Detailed Lesson Note
Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: JSS 2 (Grade 8)
Topic: Soil Fertility and Management
Duration: 40 minutes
Week: Eight
Date: To be inserted by teacher
Average Age: 12 – 14 years
Sub-topic:
Organic Manures, Fertilizers
(Inorganic Manures), and Mulching
Instructional
Materials:
- Samples of compost manure or farmyard manure
- Samples of NPK fertilizer (in small container)
- Dried grasses or leaves (for mulching demonstration)
- Charts showing soil fertility management practices
Previous
Knowledge:
Students already know that crops
need fertile soil to grow well.
Lesson
Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students
should be able to:
- Cognitive (Lower level): Define soil fertility and list at least three methods
of maintaining soil fertility.
- Cognitive (Middle level): Differentiate between organic manures and fertilizers
by stating two differences.
- Cognitive (Higher level): Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of mulching
as a soil fertility management practice.
- Affective Domain:
Show appreciation for the importance of improving soil fertility through
classroom discussion.
- Psychomotor Domain (Higher level): Demonstrate how mulching is applied using dried leaves
or grasses on a sample soil plot.
Content
of the Lesson
Meaning
of Soil Fertility
- Soil fertility is the ability of the soil to supply
plants with the necessary nutrients in the right amounts and proportions
for good growth and yield.
Methods
of Maintaining Soil Fertility
- Organic Manures:
- These are natural manures made from decayed plants and
animal waste.
- Examples: Compost, green manure, farmyard manure.
- Advantages:
Improve soil structure, increase water-holding capacity, are cheap.
- Disadvantages:
Bulky, decompose slowly.
- Fertilizers (Inorganic Manures):
- These are man-made chemical substances added to soil
to supply nutrients.
- Examples: NPK, Urea, Superphosphate.
- Advantages:
Quickly available to plants, easy to apply.
- Disadvantages:
Expensive, can cause soil acidity, may pollute the environment.
- Mulching:
- Covering the surface of the soil with materials such
as grasses, leaves, sawdust, or plastic sheets.
- Advantages:
Retains soil moisture, reduces soil erosion, suppresses weeds, adds
organic matter.
- Disadvantages:
May harbor pests, can delay soil warming, sometimes costly if plastic
mulches are used.
Lesson
Presentation
Step 1: Introduction (5 mins)
- Teacher displays organic manure, fertilizer, and dried
grasses.
- Teacher asks: “Why do farmers add these materials to
the soil?”
- Students respond: “To make the soil fertile, to help
plants grow, to get more yield.”
- Teacher introduces the topic: Soil Fertility and
Management.
Step 2: Explanation (10 mins – Lower
Domain)
- Teacher defines soil fertility.
- Teacher lists methods of maintaining soil fertility.
- Focuses on three key ones: Organic manures, Fertilizers,
and Mulching.
Step 3: Discussion (7 mins – Middle
Domain)
- Teacher explains organic manures and fertilizers.
- Teacher guides students to mention differences (natural
vs chemical, cheap vs expensive, slow action vs quick action).
- Students participate by giving examples.
Step 4: Higher Order Thinking (7
mins – Higher Domain)
- Teacher explains mulching with examples.
- Students evaluate advantages and disadvantages of
mulching in a guided class discussion.
- Teacher asks: “If mulching keeps soil cool and
moist, why might it also cause problems for farmers?”
Step 5: Affective & Psychomotor
(6 mins)
- Teacher leads discussion on why farmers should care
about maintaining soil fertility.
- Teacher demonstrates mulching by covering sample soil
with dried leaves.
- Students practice by applying mulch on their own sample
plots (or in groups with soil boxes).
Evaluation
(5 mins)
Teacher asks:
- Define soil fertility.
- List three methods of maintaining soil fertility.
- State two differences between organic manure and
fertilizers.
- Mention two advantages and two disadvantages of
mulching.
- Demonstrate how mulching is applied on soil.
Assignment:
Write short notes on the following
soil fertility management practices:
- Crop rotation
- Cover cropping
- Bush fallowing
Conclusion:
- The teacher summarizes the lesson by stressing that
soil fertility can be maintained by using organic manures, fertilizers,
and mulching.
- Students are reminded that fertile soil leads to better
crop growth and higher yield.
References:
- Modern Agricultural Science for JSS 2
- Nigerian Basic Agric Curriculum
- Adewumi, F. (2019). Junior Secondary Agric Science
Textbook
0 Comments