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Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Grades 3-5 ELA

Objectives

Students will explore some agriculture-related careers while decoding words with common suffixes.

Vocabulary

career- what you do for a living; a job or profession that someone does for a long time industry- a group of businesses that provide a particular product or service agriculture- the science or occupation of farming engineer- a person who has scientific training and who designs and builds complicated products, machines, systems, or structures processing- a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result

Background

The average person works 2,000 hours a year and 80,000 hours in a lifetime. That means the average person works from age 20 to 60, for an average of 40 hours a week and 50 weeks a year. Since you will spend most of your adult life working, you might want to learn about all kinds of career possibilities.

One of the largest industries in Oklahoma and the US is agriculture. When people think about agriculture, they usually think about farming, or production agriculture—growing crops and livestock on the farm or ranch. But agriculture is much more than that. When you talk about agriculture, you’re still talking about farming or ranching, but you’re also talking about all the businesses that process, distribute and market agricultural products, all the engineers that develop agricultural products, all the scientists that research new methods for growing and processing food and fighting pests and disease, and much more.

A few examples of jobs related to agriculture are: agricultural machinery mechanic forestry aide agricultural supplies sales associate dairy farmer golf course grounds keeper game farm manager agriculture education instructor plant genetics researcher auctioneer baker trucker reporter

Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture (continued)

Additional Reading

Baretta, Gene, Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Ben Franklin, Square Fish, 2008. Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie, A Farm of Her Own, Dutton, 2001. Marsico, Katie, Working on a Farm (Junior 21st Century Library), Cherry Lake, 2008. Mayer, Cassie, Farming (Our Global Community), Heinemann, 2007. Orr, Tamra B., Organic Farmer (Cool Careers), Cherry Lake, 2009. Owen, Ruth, Growing and Eating Green: Careers in Farming, Marketing and Producing Food

(Green-Collar Careers), Crabtree, 2009. Pohl, Dathleen, What Happens at a Dairy Farm? (Where People Work), Weekly Reader, 2006. Somervill, Barbara A., Food Scientist (Cool Careers), Cherry Lake, 2009.

For more resources, please visit www.agclassroom.org/ok Page | 2

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Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Grades 3-5 Teacher Resources

Activity 1 (ELA) – Career Research, 3-4 50-minute class periods

Procedures • Read and discuss background and vocabulary. • Based on the background, students will list all the jobs they can think of that relate to agriculture. • Students will each select one of the jobs and use online or library resources to research and report on

the job. o Reports should include what a person in that job does. o What education and training is necessary. o How much the job pays. o What kinds of companies or organizations employ persons in the job, etc.

Activity 2 (ELA) – Working with Suffixes, 2-3 50-minute class periods

Procedures

• Discuss the suffixes -er and -ist. Students will brainstorm to make separate lists of words to which each of these the suffixes can be added. Add to the list some of the agricultural careers included with this lesson.

• Students will discuss the differences between words ending in the“-er” suffix and those ending in the “-ist” suffix. Both mean “a person who does an action.”

• Students will look at the list and suggest what makes them different. The “-er” suffix is most often (but not always) added to a root word that is a verb, and the “-ist” suffix is most often (but not always) added to a root word that is a noun.

• Hand out copies of the Student Worksheet 1 “Job Titles Ending in “-er” or “-or”; or Student Worksheet 2 “Job Titles Ending in “-ist”

o Students will fill in the blanks by reading the description of the agricultural career in the center column and adding “-er” or “-ist” to one of the root words.

o Students will attempt to find the answers on their own before working in groups to discuss possible answers and looking up root words in the dictionary, if necessary.

Activity 3 (ELA) – Matching Careers, 1 50-minute class period

Procedures

• Hand out copies of the Student Worksheet 3. o Students will draw a line to make the career with the duties performed by the career.

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Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Grades 3-5 Standards

Oklahoma Academic Standards

Activity 1: Career Research

3.1.W.1 4.1.W.1

5.1.W.1

3.6.W.3 4.6.W.3 5.6.W.3

Students will report on a topic or text with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences at an appropriate pace.

Students will give formal and informal presentations in a group or individually, organizing information and determining appropriate content for audience.

Students will summarize and present information in a report.

Activity 2: Working with Suffixes

3.2.PWS.2 Students will decode multisyllabic words by applying knowledge of structural analysis: all major syllable patterns, common roots and related prefixes and suffixes

3.4.R.2 4.4.R.2 5.4.R.2

Students will use word parts (e.g., affixes, Greek and Latin roots, stems) to define new words and determine the meaning of new words.

Activity 3: Matching Careers

3.4.R.5 4.4.R.5 5.4.R.5

Students will use a dictionary or glossary (print and/or electronic) to determine or clarify the meanings of words.

Name: ____________________________________ Date: ________________________

Many career titles end with the suffix “-er” or “ist.” The suffix “-er” is usually added to a verb to describe someone who performs a specific action. The difference also has to do with the origin of the root word. If the origin is Old English or Germanic the suffix -er is used.

Read the definition of the agricultural career in the center column. Add the suffix “-er” or “-or” to one of the root words in the column at right to name the career that matches the definition. If you are stumped, look up the root word in a dictionary.

JOB TITLE 1. farmer

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11. 12.

13.

14.

DEFINITION 1. a person who works on a farm

2. a person who owns or operates a ranch

3. a person who works in, operates or owns a mill

4. a person who manages forests.

5. a person who works in a garden

6. a person who grows or produces goods or services for sale

7. a person who bakes

8. a person or machine that harvests a crop

9. a person who drives a truck

10. a person who trains or instructs

11. a person who works for a newspaper, magazine, blog, radio or

TV station to gather, write, & report news

12. a person who works in a business that lends, exchanges, takes

care of, or issues money

13. a person in charge of an auction

14. a person who processes food & distributes it to retailers

ROOT WORDS

auction

bake

bank

educate

farm

forest

garden

harvest

mill

pack

produce

ranch

report

truck

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma

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Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Job Titles Ending in “-er” or “or” Activity 2 Worksheet 1- Working with Suffixes

ANSWERS

Many career titles end with the suffix “-er” or “ist.” The suffix “-er” is usually added to a verb to describe someone who performs a specific action. The difference also has to do with the origin of the root word. If the origin is Old English or Germanic the suffix -er is used.

Read the definition of the agricultural career in the center column. Add the suffix “-er” or “-or” to one of the root words in the column at right to name the career that matches the definition. If you are stumped, look up the root word in a dictionary.

JOB TITLE 1. farmer

2. rancher 3. miller

4. forester

5. gardener

6. producer

7. baker

8. harvester

9. trucker

10. educator 11. reporter

12. banker

13. auctioneer

14. packer

DEFINITION 1. a person who works on a farm

2. a person who owns or operates a ranch

3. a person who works in, operates or owns a mill

4. a person who manages forests.

5. a person who works in a garden

6. a person who grows or produces goods or services for sale

7. a person who bakes

8. a person or machine that harvests a crop

9. a person who drives a truck

10. a person who trains or instructs

11. a person who works for a newspaper, magazine, blog, radio or

TV station to gather, write, & report news

12. a person who works in a business that lends, exchanges, takes

care of, or issues money

13. a person in charge of an auction

14. a person who processes food & distributes it to retailers

ROOT WORDS

auction

bake

bank

educate

farm

forest

garden

harvest

mill

pack

produce

ranch

report

truck

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma Page 6

Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Job Titles Ending in “-er” or “or” Activity 2 Worksheet 1- Working with Suffixes

Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Job Titles Ending in “-ist” Activity 2 Worksheet 2- Working with Suffixes

agriculture

agronomy

arbor

botany

conservation

economy

entomology

genetics

hydrology

ichthyology

meteorology

nutrition

pathology

science

zoology

Name: __________________________________________ Date:____________

Many career titles end with the suffix “-er” or “ist.” The suffix “-er” is usually added to a verb to describe someone who performs a specific action. The difference also has to do with the origin of the root word. If the origin is Old English or Germanic the suffix -er is used.

Read the definition of the agricultural career in the center column. Add the suffix “-ist.” to one of the root words in the column at right to name the career that matches the definition. If you are stumped, look up the root word in a dictionary.

JOB TITLE 1. agriculturist

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11. 12.

13.

14. 15. _________________

DEFINITION

1. a person who works in the field of agriculture

2. a person who studies the weather 3. a person who studies insects 4. a person who works with trees

5. a person who studies plants 6. a person who plans nutrition programs and supervises the preparation and serving of meals 7. a person skilled in science; a scientific investigator 8. a person who studies diseases 9. a person who helps assess and protect our water supply and water quality 10. a specialist in the system by which goods and services are produced, sold, and bought in a country or region 11. a person who works to protect animals, plants, and natural resources or to prevent the loss or waste of natural resources 12. a person involved in the scientific study of how genes control the characteristics of plants and animals 13. a person who deals with the methods used by farmers to raise crops and care for the soil 14. a person who works with animal life 15. a person who studies fish and works to solve problems with fish environments

ROOT WORDS

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Breaking Them Down: Careers in Agriculture Job Titles Ending in “-ist” Activity 2 Worksheet 2- Working with Suffixes

agriculture

agronomy

arbor

botany

conservation

economy

entomology

genetics

hydrology

ichthyology

meteorology

nutrition

pathology

science

zoology

ANSWERS

Many career titles end with the suffix “-er” or “ist.” The suffix “-er” is usually added to a verb to describe someone who performs a specific action. The difference also has to do with the origin of the root word. If the origin is Old English or Germanic the suffix -er is used.

Read the definition of the agricultural career in the center column. Add the suffix “-ist.” to one of the root words in the column at right to name the career that matches the definition. If you are stumped, look up the root word in a dictionary.

JOB TITLE 1. agriculturist

2. meteorologist

3. entomologist

4. arborist

5. botanist

6. nutritionist

7. scientist

8. pathologist

9. hydrologist

10. economist

11. conservationist

12. geneticist

13. agronomist

14. zoologist

15. ichthyologist

DEFINITION 16. a person who works in the field of agriculture

17. a person who studies the weather 18. a person who studies insects 19. a person who works with trees

20. a person who studies plants 21. a person who plans nutrition programs and supervises the preparation and serving of meals 22. a person skilled in science; a scientific investigator 23. a person who studies diseases 24. a person who helps assess and protect our water supply and water quality 25. a specialist in the system by which goods and services are produced, sold, and bought in a country or region 26. a person who works to protect animals, plants, and natural resources or to prevent the loss or waste of natural resources 27. a person involved in the scientific study of how genes control the characteristics of plants and animals 28. a person who deals with the methods used by farmers to raise crops and care for the soil 29. a person who works with animal life 30. a person who studies fish and works to solve problems with fish environments

ROOT WORDS

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Name:

Date:

The people involved in the jobs listed below are all around you. Draw a line from the job to the description of duties performed by people in that job. Discuss how people in these jobs benefit you or your family. Do you know anyone personally who works in one of these jobs?

food inspector

soil conservationist

equipment mechanic

butcher

agriculture teacher

truck driver

crop farmer

farm loan officer

agriculture reporter

ranch hand

Help landowners manage the use of their land. Study the effects of land use and develop new practices to sustain or restore the land.

Feed and check cattle/calves, tag and vaccinate calves, repair and maintain equipment, brand cattle, move cattle from pasture to pasture

Teach high school classes in production agriculture, agricultural mechanics, horticulture, forestry and other agriculture subjects.

Appraise farm property, check farm credit, arrange for farm loans, answer customer questions, help farmers budget their incomes so they can repay loans.

Inspect food at food-processing facilities, check food shipments before they leave or enter the country at ports and border crossings.

Gather, write and edit news of interest to farmers and others in farm communities and photographs events like fairs and livestock shows.

Maintain, repair and overhaul farm machinery and equipment, prepares new machinery and equipment for delivery.

Cut, trim, bone, tie, slice or grind meat for consumption.

Haul freight from one location to another. Operate and perform general maintenance on trucks, deliver and pick up shipments.

Use knowledge of soils and plants to determine fertilizer & irrigation needs, prepare the soil for planting, harvest crops and sell them.

Breaking Them Down: Agriculture Careers all Around You Activity 3 Matching Careers

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ANSWERS

The people involved in the jobs listed below are all around you. Draw a line from the job to the description of duties performed by people in that job. Discuss how people in these jobs benefit you or your family. Do you know anyone personally who works in one of these jobs?

food inspector

soil conservationist

equipment mechanic

butcher

agriculture teacher

truck driver

crop farmer

farm loan officer

agriculture reporter

ranch hand

Help landowners manage the use of their land. Study the effects of land use and develop new practices to sustain or restore the land.

Feed and check cattle/calves, tag and vaccinate calves, repair and maintain equipment, brand cattle, move cattle from pasture to pasture

Teach high school classes in production agriculture, agricultural mechanics, horticulture, forestry and other agriculture subjects.

Appraise farm property, check farm credit, arrange for farm loans, answer customer questions, help farmers budget their incomes so they can repay loans.

Inspect food at food-processing facilities, check food shipments before they leave or enter the country at ports and border crossings.

Gather, write and edit news of interest to farmers and others in farm communities and photographs events like fairs and livestock shows.

Maintain, repair and overhaul farm machinery and equipment, prepares new machinery and equipment for delivery.

Cut, trim, bone, tie, slice or grind meat for consumption.

Haul freight from one location to another. Operate and perform general maintenance on trucks, deliver and pick up shipments.

Use knowledge of soils and plants to determine fertilizer & irrigation needs, prepare the soil for planting, harvest crops and sell them.

Breaking Them Down: Agriculture Careers all Around You Activity 3 Matching Careers

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