Using chemicals in farming
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe and explain the benefits and drawbacks of using chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides in farming.
Key learning points
- Farmers use chemicals called fertilisers to produce more crops.
- Farmers use chemicals called pesticides to produce more crops.
- Some pesticides kill insects and this helps crops to grow because they are not being eaten.
- Some pesticides kill other plants (weeds) that compete with the crops to grow.
- Fertilisers and pesticides can be harmful to the environment and wildlife.
Keywords
Fertiliser - Fertilisers are minerals that are added to the soil to help plants to grow.
Pesticide - Pesticides are chemicals that are used to kill organisms such as insects and weeds, which prevent crop growth.
Organic - Organic farming only uses chemicals that come from other living things (are not man-made).
Herbicide - Herbicides are a type of pesticide. They kill plants. They are sometimes also known as weedkillers.
Insecticide - Insecticides are a type of pesticide. These chemicals kill insects.
Common misconception
Pupils don’t realise that insecticides and herbicides are all examples of pesticides.
Pupils should understand pesticides are a group of chemicals that kill organisms. Different types of pesticide kill different types of pest.
Teacher tip
You could get pupils to think about the pros and cons of using chemicals to help ensure that humans have enough food to eat. There are many benefits and disadvantages that can be explored.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A is an organism that eats other organisms to get the food that they need to survive.
Q2.An insect is an organism with how many pairs of legs?
Q3.Which statements are correct?
Q4.Look at the food chain diagram. What is the name of the organism that the mole eats?
Q5.A habitat provides organisms with three things. These are food, and a place to reproduce.
Q6.Look at this food chain from the sea. What will happen if all of the copepods die?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each word to the correct definition.
a chemical which is used to kill insects
a chemical which is used to kill pests
a chemical which is used to kill plants
provides producers with minerals that they need to grow well
material which comes from a living thing
Q2.Which of the following is a reason why a farmer might use a pesticide?
Q3.Look at the food chain diagram. What would a farmer use to kill the aphids on the potato crop?
Q4. are chemicals that are used to make plants grow to produce lots of flowers or fruits.
Q5.Some herbicides are called selective herbicides. What does this mean?
Q6.Chemicals are important in farming to help grow food for humans and other animals. However, too much use can be dangerous. Match the chemical with possible impacts on other organisms.
causes algae to grow quickly in lakes, reducing light and oxygen
can kill organisms that help with pollination
can kill plants that provide habitats for other organisms
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Using chemicals in farming, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 science lesson on: Using chemicals in farming, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 science lessons from the Ecosystems unit, dive into the full secondary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.