Cultural Practices II (Lesson note)

Detailed Lesson Note

Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: JSS 2 (Grade 8)
Topic: Cultural Practices II
Theme: Agricultural Practices
Duration: 40 minutes
Date: (To be inserted)
Teacher: (Your Name)

---

Lesson Objectives

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

1. Define post-planting operations (Knowledge – lower domain).
2. Explain harvesting operations with examples (Comprehension – middle domain).
3. Analyze post-harvesting operations and their importance (Analysis/Evaluation – higher domain).

---

Instructional Materials

• Flash cards/charts showing farm operations
• Farm tools (cutlass, hoe, basket, sickle)
• Samples of harvested crops (maize, yam, beans, groundnut, etc.)
• Whiteboard and marker

---

Previous Knowledge

Students have previously learned pre-planting operations such as land clearing, ploughing, harrowing, and planting.

---

Introduction (5 mins)

• Teacher asks students:
  “After we plant crops, do we just leave them until harvest, or do we take care of them?”
• Teacher allows students to respond and links their answers to the day’s topic.
• Teacher introduces the topic: Cultural Practices II.

---

Lesson Development (25 mins)

Step 1: Post-Planting Operations (10 mins)

• Teacher explains that post-planting operations are the activities carried out on crops after planting to help them grow well and yield good harvests.
• Examples include:
• Weeding: Removing unwanted plants that compete with crops for nutrients.
• Watering/Irrigation: Supplying water to crops during dry periods.
• Mulching: Covering the soil with leaves or grasses to conserve moisture.
• Thinning: Removing excess seedlings to reduce overcrowding.
• Supplying: This involve planting in areas where the crops have died or failed to germinate.
• Staking: Supporting weak plants like yam, tomato, and beans with sticks.
• Fertilizer Application: Adding nutrients to improve crop growth.
• Pest and Disease Control: Using chemicals or natural methods to protect crops.

👉 Teacher shows tools (hoe, watering can, pesticide container, etc.) and explains how they are used.
👉 Students mention which post-planting activities they have seen in their local farms.

Learning Domain: Lower – Knowledge.

---

Step 2: Harvesting Operations (7 mins)

• Teacher explains that harvesting is the process of gathering mature crops from the farm.
• Methods of harvesting:
• Manual: Using hand, hoe, cutlass, sickle, or knife. (Example: hand-picking maize or groundnut).
• Mechanical: Using machines like combine harvesters and harvest tractors (common in large-scale farming).
• Examples:
• Yam → harvested with hoe.
• Rice → cut with sickle.
• Maize → plucked by hand.

👉 Students are asked to mention crops harvested in their village or homes.
👉 Teacher shows samples of crops and explains how they are harvested.

Learning Domain: Middle – Comprehension.

---

Step 3: Post-Harvesting Operations (8 mins)

• Teacher explains that post-harvesting operations are activities carried out on crops after harvesting to prevent spoilage and make them useful.
• Operations include:
• Drying: Removing water from crops (e.g., drying maize, beans, and pepper).
• Threshing: Separating grains from stalk (e.g., rice, maize, and millet).
• Winnowing: Removing chaff from grains using wind or machines.
• Packaging: Putting farm produce in bags, baskets, or cartons for storage or sale.
• Storage: Keeping produce in barns, silos, or warehouses.
• Preservation: Using chemicals, cold rooms, or traditional methods (like salting fish).

Importance of post-harvesting operations:

• Prevents spoilage and waste.
• Prolongs shelf life of crops.
• Maintains quality of farm produce.
• Ensures availability of food during off-season.
• Increases farmers’ income.

👉 Students discuss which post-harvest methods their parents use at home (e.g., storing yam in a barn, sun-drying pepper).

Learning Domain: Higher – Analysis/Evaluation.

---

Conclusion (5 mins)

• Teacher summarizes key points:
• Post-planting operations: watering, weeding, mulching, thinning, staking, fertilizer application, pest control.
• Harvesting operations: manual and mechanical gathering of crops.
• Post-harvesting operations: drying, threshing, winnowing, storage, packaging, preservation.
• Teacher asks quick revision questions to check understanding.

---

Evaluation (5 mins)

1. Define post-planting operations.
2. Mention four examples of post-planting operations.
3. Explain harvesting operations.
4. State two methods of harvesting crops.
5. Give three examples of crops and how they are harvested.
6. Mention four post-harvesting operations.
7. State three importance of post-harvesting operations.

---

Assignment

• Write five differences between harvesting and post-harvesting operations.