental Farm Plan, 1995.2. Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural

Affairs, Best Management Practices, 1994-1997.

Thanks to the many people and organizations who donated time and skills to develop this resource.

PEI Soil and Crop Improvement Association - Tyler WrightPEI Department of Education - Clayton CoePEI Department of Education - Joan Moore

PEI Department of Agriculture - Rachel CheveriePEI Department of Agriculture - Thane Clark

East Wiltshire Junior High School - Sharon Craig

© 1999Prince Edward Island Agricultural Human Resources Development Council Inc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Science Links 2

Modules 3

Digging Deeper 3Keep it Flowing 16Pesky Pests 33What Goes Around Comes Around 42

Resources 53

Web Sites 56

Industry Contacts 57

Evaluation 58

References 59

Glossary 60

Partnerships

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INTRODUCTIONEnvironmental awareness is happening all over the world. Everyday, people

are becoming increasingly interested in the well being of the world around them.Agriculture is no exception. Farmers are implementing many sustainable agriculturalpractices in their operations. This resource addresses a number of environmentalissues that are facing the agricultural industry. It is meant to allow students andteachers to expand their knowledge on these issues, explore topics that they hear aboutin the media on a regular basis and develop opinions on these topics.

The concept of sustainable agriculture is outlined in the Atlantic CanadaEnvironmental Farm Plan. This program was prepared by the Atlantic FarmersCouncil and is supported by various Agricultural organizations throughout AtlanticCanada.

Each module in this resource sets out a description, objectives and curriculum links.More specific curriculum connections are included for topics in the Atlantic CanadaScience Curriculum.

This unit concentrates on one general expectation - that students will gain awarenessand appreciation of the interdependence between the environment and agriculture.Within the context of both agriculture and environmental issues students will:

ee obtain information from various sources and make decisions based oninformation.

ee form their own opinions about what they see and hear.ee communicate these opinions using bias-free language and conflict

management skills.ee assess environmental problems in school or community and prepare an

action plan to address them.

The modules are presented in a lesson format with teacher information, studentlearning activities and extension possibilities. The activities are not defined by time.Some may take a few minutes whereas others may take two or more classes. Theamount of time devoted to each activity will depend on the extent to which it isexplored.


SCIENCE LINKSThere are a number of links to various topics in the Atlantic Provinces EducationFoundation science program. These links are shown below. There are also fits withinother curriculum area and these are noted at the beginning of each module.

MODULE 1 MODULE 2 MODULE 3 MODULE 4Soil Conservation Water Conservation Pesticides Rec yclin g

K & 1 33Materials, Objects & 33Materials, Objects & 33Materials, Objects 33Materials, ObjectsSenses Senses & Senses & Senses33Needs & 33Needs & 33Needs & 33Needs &Characteristics of Characteristics of Characteristics of Characteristics ofLiving things Living things Living things Living things33Daily & Seasonal 33Daily & Seasonal 33Daily & Seasonal 33Daily & SeasonalChanges Changes Changes Changes

2 33Liquids & Solids 33Liquids & Solids 33Liquids & Solids 33Liquids & Solids33Air & Water in the 33Air & Water in the 33Air & Water in theEnvironment Environment Environment

3 33Plant Growth & 33Plant Growth & 33Plant Growth & 33Plant Growth &Changes Changes Changes Changes33Exploring Soils 33Exploring Soils

33Materials &Structures

4 33Habitats 33Habitats 33Habitats 33Habitats33Rocks Minerals and 33Rocks MineralsErosion and Erosion

5 33Weather 33Meeting Needs & 33Meeting Needs & 33WeatherMaintaining a Healthy Maintaining a 33Properties andBody Healthy Body Changes in33Weather Materials33Properties andChanges in Materials

6 Diversity of Life Diversity of Life Diversity of Life N/A

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DIGGING DEEPER, SOIL IN ATLANTIC CANADA

K - 6

DESCRIPTIONSoil erosion is one of the most important environmental issue in Atlantic Canada. Students inthis region need to be familiar with soil conservation practices.

OBJECTIVES& to develop an understanding of

the importance of soil.& to examine soil using their senses.& to list characteristics of soil.& to observe changes in a mini-

ecosystem

CURRICULUM

CONNECTIONS

Science Art Music

MODULE 1

Digging Deeper Teacher Information

Grades K - 6

SOIL CONSERVATION

Most crops need soil in order to grow. Therefore, soil preservation and conservation is ofutmost importance in our region. The future of the family farm and our domestic food supplyis dependent on protecting land for future generations. In order for farming to remainsustainable, farmers must adopt soil conservation practices and look after this preciousresource. This module gives background on some of the soil issues pertaining to our region.

WHAT IS SOIL?

Soil is the basic material in nature from which plants derive the nutrients necessary for theirgrowth. Soil is made up of four main parts - minerals, organic matter, air and water. Itconsists of three layers. The top and most important layer is called topsoil. This is where theorganic matter is located and the soil that is needed for optimum plant growth. Second is thesubsoil and third is the parent material.

The texture of the soil can affect many things. Texture refers to the mixture of different-sized mineral particles in a soil. Soil texture is a combination of sand (largest), silt (smaller)and clay (smallest) particles.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Erosion of agricultural land is one of the biggest challenges facing farmers in the AtlanticRegion. Erosion can occur by wind, water or tillage.



Grades K - 6

Soil erosion by water is probably one of the most significant forms of erosion in this region. This is due to intensity of rain received andslope of land being farmed. Raindrops break up the soil and it is thencarried away by running water.

Erosion by wind occurs when the soil is dry and has been loosened bycultivation or when bare land is exposed to wind due to lack of snow or vegetative cover.Erosion due to wind tends to be most visible in winter when you can see snow drifts coveredin soil.

Tillage erosion occurs when equipment used to break up the land moves the soil downhill.When plowing downhill, the plow and gravity work together to move soil downwards.Overtime, topsoil at the top of the field will be removed and will sit at the bottom of thefield. This causes exposure of subsoil on hilltop areas.

WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?

Erosion is a problem for a number of reasons. Through water runoff, soil can deposit inwaterways and cause rivers and streams to become narrow. This causes a major problem forfish and wildlife habitat. Another concern is the fact that all of the organic matter in soil isfound in the topsoil. With the removal of the topsoil, crops will need the addition of moreagri-chemicals and fertilizers in order to make up for the organic matter loss. This is a highercost to the farmer for input costs and loss in production while being stressful on theenvironment.

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Grades K - 6

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

In order to save our soil, there are a number of practises which could be implemented on afarm to reduce soil erosion rates. It is important that all farmers implement some or all ofthese practices to decrease current rates of soil erosion.

Buffer Zones

Buffer zones are permanent borders along waterways that help to reduce the amount of soilending up in streams. These zones act as filters to slow water and catch soil particles. Theyalso help to maintain soil structure in areas where there is a lot of traffic due to farmvehicles.

Cover Crops

Cover crops can be grown to protect soil when a field is not in use. Late summer to early fallis a prime time for farmers to establish cover crops before winter sets in. Fields should becovered from November to April. This is when the majority of precipitation in AtlanticCanada is received. Cover crops help reduce soil erosion rates, maintain soil structure andadd organic matter.



Grades K - 6

Crop Rotation

Crop rotation involves alternating cereal crops (eg. oats, barley) with forage (eg. clover,alfalfa) and row crops (potatoes, corn). Why should this be done? Forage and cereal cropshave root systems that improve soil structure. They also return organic matter to the soil. Ifthey are left over the winter months, soil is not exposed to wind, rain and snow therebycutting down on erosion (cover crops). Row crops deplete soil of valuable nutrients andprovide little cover or organic matter. By using a three year crop rotation (example, year 1 -grain, year 2 - alfalfa, year three - potatoes), the soil has a chance to replenish. Crop rotationcan also help to reduce incidence of disease and pests due to the fact that it breaks theircycles.

Strip Cropping

Strip cropping is the practice of establishing alternating strips of row crops, forages andcereal across the slope of a field. This practice allows farmers to divide a field into smallersections and grow different crops in one field. This helps to decrease erosion by preventingrunoff and also helps to replenish nutrients and moisture levels.


Digging Deeper Classroom Activities

Grades K - 6

OPENING

1. K - 3: Discuss different types of food chains. Explain to students much of thefood they eat begins its life in soil. Have children develop a food chainand describe why soil is important.

Grades 4 - 6: Teacher Demonstration: Use the following illustration toshow the value of soil. You will need an apple for thisdemonstration.

Have the students estimate how much of the earth’s surface is used to produce food.Using an apple to represent the earth, cut the apple into quarters. Explain that threequarters of the earth are covered by oceans and other bodies of water. Set these threequarters aside. The remaining quarter represents the total land mass of the earth.

Cut this quarter in four; one-sixteenth are mountains, the second sixteenth are deserts,the third sixteenth is tundra, ice caps and land not suitable for farming. The remainingsixteenth is all the land suitable for growing crops.

Cut the remaining portion in two and set one aside. This one represents land thatcould be used for food, but is covered by roadways, cities, houses and other buildingsthat people have built.

You are now left with a small slice representing one thirty-second of the earth.Carefully peel this slice. This small, thin piece of apple peel, barely 3% of the apple’ssurface is the topsoil which we need to grow food.

Using a thought web, have the students brainstorm ideas about why soil is important.Discuss how we can protect it.



Grades K - 6

DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT

1. Have students bring in a soil sample or provide samples of different soil types forthem. Soil samples can be collected in zip lock bags, baby food jars, clear camerafilm containers or clean clear plastic containers. If students are collecting their own,have them label the container with their name and describe where they obtained thesample.

K - 3 a. Using their senses (except taste), have the students describe the soil. List the

characteristics of the soil (colour, smell, etc.)

b. Is there anything else in the soil? (worms, rocks, roots, etc.)

c. Using the left over soil samples, make mud pies. Have students add items torepresent organic matter and minerals. Have students pour water on their piesfrom various heights to see the effect that “rain” would have on a soil sample.Discuss the process of erosion.

Grades 4 - 6: Use the soil samples and complete page 15, then study wind erosion.

First have the students write down the characteristics of their soil sample. Next,spread the sample over an empty pie plate so that it is able to dry out (this may takea day). Using a hair dryer or fan, direct a stream of air toward the soil in the pie plate.What happens? Compare the samples brought in by different students. Next place acardboard barrier in the centre of the pie plate. This barrier represents trees or grass.Direct the stream of air toward the soil surface from a number of different directions -what happens?

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Grades K - 6

2. K - 3: Explore earthworms and other animals that are interdependent withsoil. Talk about how they benefit from each other. Why would farmerslike to have lots of worms in the soil of their fields? Collect insects andexamine their body parts under a magnifying glass. How would theseinsects affect crops?

3. Grades 4 - 6: Demonstration: Are all Soil Particles the Same Size?Fill a see-through container (large fruit jar) about two-thirds full of water. Pour soilin until the jar is almost full. Replace the cover and shake vigorously. Set the jar ona table and let the soil settle. This will take awhile because the smaller particles willbe slow in settling. The soil will consist of 4 layers coarse sand on the bottom, finesand next, then silt and clay on top. Hold a piece of cardboard beside the jar and markthe levels of the different layers on the card. Compare two or three different soilsamples.

a. Why did the coarse sand settle first?b. Why are the levels different for different soil types?

4. Learn the song “The Garden Song (Inch by Inch)”. It is available on a cassette titled“10 Carrot Diamond, by Charlotte Diamond.

5. K - 3: Have students make a class mural or collage showing the importanceof soil.

Grades 4 - 6: Have the students make a class mural showing the effects of soilerosion on streams, fish and wildlife. Get them to portray “do’s” and“don’ts” for farmers. Have them incorporate crop rotations, bufferzones and cover crops.

6. Grades 4 - 6: Write a short story from the point of view of a worm on howweather affects soil erosion.



Grades K - 6

Materials

Two 2-L Plastic Pop Bottle or 1 Large Glass Pickle Jar (emptied and clean) markers, scissorsdifferent soil types (sandy, clay, loam)sub soil (soil with no or very little organic matter)gravelStrawberry plant, moss (other plants that you might have available)rocks, pieces of wood

CLOSURE: K - 3

Construct a terrarium. A terrarium is a small environment used to simulate different kindsof ecosystems. Allow students to work in groups of 4 or 5. Have groups use different soiltypes so that they can examine how important soil is in the growing of plants and crops.They must make decisions as a group as to how they will construct their terrarium, however,directions have been included if an idea is needed.



Grades K - 6

Procedure

1. Remove label from bottle or jar2. If using a pop bottle

a. cut about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the bottle # 1, keeping bottom half.This will be the top of the terrarium. Call this part X.b. cut the second bottle half way, keeping the bottom half. Call this Y. Cut three 3cm-long slits in Y so the it will fit together with X.

3. Poke holes in top of jar lid or in X.4. Add a layer of gravel for drainage.5. Add soil.6. Add Strawberry plant and moss fern (or other plants that you have available for them)7. Add rocks or small pieces of wood for decoration8. Water soil well.9. Secure top lid and place in a safe spot with student’s group name attached.

Conclusion

1. Discuss what happened over the weeks in their terrarium.2. Did they have to water it much?3. Did the type of soil effect the growth of their plants?4. What other observations did they make?



Grades K - 6

Materials

Plant pots or Styrofoam cupsSoil types: topsoilsubsoil (little or no organic matter)sandy soilclay soilmixed soilseeds (flower, beans, grain)cotton balls

Procedure

1. Fill pot or cup with one soil type.2. Plant 3 or 4 seeds in the soil.3. Moisten, but don’t soak soil.4. Put pot in a warm, sunlit area.5. Plant 3 or 4 seeds in cotton and

keep moist.

You might want to warn students that some of their terraria might not grow well dependingon the soil type they choose.

Have students observe their terrarium on a daily basis and record changes.

CLOSURE: GRADES 4 - 6

Compare soils by growing plants in them. Have students use different soil types so thatthey can examine how important soil is in the growing of plants and crops. Work ingroups of four.



Grades K - 6

Conclusion

1. Have students discuss the affects of different types of soil.2. Which plants grew the best? Why?3. What soil factors are important for growing plants?4. How does soil erosion affect these factors?

Have the students keep a record of how fast their plant grew and how each plant looks.Compare these results to that of the plant growing in the cotton.


Digging DeeperPartner names________________________

How Does it Feel?With a partner, discover the texture of a soil sample.

Soil has three types of textures: sand, silt and clay. Most soils are a combination of thethree. Using the samples that your teacher has provided, discover what texture each soilhas. Read the directions below to determine what kind of soil you have.

1. Test two of the soil types provided using the following method.a. Place a small amount of soil in the palm of your hand.b. Slowly add water until the soil stays together.c. When the soil stays together, it is ready to identify.

2. Roll, squeeze, flatten the soil in your hand what texture does it have?a. Sand if it: - feels gritty

- has grains (or particles) that can be seen- will not remain in a ball when squeezed

b. Silt if it: - feels slippery like flour- is not really sticky

c. Clay if it: - feels sticky- can be squeezed gently upward in a ribbon when placed between the thumb and fore finger

3. Fill in the following table.

Soil Type A Soil Type B

What does it feel like?

Does it stay together when squeezed?

Does it form a ribbon?

Our soil texture is mostly...

4. Compare your results to that of other groups. How do they compare?


KEEP IT FLOWING WATER IN ATLANTIC CANADA

K - 6

DESCRIPTION

Water is a precious resource. It is essential that students understand that they are able to helpin water conservation.

CURRICULUM

CONNECTIONS

Mathematics Language ArtsScience Social Studies Art

OBJECTIVES

& to explain the pathway of thewater cycle.

& to determine personal water use.& to examine the importance of

water in different cultures.

MODULE 2


Keep it Flowing Teacher Information

Grades K - 6

WATER

Water brings our planet to life and is essential for every living thing in the world. Wateris a precious resource. It is our responsibility to keep water free of contaminants so thatwe can continue to have a clean source for humans and animals. Contamination of waterdue to agriculture can occur from manure, pesticides, fertilizers and topsoil. It is up to allof us to do what we can to keep the water supply clean.

The Water Cycle

Water is never created or destroyed, it is always in constant motion. Water is recycledthrough the environment in a number of pathways called the water cycle. This cycle isbalanced over every hectare of land or every kilometre of river, stream or ocean. We allaffect this cycle every time we turn on a faucet or flush a toilet. Below is a basic outlineof the water cycle.



Grades K - 6

THE WATER CYCLE

1. Water evaporates from lakes, rivers, oceans, plants, land because ofenergy from the sun.

2. The water condenses and forms clouds.3. Precipitation falls from the clouds in the form of snow and rain, etc.4. Water flows back to the oceans, lakes, rivers and ground water sources.

The Water Cycle



Grades K - 6

AROUND THE HOME

Everyone can help to conserve water whether they are two or ninety-two. Wisemanagement of water in the home will help to ensure ample supply and safe use foreveryone. There is a direct link between the wastewater created in the home and thatwhich comes out of the tap.

Surface Water

Surface water comes from lakes and rivers. Many urban and rural water supplies comefrom treated surface water. Water runoff from lawns, fields, etc. helps replenish lakesand rivers with surface water. Pesticides, fertilizers, manure and soil are all sources ofcontamination for surface water.

Wells

Wells are drilled, dug or bored into the ground. Most rural homes have a well. Groundwater is found beneath the ground and is formed by rain and snow-melt that filters downthrough the soil. As water seeps down into the ground, soil and organisms help to purifythe water. The water stockpiles in an area referred to as the water table.


Teacher InformationKeep it Flowing

Grades K - 6

HOME WATER USECanadians use over 350 litres of water per house hold a day. Canada and the UnitedStates use twice as much water as Europeans. We have to increase our water useefficiency use and help prevent contamination so that future water use will be clean andclear of pollutants. Decreasing the amount of contaminants that are put into water athome can help to cut down on the risk of polluting well water, lakes and rivers.

Cutting down on theamount of water that we use is important. It is also important to make sure that harmfulsubstances are not put down the drain. Don’t leave the water running if you don’t have to!Look at the chart to see average Canadian home water use.



Grades K - 6

AROUND THE FARM

The water used around farm buildings can directly affect the quality and amount of wateravailable to use. The majority of uses for water on a farm include: watering livestock,washing barns and milking equipment washing, chemical mixing and greenhouse irrigation.Much like home, keeping farm water use to a minimum is important.

There are many good reasons to keep surface and ground water clean: family, livestock,fish and wildlife, neighbours and community to name a few.

WASTEWATER

Wastewater carries pollutants. Wastewater is produced when water comes in contact withcontaminants such as milkhouse rinse water or manure runoff. It is important to preventthese pollutants from reaching ground and surface water sources.

WETLANDS

Wetlands are made up of marshes, swamps, bogs or a combination of these. Wetlands arefound where land meets water. They contain a number of water-tolerant plants and arecovered by shallow water. Some farmers have been draining wetlands on their propertyin order to increase area for crop production. Others are trying to maintain and protecttheir wetlands for wildlife. Often the best way to preserve a wetland is to leave it alone.Wetlands also provides water to recharge the ground water supply.

A buffer zone is a strip of undisturbed or uncultivated land that borders a river, stream,lake or wetland. Trees, shrubs and grasses in a buffer zone act as a natural filter to reducethe amount of pollutants reaching surface water resources. Wildlife habitat is alsoprovided in a buffer zone area.


Keep it Flowing Classroom Activities

Grades K - 6

OPENING

1. It is often stated that water is a precious resource. What is meant by precious?

Grades K - 3: Try this activity as a large groupGrades 4 - 6: Divide the class into groups.

Give each group a large sheet of paper divided into three equal parts with thetitles:

� very important to me� not so important to me� not at all important to me

Give each group photocopies of the 10 cards. Ask them to sort their cards intoeach of the three sections. All sections must be used. They might need helpcoming to an agreement. Have them discuss why they placed the cards in thesesections.



Grades K - 6

GAS (Water Vapour)

Finally, add more“heat”. Tell studentsthat they now havegreat amounts of energyand can move freely.Allow them to spreadfar apart.

SOLID (Ice)The molecules (students) do nothave much heat energy, so theyare packed together in a smallplace. Tell them that they maymove around in a very smallarea. Make the area smallenough that all the students areclose enough to touch and can’tmove very much.

LIQUIDPretend that you areadding heat energy tothe water molecules.They are able to movefurther apart, howeverthey must keep theiractions within aspecified area.

2. DRAMA: K - 3: Take children to a large area (outside or gymnasium). Get them to imagine that they are water molecules. Water molecules are the smallest partsthat water can be broken into.

Explain that when molecules are heated, they receive energy which allows them tomove around and spread apart. Tell the students that they are going to act out thethree states of matter (solid, liquid and gas).

Describe the three states of water and have children give examples of (ice at arink, water in a stream, steam from a kettle). Discuss how they change from onestate to another.



Grades K - 6

Materials

jar (with lid)soil

small plastic dishwaterplastic trees, animals, buildings, etc.

3. Throughout our history, various cultures have stories about the value of water. Inmany world religions, water plays an important role. Many religious, folk andcultural traditions revolve around water. It played a key part in stories such asTiddalick, Noah’s ark and The Woman Who Outshone the Sun. Read the childrenstories or legends about water. For additional ideas, see the Literature list onpage?.


4. Where does water come from and where does it go? This activity will helpstudents to become more aware of the water cycle. Often children (and adults)only think of water coming out of the tap and going down the drain, but that isonly a small part of the cycle. Complete the following experiment to allowstudents to see how the water cycle works. K - 3: Do activity as a large class and have students draw pictures

showing any changes.Grade 4 - 6: Keep detailed records as well as pictures of any changes that

may occur during this activity



Grades K - 6

Procedure

1. Arrange soil in the jar to make mountains, hills and a lake basin.2. Place the plastic dish in the lake basin and fill with water.3. Add plastic toys to decorate if desired.4. Place lid on jar and place in a sunny place.

Discussion

1. Have students predict what will happen in the container. Get them to draw a picturerepresenting this.

2. Discuss what should happen and make sure that students observe the jar over the next3-4 days. They should see condensation form on the top and sides of the jar and fallas “rain”.

3. Upon completion of this project compare what did happen with what should havehappened. What conclusion can the class draw from this experiment?



Grades K - 6

5. K - 3: Water Cycle Dot-to-Dot (pg 31). Work out the math problems first, then byten’s connect the dots with cycle arrows using a blue crayon to show thewater cycle.

Grades 4 - 6: Water Cycle Word Search (pg. 30). Have students complete theirword search to increase their vocabulary. Have them use at least five of thesewords in a paragraph describing the water cycle.

6. How much water do we use? Sometimes we don’t understand how much water weare using. For one week, have the students record every time they brush theirteeth, shower, have a drink of water, wash their hands - basically every time theyturn on a tap. At the end of the week, have the children estimate how much waterthey used (in litres) and discuss ways that they could decrease their water usage.

Grades 4 - 6: Make posters to put up around the school promoting thedecrease in water usage. Challenge other classes to see whocan use the least amount of water.

6. Use the Thirsty Flowers demonstration (pg. 29) to show how easy it is for waterto carry pollutants. This activity should allow students the opportunity to see howimportant it is for everyone to keep our water supply clean. Stress the fact thatalthough water will never be lost in the water cycle, contaminated water will stillgo through the cycle.



Grades K - 6

CLOSURE

7. K - 3: Water Collage: Using pictures from magazines or individual drawings,allow students to develop a collage about water. Remind them about the differentforms of water (gas, liquid and solid). Encourage them to be creative.

Grades 4 - 6: Collect water samples from different places. If you live near a bog,beach or marsh those are good places to go. Provide students with microscopes,slides and slide covers. Have them describe what their sample looks like -pictorially and written.

8. Create a rainstorm. Have students stand in a circle and be completely silent.Explain that they must watch you at all times and listen carefully. You will standin the centre of the circle and slowly, do the actions listed below. As you look ateach student in the circle, they must start to do the same as you are. Continuedoing one action until all of the students are doing the same thing, then move onto the next action.

1. Rub hands together2. Snap your fingers3. Slap hands on thighs4. Stamp feet5. Slap hands on thighs6. Snap fingers7. Rub hands together8. Hold hands out in front of you not touching.

Try this a couple of times until students can hear the storm.


water

love food

friends

books house

candy movies

toys skates

WHAT IS PRECIOUS TO ME?


THIRSTY FLOWERS

OBJECTIVEFlowers drink water through their stems and spread it throughout the petals. Becauseflowers cannot chose which water to drink, they sometimes may have to drink unclean orpolluted water. This demonstration can be used to show children that plants will take inpolluted water and that this can be harmful to humans and animals if we are eating theseplants.

MATERIALSknife food colouring (two colours)white rose or carnation (with a 25 to 30 cm stem) clear jars (2)

PROCEDURE1. Cut the bottom 15 cm of the flower stem in half. Be careful to not cut the whole

stem in half.2. Fill the two jars with clean water.3. Place a small amount of food colouring in each jar (one colour in each jar).4. Place half of the stem in one jar and the other half in the other jar.5. Have students make predictions about what will happen. Record predictions for

comparison to results.6. Let the flower sit overnight.7. Observe flower. What happened? How does this compare to the predictions.

RESULTSHave students draw what the flower looked like before and after the experiment. Discussthe importance of clean water and how to prevent pollution.

CONCLUSIONWhat do students think about the importance of clean water? Were their hypotheses(predictions) correct?



CLEAN LIFE SURFACECONDENSATION MANURE WATER CYCLECONSERVE MARSH WELLCONTAMINATE POLLUTION WETLANDCYCLE PRECIOUS WILDLIFEEVAPORATE PRECIPITATIONFERTILIZER RESOURCEFISH RUNOFF



Keep it Flowing Answer Key

CLEAN FISH RESOURCECONDENSATION LIFE RUNOFFCONSERVE MANURE SURFACECONTAMINATE MARSH WATER CYCLECYCLE POLLUTION WELLEVAPORATE PRECIOUS WETLANDFERTILIZER PRECIPITATION WILDLIFE


PESKY PESTS PESTICIDE USE IN ATLANTIC CANADA

K - 6

DESCRIPTION

Pesticides and agricultural chemicals are often at the forefront of news stories. Students needto hear both sides to develop informed decisions and opinions.

OBJECTIVES

& to define the word pest.& to recognize warning labels.& to develop a “new” biotech

product.

CURRICULUM

CONNECTIONS

Health Language ArtsScience Social Studies Art

MODULE 3


Teacher InformationPesky Pests

Grades K - 6

INTRODUCTION

The use of pesticides on crops is a controversial issue throughout the world. Health riskquestions and food safety top the lists of concerns in relation to pesticide use. Whether werealize it or not, everyone relies on effective pest management techniques to ensure adequatefood supplies. We compete with insects, diseases and weeds for our share of food. It hasbeen estimated that without pest management, crop losses would average 40%. This sectiongives an overview of different types of management techniques. Provide students with allinformation so that they are able to form opinions based on factual information.

WHAT ARE PESTS?

Pests are different things to different people. A pest is anything that is in a place where it isnot wanted or can cause harm. Farmers consider insects, fungi, disease and weeds to be pestsas all of these will affect product quality and decrease yields.

WHAT ARE PESTICIDES AND WHY ARE THEY USED?

Pesticides are chemicals which are used to protect crops from pests. Pesticides are used tocontrol weeds, diseases and insects. Many people wonder why farmers use agriculturalchemicals when it has been shown that almost all crops can be produced using organic cropprotection methods. Plants do have some natural defence against pests, but like people,sometimes medication is needed to fight off disease. Crops could not be grown on such alarge scale if pesticides were not used. Pesticides allow farmers to produce high quality andhigh yielding crops to continue to supply people with enough food to eat. Also with anincrease in the world population, farmers must continue to produce food sustainably with


Teacher InformationPesky Pests

Grades K - 6

little effects from pests. Agricultural chemicals are vital to the industry’s effort to controlpests. If no pesticides were used, the agricultural land base would dramatically increase, thusnatural wildlife areas would be converted to agricultural land. Even so, pesticide use mustbe kept to a minimum. With proper education and alternative methods, use of agriculturalchemicals will decrease.

RISKS?

Careless application or storage of pesticides can pose a significant threat to human healthand the environment. Presently, there is legislation that require farmers to complete aPesticide Certification Course in order to purchase or apply agriculture chemicals. Pesticidesthat are not handled properly can contaminate the water supply. Anyone who is applyingpesticides should wear protective clothing, safety goggles and respirators to prevent illness.

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Throughout Canada, food produced by organic means is in increasing demand byconsumers. Organic farming is a combination of agricultural practices and biologicalprocesses. Organic farmers manage their crops without the use of synthetic chemicals. Inorganic crop production, pests are managed by extended crop rotations, biological controls,disease-resistant varieties and varying planting dates. Biological controls are naturalpesticides that are used to reduce pests. Crop yields can be lower on organic farms.Therefore, more land and labour are required to produce similar quantities of food toconventional farming, attributing to higher prices for organic products.


Pesky Pests Teacher Information

Grades K - 6

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a system for managing pests that involves more thanone control method. It combines chemical, cultural and biological methods. This proves tobe both environmentally and economically sound.

IPM has many benefits. It allows for efficient use of pesticides only when necessary. Thereis less reliance on only one management method, thus reducing development of pestresistance to control methods. Most importantly for farmers, crop yield and quality ispreserved.

IPM requires farmers to have a greater understanding of the interactions among the speciesinvolved. It requires monitoring of crops by taking samples of weeds, insects and plants.Farmers set traps in fields to catch insects so that they can be counted and identified. Weedsare also identified and removed by hand, cultivation and/or mulching. Chemicals are thenapplied to kill pests during the vulnerable part of their life cycle so that they cannot causedamage to crops.

Many companies are starting research on reduced risk compounds that are moreenvironmentally friendly for pest control and safer for people to use.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Advancements in research, especially in the area of biotechnology, have decreased the needfor pesticides for some crops. Scientists are developing insect, disease and viral resistantvarieties of plants which benefit both the farmer, the consumer and the environment.Biological forms of pest control continues to aid farmers in their commitment to sustainableagriculture.


Pesky Pests Teacher Information

Grades K - 6

RESIDUES ON FOOD?

Many people are concerned about the amount of residues on food left by agriculturalchemicals. The Canadian Government, under the Food and Drug Act, has regulations inplace to monitor the amount of residue that is permitted without endangering human health.Keep in mind that while traces of natural or synthetic pesticide residues may be present, theyare only on the surface of a product. They are not absorbed into fruits and vegetables. Thebest way to prevent sickness due to pesticide residues is to wash and prepare all fruits andvegetables carefully before eating them.


Pesky Pests Classroom Activities

Grades K - 6

OPENING

1. K - 3: Discuss what things people consider to be pests. Very often, insects areconsidered to be pests. Have students create their own insect. Use theinformation on the Insects, Insects page to develop insects.

Grades 4 - 6: Have students develop a list of things that they consider pests. Pointout that things some people consider to be a nuisance others may not.

2. K - 3: Discuss why each of the following can be considered a pest as well asa beneficial product: wheat, deer, dandelion, mosquito, spruce tree,skunks. Encourage the students to discuss their own ideas.

Grades 4 - 6: What kinds of relationships do certain animals have (eg. tapewormsand cows - parasitic)


3. K - 3: Food Safety: Bring in a number of food items and show them to thestudents. Ask them what needs to be done to each before it can beeaten safely. Stress the importance of washing their hands beforehandling food.

Grades 4 - 6: As a class prepare the morning snack. Allow students to tell what theyneed to do in order to properly and safely “prepare” their part of thesnack.


Pesky Pests Classroom Activities

Grades K - 6

4. K - 3: Have students draw pictures about agricultural chemicals. Get them toexplain their pictures. What preconceived notions, if any, do they haveabout pesticides?

5. K - 3: Invite a Farm Safety coordinator in to show protective clothing usedwhen working with chemicals. Prepare students for this visit by talkingabout some of the body systems (respiratory, circulatory, nervous) thatmay be affected by prolonged exposure to agricultural chemicals.

6. Grades 4 - 6: Biotechnology: allow students to be creative and develop aplant or product that will help decrease the use of pesticides.Depending on the class, have students draw or write about thisdevelopment. Have students to draw a “blueprint” of theirproduct and build a replica.

CLOSING

7. K - 3: Obtain labels from agricultural and lawn care chemical containers.Distribute these to students and have them report the informationcontained on the label (ie: proper handling, storage, protectiveclothing). Use this as an opportunity to study warning signs forhousehold chemicals as well.

Grades 4 - 6: Research a chemical and report findings to class. Get students to make

comparisons about chemical toxicity levels to things that theyunderstand (eg. Chemical A is as poisonous as being stung by 50wasps).


Insects Insects

Use the following shapes to construct an insect. All insects have six legs and threemain body parts: the head, thorax and abdomen.

Head: has eyes, antennae, mouthThorax : has 6 legs (3 on each side), and usually 4 wingsAbdomen: has 10 or 11 segments

Use the shapes below, or make some of your own to construct an insect. Usecoloured paper, tissue paper, crayons or markers to add detail to your insect.

If you wish, put a string on your insect and have the class construct an insectmobile.


Pesky Pests

EXPLOSIVE POISON

CORROSIVE FLAMMABLE

Household HazardsBelow you will see some warning symbols found on labels of commonhousehold and farm products. Learn to recognize these symbols and be on thelookout for them. On what type of containers might you see these labels?


WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUNDAGRICULTURE RECYCLING

K - 6

DESCRIPTION

Recycling happens not only in our homes, but also on farms. Atlantic Canadians haveinnovative ideas when it comes to recycling.

CURRICULUM

CONNECTIONS

Science Language Arts Music/Drama Social Studies

OBJECTIVES

& to identify objects that can berecycled.

& to increase awareness ofagriculture recycling initiatives.

MODULE 4


Classroom ActivitiesRecycling in Agriculture

Grades K - 6

OPENING

Atlantic Canada is doing some exciting things in the recycling of agricultural products.As we know, everyone has to be conscious of the way we dispose of waste. Somebusinesses in this region are being creative and turning other’s waste into someone else’streasure. This section profiles different businesses that are doing just that. These are onlya sample of some of the unique initiatives that are going on all around you.

1. K - 3: As a class, develop a definition for waste. Come up with a list ofproducts that students consider waste. How do we combat waste?What is recycling? What “wastes” are currently recycled in thisregion.

Grades 4 - 6: As a class, develop a list of products that are currently recycled inthis region. What products are made from the recycled things?

2. Read the profiles on agricultural recycling initiatives in the Atlantic provinces.

3. Discuss how these initiatives will help the environment, if at all. What do thestudents think of these ideas?

Grade 6: What kind of microorganisms are involved in Waste Not Want Not?How do they meet their needs (obtain food, water, air and movingaround.


Recycling in Agriculture Classroom Activities

Grades K - 6


4. K - 3: Waste Walk

OPTION A: Take students on a waste walk. Have them identify pieces of garbageand decided if they could be recycled and how. A school grounds clean-up couldbe incorporated into this exercise.

OPTION B: If you are unable to go outside for a walk - do a “pretend waste walk”using the picnic memory game (example: I’m going on a waste walk and I found ajuice can. The next person comes up with their own idea and then repeats theone(s) before). Upon completion of the game discuss ways of recycling things thatthey found.

5. Grades 4 - 6: Using the book 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save theEarth , Javana, John. Earthworks Group, 1990, complete thefollowing activities.

A. Ask students to complete one of the 50 projects. Ask them to create a planto implement this project and to report the progress or results, using page42.

B. Have students bring old, white or light coloured t-shirts to class. Use fabriccrayons to design t-shirts that feature recycling and environmentalmessages.

C. Write letters to local businesses, farmers, etc.. In the letters, ask thesepeople if they are recycling, what ways they are recycling or if they are notrecycling, why not?



Grades K - 6

6. Grades 3 - 6: Tell the students that they are Atlantic Business people interested inenvironmental issues. In groups, have them choose an “old” product that theywould like to recycle. What new product(s) could be made from the old one?Construct samples of the new ones and explain how they can be used. (Anexample would be changing plastic bags into plastic lumber).

7. K - 3: Opinion Poll: As a class discuss the following scenarios and askstudents their opinions on what they would do.

a. You are walking down the street eating a chocolate bar. The wrapper is messyand you want to get rid of it. There are no garbage cans around, but you can’t putthe wrapper in your pocket. Also, you don’t want your mom/dad to know that youhad the bar. What do you do?

b. Your family empties four 2-litre milk containers each week. What do you dowith these?

c. A small restaurant empties 30 2-litre soft drink containers each week. Theclosest recycling depot is a thirty minute drive from the restaurant. What do yousuggest they do with the containers?

6. K - 3: In groups of two, have the students play Recycling Word Tennis.The words are the ball. One person starts and they “hit” words backand forth until one player cannot think of a word. All words mustpertain to recycling in agriculture and they cannot be repeated. Eachplayer only has 3-5 seconds to return the ball.



Grades K - 6

CLOSING

K - 3: Develop skits, songs or commercials about recycling. Encourage childrento be creative. For extra fun, video tape the presentations and watch themafterwards as a class.

Grades 4 - 6: As a class, develop an “ABC Big Book” on recycling in agriculture.Read examples of big books to students. Have students select a letterto research for the book and brainstorm topics to write about. Makesure that they illustrate their write-up. Each student should beresponsible for the layout of his/her page. The page should include alarge letter, write up and illustration. Share your books with ayounger class or place in the library at the school.

Note: if you have more than 26 students in your class, have the others work on the frontand back cover.



Grades K - 6

Mattresses for Cows???Imagine that you are a cow. You are a bit tired and have decided to take a nap. You walkover to your stall and lay down. Instead of there being a hard cement floor covered withsawdust, you are excited when you lay on something softer. After some investigation,you see that the farmer who looks after you has given you a mattress to lie on instead ofthe hard floor. It is cozy and warm and you fall asleep right away.

That might sound like a funny thing - a mattress for a cow, but inClementsport, Nova Scotia, there is a company, TRACC Inc., thatmakes cow mattresses. Just off of the main road in Clementsport,there is a big blue building with thousands of old tires piled outfront.

Every time someone decides to put new tires on their vehicle something has to be donewith the old ones. In the summer of 1997, TRACC Inc. developed a way to makesomething new out of something old.

What do they do with the tires?As they are, old tires are not of much use to anyone. They have tobe broken down into smaller pieces. The tires are put through anumber of machines where they are continually chopped smallerand smaller. The small pieces of tire pass over a magnet that picksup any pieces of metal (nails or metal shavings) that might be in thetires. Next, the pieces are sorted into different bags according tosize. Depending on how big they are, the pieces of ground-up tirewill be used to make a different product.



Grades K - 6

What can be made with old tires?These particular tires are being turned into a few different products. After the tires arechopped into very fine pieces they can be used to make scallop rings (used in draggingfor scallops), solid rubber cow mats (two sizes, 1.3 cm and 1.9 cm thick) and cowmattresses

There are only four companies in the world that are making cow mattresses at this timeand one of these is located in Nova Scotia. Each company makes them a little differently,but they are all used for the same purpose. The cow mattresses made in Nova Scotiaresemble an air mattress, except that they are filled with rubber tire pieces instead of air.

Why do cows need mattresses?Dairy cows are raised for their milk. Milk comes from the cow’sudder. It is important to keep the udder clean and protected so thatcows can give milk every day. Farmers like Pam and Andy Bishopare trying out the cow mattresses to try to help their cows be morecomfortable. The Bishops, along with their son Geoff, operate a dairy farm outsideAnnapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Recently, they put cow mattresses in their barns. They arehoping that with the use of the mattresses, their cows will have a cleaner, healthier livingenvironment.

The Future?How long the mattresses will last and how much they will benefit cows is still to bedetermined. Because this is new, the results will not be seen for a number of years tocome.

Pretend that you are a cow again. You are lying down on your mattress, chewing yourcud, ready to go to sleep. It feels wonderful to be so comfortable. You say MOOOOoooto thank your farmer for giving you the mattress.



Grades K - 6

Problems with Plastic?Everywhere you look there is plastic. Plastic shopping bags,wrappers, frozen food bags and the list goes on. Farmers have lotsof plastic too. Have you ever driven past a field and seen thingsthat look like big white or black marshmallows? Or maybe you have seen the long tubesof white or black plastic near a farmer’s barn. Both of these are filled with silage. Silageis a type of forage fed to cows. After the silage bales are opened, the plastic wrapper isleft and cannot be used again. That means that each year, farmers are left with big pilesof plastic that cannot be reused.

What are the options?Farmers in this region didn’t have very many ways to get rid of silage wrap. Many wereburning it; however, silage wrap contains toxins which are harmful to the environmentwhen burned. Other farmers were burying it, but plastic will not break down for a longtime, so this wasn’t a very good option. Some farmers were delivering their plastic tolandfill sites. In the landfill, the plastic was taking up too much room so very often it wassent to a local burn station.

An idea?Finally, Austin Boyd, who lives on Prince Edward Island, developed a way to recycle theplastic silage wrap. He saw that Island farmers had an environmental problem in gettingrid of the silage wrap and decided that he could develop a way to help. In January of1998, Mr. Boyd started research on how to turn the silage wrap that no one needed intosomething that could be used again. He was successful in developing PLAS-TEK.



Grades K - 6

What is PLAS-TEK?

PLAS-TEK is plastic lumber. Austin Boyd makes this lumber inall sorts of different sizes just like wooden lumber. This plasticlumber is guaranteed for life against rot and can be used to makelots of different things. On Prince Edward Island, people are usingthis plastic lumber to make fences, patios, compost bins,

playground equipment, picnic tables, lobstertraps and all sorts of other things.

What is the future for PLAS-TEK?

Mr. Boyd is excited about the future of this product. The more people hear about its uses,the more people want it. Due to the fact that it won’t rot and that it can be used just likewood, (cutting and nailing), it is becoming popular for home owners. Who knows?Maybe your next set of steps or deck might be made with PLAS-TEK!



Grades K - 6

Waste Not, Want NotWhat if there was a farm that had no waste leaving it? There is such a place and it islocated in Keswick Ridge, New Brunswick, just outside Fredericton. This farm haschickens, apples and green peppers. Where does all of the manure go? What about thebad apples or green peppers?

The SetupThis farm belongs to David Coburn. David runs a closed loopfarm. That means that no waste ever leaves his farm. Anexample of a closed loop system could be: chickens makemanure, the manure is composted, that compost is then spreadon grain fields. The grain is then used to feed the chickens.The nutrients from the manure are in a constant cycle or loop and are never wasted.

How Does It Work?In 1993, Mr. Coburn built an indoor composting facility. Hecomposts all organic wastes produced on his farm which consistof manure, apple pomace (waste from making apple cider) andgreen peppers not suitable for human use. These wastes areblended with straw and sawdust. This combination spends 6weeks (42 days) in a primary composter. During the time in theprimary composter, the compost pile must reach a temperature ofover 54.5 C for three days to kill any weed seeds in the compost.0

Next, the pile must reach a temperature over 65.5 C for another0

three days, to kill any pathogens (bacteria) that might be presentin the compost. The product is then weed and pathogen free.



Grades K - 6

The next step is to screen the compost. About 3% of the total pile is taken out formulching purposes. The other 97% goes to another building where it is cured for aminimum of twelve weeks.

What is done with it?After this long process, the compost is finished. Whatcomes out of the second barn is dry material (contains only20-25% moisture) with no odour, that has been processedand value added. This compost then has three options: itcan be used on the Coburn farm as fertilizer, sold in bulk tohome garden growers or bagged and sold at local gardencentres.

BiotechnologyA bit of biotechnology is used in this process. Mr. Coburn feeds an extract of the yuccaplant to his chickens. This plant grows in areas that do not receive very much moisture(desert areas). The yucca plant has a natural ability to tie up the nitrogen in the manureand release it later. This is great because the yucca plant dries the manure causing adecrease in odour so that even when spreading, the well-known odour of manure doesnot linger in the air.

How Important Is This Business?Each year, Environment Canada gives a “Canadian Healthy Environmental Award” toone corporate business in Canada. Recently, David Coburn’s farm was nominated due tothis composting initiative. Mr. Coburn’s farm reached the finals and received thedistinction of being the first farm to ever make it to the finals for this award. The farmwas awarded the first runner up prize for their efforts of trying to preserve theenvironment.


WEB SITES Water� http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/ - Environment Canada web site on freshwater.� http://www.water-ed.org/ - A great web site developed by the Water Education

Foundation.� http://209.21.0.235/waterlearn/teachers_room/index.htm - WaterShare, teacher lesson

plans on various water topics. � http://www.dep.state.pa.us/earthdaycentral/96/project_wet/project_wet.htm - Project

Wet, water lesson plans for teachers.

Soil�� http://www.bib.wau.nl/agralin/ss-lsw.html - Land, Soil and Water Internet Resources� http://homepages.which.net/~fred.moor/soil/links/l0104.htm - Links to other soils pages.

Pests�� http://www.virtuo.com/farmsafety/pesticide/define.html - Pesticide safety page. It also

contains information on why pesticides are used.� http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/pat/ephome.htm - A site devoted to pesticide education.� http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ - Health Canada discusses food safety and pest control.� http://members.aol.com/homeview2/info/index.htm - Resource List for Pesticide

Alternatives.� http://www.cropro.org - A site developed by the Crop Protection Institute.

Manure�� http://www.manure.mb.ca/ - Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative�� http://res.agr.ca/manurenet/ - A Canadian Website dedicated to manure management.� http://www.ae.iastate.edu/waste.htm - Agriculture Waste Management� http://www.gov.pe.ca/af/temp/manureguide/management.asp - Draft of PEI Manure

Management Draft Guidelines

Environment/ Sustainable Agriculture�� http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/ - Environment Canada - Atlantic Region� http://www.peisland.com/agrtour - PEI ADAPT Council - a virtual tour through Island

farms practising sustainable agriculture.� http://res.agr.ca/lond/gp/ - Canada-Ontario Agriculture Green Plan. Contains information

on Environmental Farm Plans and Best Management Practices.� http://agronomy.ucdavis.edu/SAFS/pages.htm - Sustainable Agriculture links pages.� http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/teacher/tpages.htm - Teacher lesson plans


and Environmental Education for kids.


INDUSTRY CONTACTS

Eastern Canada Soil & Water Conservation Nova Scotia Agricultural CollegeCentre Box 550, Truro, NSRR 4, St-Andre B2N 5E3Grand Falls, NB ph: (902) 893-6600E0J 1M0ph: 506-475-4040

Fédération des Agriculteurs et Agricultrices MarketingFranophones du Nouveau Brunswick Box 550, Truro, NS18 rue de l’École B2N 5E3Edmunston, NB ph: (902) 893-6600E3V 1X6ph: 506-735-7013

New Brunswick Department of Agriculture and 339 Willow Street, Truro, NSRural Development B2N 5A6P.O. Box 6000 ph: 902-893-2293Fredericton, NBE3B 5H1 PEI Client Information Servicesph: 506-453-2666 440 University Ave.http://www.gov.nb.ca

New Brunswick Federation of Agriculture1115 Regent St. Prince Edward Island Department of AgricultureFredericton, NB and ForestryE3B 3Z2 P.O. Box 2000ph: 506-452-8101 Charlottetown, PE

Newfoundland & Labrador Department of ForestResources and AgrifoodsProvincial Agriculture Building PEI Federation of AgricultureP.O. Box 8700 420 University Ave.St. John’s, NF Charlottetown, PEIA1B 4J6 C1A 7Z5ph: 709-729-3843 ph: (902) 368-7289http://public.gov.nf.ca/agric/default.htm

Newfoundland Federation of Agriculture P.O. Box 21012P.O. Box 1045 Charlottetown, PEMount Pearl, NF C1A 9H6A1N 3C9 ph: 902-887-2535ph: 709-747-4874

http://www.nsac.ns.ca

Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture &

http://agri.gov.ns.ca/

Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture

Charlottetown, PEph: 902-368-5663

C1A 7N8http://www.gov.pe.ca/af/agweb/index.asp

PEI Soil & Crop Improvement Association


EVALUATION FOR TEACHERSWe would really appreciate your feed back on this unit. Any suggestions or comments that you have

can help us to make future resources easier for you to use.

Completed forms can be sent to: Agriculture Education Coordinator, PEI Agricultural Human ResourcesDevelopment Council, 420 University Ave., Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7Z5Fax: 902-892-1091.

Please rate the following on the scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor, 5 being excellent)

1. This resource was easy to follow and use. _______Comments: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. The background information was useful.______Comments: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Students found the unit interesting and challenging._______Comments: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Agri-Environmental Resources helped meet curriculum objectives.______Comments: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. How, if at all, could this unit be improved? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. I would be interested in receiving Agriculture Education resources in future.

v Yes v No

If yes, please fill in the information requested below

Name________________________ School _________________ Grade ______

Mailing Address______________________________________________


REFERENCES

Atlantic Farmers Council. 1995. Our Green Agenda. Moncton, New Brunswick.

Cey, Ruth & Cey, Thelma. 1997. Aware. Saskatchewan, Canada.

Federation of Ontario Naturalists & Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ontario Chapter. 1995. Don’t Treat Soil LikeDirt. Ontario, Canada.

Hill, Stuart B., MacRae, Rod, J. Organic Farming in Canada. Ecological Agriculture Projects - Publication 104.http://eap.mcgill.ca/publications.eap104a.htm

New Pioneer Co-op Online. Organic Foods. http://soli.inav.net/~newpi/organic.html

Ontario Agri-Food Education. Food, Farm & Fun. Milton, Ontario.

Ontario Farm Animal Council. 1996. Food for Thought. Mississauga, Ontario.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, AGCare, Ontario Farm Animal Council.1992. Our Farm Environmental Agenda. Ontario, Canada.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture & Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 1997. Best Management Practices, SoilManagement. Ontario, Canada.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture & Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 1996. Best Management Practices,Integrated Pest Management. Ontario, Canada.

Ontario Federation of Agriculture & Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. 1994. Best Management Practices,Water Management. Ontario, Canada.

Prince Edward Island. 1997. Cultivating Island Solutions. Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship.Queen’s Printer, Charlottetown, PEI.

Prince Edward Island Department of Fisheries and Environment & Environment Canada. 1996. Water on PrinceEdward Island. Charlottetown, PEI.

Prince Edward Island Department of Fisheries and Environment & Prince Edward Island Department of Agricultureand Forestry. 1997. Best Management Practices, Soil Conservation for Potato Production. TechnoMedia Inc.,Charlottetown, PEI.

United States Department of Agriculture. 1992. Teaching Soil and Water Conservation, A Classroom and Field Guide.Washington, D.C.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1995. Environmental Education Water Filtration.http://www.epa.gov/OGWSW/kids/filter.html


GLOSSARY

Biotechnology: A science that uses our knowledge of plant and animal systems to create a varietyof new products, improve products, plants and animals that already exist or develop micro-organismsfor specific uses.

Buffer zone: a permanent strip of vegetation along side a watercourse. It helps prevent erosion bydirecting surface water to a safe outlet.

Conservation Tillage: Tillage which reduces the amount of crop residue incorporated into the soil.

Cover Crops: A crop grown in rotation with regular crops which is grown for ground cover ratherthan harvest.

Cow Mattress: A product made from ground up tire pieces that is used to prevent incidence ofdisease in cattle.

Crop Rotation: Using a different crop in the same field for new planting. Crop rotation improvescrop yields and makes it easier to control insects and weeds.

Erosion: The movement of soil particles from one place to another because of wind, water or tillage.

Grassed Waterways: A channel covered with perennial vegetation established to direct the flowof water and prevent it from eroding the soil.

Green Manure: A forage crop plowed down into the soil late in the fall or early in the spring.

Groundwater: Water found in the soil beneath the water table.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): A method of pest control that requires farmers to monitorpests in order to know when to apply pesticides.

Leaching: The movement of contaminants through the soil into the groundwater.

Milkhouse wash water: Mixture of water, milk and chemicals used to clean and sanitize themilking system and bulk tank.

Mulching: Spreading straw or hay on the ground after harvest of crops such as potatoes to protectagainst water erosion and to help retain moisture.


.

GLOSSARY

Nitrates: A form of nitrogen in the soil that is absorbed by plants

Organic Farming: A combination of agricultural practices and biological processes. Crops andanimals are managed without the use of synthetic products.

Organic Matter: The humus within the soil that consists of plant residues and soil life.

Pest: A plant, animal, bacteria or fungus that is unwanted or can cause harm.

Pesticides: Chemicals used to protect crops from insects, fungi, disease and weeds.

pH: A measure of a soil’s acidity or alkalinity.

Runoff: The loss of water from an area when excess water flows over the surface instead of beingabsorbed by the soil.

Soil Structure: Soil particles stick together into clumps called aggregates. A soil that has lots ofsmall aggregates, lots of pore space and does not crust has good soil structure.

Soil Texture: The amount of clay, sand and silt in a soil.

Topography: Description of the hills and valley of the land.

Water Table: The upper level of a soil zone where all the spaces between the soil particles are filledwith water.

Watercourse: Any channel which holds water. Includes ditches, streams, brooks.

Water Cycle: Water is never created or destroyed, but is in constant motion due to processes suchas evaporation, transpiration, condensation and precipitation.

Waterway: A flow path where surface water collects and flows.

Wetlands: Where land meets water and is made up of marshes, bogs and swamps.

Prince Edward Island Agricultural HumanResources Development Council Inc.

Government of Newfoundland & Labrador

Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods

Department of Agriculture & Rural Development

Agriculture et Aménagement rural

Canadian Patrimoine Heritage canadien

Department of Technology and Environment

Agriculture and Agriculture etAgri-Food Canada Agroalimentaire Canada

Prince Edward Island ADAPT Council

Human Resources Développement des Development Canada ressources humaines Canada

PARTNERSHIPS

Documents

$JUL (QYLURQPHQWDO 5HVRXUFHV - Prince … Farmers Council, Atlantic Environmental Farm Plan, 1995. 2. Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and