Title: Farm Tractors
Grade levels: 2-5
Time frame: (two days, 20 minutes
Subject matter: Social Studies, American History, Language Arts, Local History
Teacher information
Name: Carol Hankins
School: Girard Elementary School
City, State: Girard, IL
AAM/TPS Consortium: SIUE
Lesson plan Rationale or Understanding Goal:
Students will discuss the changing role of farmers with regard to the small family farm of the past comparing it to the huge farm industry of today.
Background Information for Activity:
This lesson will be started after the homecoming parade. We will discuss the many tractors that pull the floats during the parade. I have a video of the sesquicentennial parade and students are to keep track of how many different tractors (older students) and colors of tractors (younger students) they see.
I will bring in
Objectives: While completing this lesson students will….
View pictures and video of early tractors and local farm tractors used now.
Analyze and interpret images of tractors from books, pamphlets, and parades of early American farm tractors and identify similarities and differences with tractors used today.
Make inferences about how the size of equipment will affect the farming needs.
Compare and contrast similarities and differences of modern and turn of the century farm equipment.
Purpose of Library of Congress Resource:
Example:
o Library items give students the opportunity to closely examine different pictures of tractors used in the United States to discover and learn how life in our small rural community has changed in regard to farming size and equipment.
o The primary sources help students build background knowledge on early American tractors.
State Standard/s:
*1.A.ECA Understand that pictures and symbols have meaning and that print carries a message.
*5.B.EC Create and relate background and prior knowledge to new information.
*5.B.EC Seek answers to question students want to know through active exploration.
Resources or Materials needed:
1. Books:
Tucker’s Surprise by Jane Aumann and Cindy Ladgae Copyright 2000
2. Photographs
Photographs from the Collection of the Denver Public Library, Colorado Historical Society and Denver Art Museum
1. Call number MCC-3612
2. Call number GB-7197
3. Call number X-12285
Photographs from Chicago Dailey News 1902-1933
1. Reproduction Number DN-0001983
America from the Great Depression to World War II: Photographs from the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945
1. Digital ID fsa 8e09323
3. Video
sesquicentennial parade video of Girard, IL in 2005
4. Field trip
The class could take a trip to Macoupin Historical Society during Fall Festival Days during Labor Day weekend. Students would see old gas powered and steam engine tractors actually working harvesting crops, running a saw mill, operating a grain mill,
Formal Assessment:
Younger students will pictures of different tractors that I have copied and older students will write an essay on how tractors have changed over the years.
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