The Potato story: Agrico and Glamis primary School.
Approximately 20 children between 10 & 11 year olds

General Syllabus
Session / Dates (2012) / Times / Activity / Who to action / Resources
Introductory session / Date: Wed11th January
Duration: ?
/ ? / Archie Gibson powerpoint presentation at Glamis Primary School. Topic - Introduction to the potato, its history and the Glamis School project / Archie Gibson /
  • Bring potato props, purchased from supermarket.
  • Make sure there is a powerpoint projector at school

1
/ Date: Fri 27th January
Duration: 2 hours
One group as all need health & safety briefing first / 9:30am
10:30am
11am / Site familiarisation & Health & Safety briefing. Florescent safety jackets worn when visiting site.
Select tubers for chitting(One for hot chitting, 3 for cold).Children to choose which type potato to grow – salad, table or processing varieties. Name spuds
Juice and biscuits in the upstairs canteen area. Closing comments and explanation of next session. / Archie Gibson, Debbie Graham, /
  • Florescent safety jackets. Make sure enough for all children. Sourced from Agrico & school
  • Warm clothing
  • Potato varieties: Marfona, Markies, Rudolph...
  • Juice and biscuits
  • Drinking cups
  • Potato naming equipment (sticky labels, envelopes, pens, tags etc.)

2 / Date: Fri 10th February
Duration: 2 hours
Split into two groups by year group and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:30am / Collect chitted potatoes from previous session
Remove eye plugs.
plant in plant pots
Propagate plant cuttings
Lab briefing, centrifuge, balance, etc. / Adam Young, David McKay,
Steven Muir, Craig /
  • Eye plug removal equipment
  • Gather suitable plant pots & soil
  • Prep lab for school visit

3 / Date: Fri 24th February
Duration: 2 hours
Split into two groups and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:30am / Explaining High grade production process
Monitor & record growth rate of potatoes / Graeme Currie
Steven Muir, Craig
4 / Date: Fri 9th March
Duration: 2 hours
Split into two groups and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:30am / Conduct Carbohydrate monitoring experiment
Record growth rate / Steven Muir, Craig
Adam Young or David McKay,
5 / Date: Fri 23rd March
Duration: 2 hours
Split into three groups and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:10am
10:50am / Continue Experiments record data
Record growth rate
Planting into trays in greenhouse
Marketing discussion
/ Steven Muir, Craig
Adam Young or David McKay
Mark Oughtred /
  • Growing bags in greenhouse for planting out

6 / Date: Fri 27th April
Duration: 2 hours
Split into three groups and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:30am / Record growth rate
Continue Experiments record data / Adam Young or David McKay
Steven Muir,Craig
7 / Date: Fri 11th May
Duration: 2 hours
Split into three groups and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:30am / Crop Protection - good husbandry
Record Growth rate / Adam Young, David McKay
8 / Date: Fri 25th May
Duration: 2 hours
Split into three groups and rotate sessions / 9:30am
10:30am / Soil borne organisms
Record growth rate / Archie Gibson, Graeme Currie /
  • Microscopes (Friends of Archie have and school may have)

9 / Date: Fri 15th June
Duration: 2 hours
One group / 9:30am
10:10am
10:50am
11:25am / Harvest First Early Potatoes in greenhouse
Record growth rate
Make a potato salad
PR photo of children wearing potato sack costumes / Adam Young, David McKay, Debbie Graham
Graeme Currie to take high resolution photo /
  • Potato salad ingredients
  • Agrico potato sacks, cut out to make jumper