Canadian Agriculture at a Glance Teacher's Kit > Lesson plans

Lesson: Grain elevators getting bigger but fewer

View the article (PDF)
Introduction
Curriculum connections
Notes to teacher
Teaching and learning strategies
Assessment/evaluation strategies
Accommodation and enrichment strategies
Links to other activities
Suggestions for further research

Introduction

Western Canadian grain farmers are seeing profound changes in their industry. Economic and technological changes are pushing aside the old ways of doing things. This activity looks at the ways in which these trends have affected grain elevators and grain transportation in Western Canada.

Curriculum connections

Geography

• demonstrates an understanding of the diversity of agricultural endeavours in Canada
• identifies the human factors that affect food production.

Family Studies/Home Economics

• identifies the food supply and production industries in Canada
• identifies factors that affect food supply in Canada
• investigates food-related issues
• promotes understanding of the links between agriculture and the consumer
• describes the effect of economics on food production and supply and, ultimately, costs to consumers.

Notes to teacher

This entire unit can be done as a group work project on change in agriculture, with each group completing one activity and presenting it to the rest of the class. (PDF)

Teaching and learning strategies

1. Students read the articles "Grain elevators are getting bigger but fewer" on pages 257 to 265 in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance (PDF).
2. Students answer the following questions based on the reading:
1. What function do grain elevators serve?
2. Why were they built in their original locations?
3. What factors or changes caused the move to fewer, but larger elevators?
4. What additional factors influenced the change?
5. What kinds of storage facilities have you noticed on farms in our area?
3. Students add terminology to their glossaries.

Assessment/evaluation strategies

1. Assess answers to questions for completion and accuracy.
2. Assess glossaries for accuracy and completion.

Accommodation and enrichment strategies

1. Some students may require assistance in order to complete written work.
2. Students with special needs may work with a partner to complete a task.
3. Templates for note-taking should be provided to students with special needs.
4. Main ideas and/or new information should be mapped out and organized to meet the needs of all students.
5. Wherever possible, vocabulary lists should be provided with a discussion of context clues and related vocabulary.
6. For enrichment, students can look at one other agricultural industry, and see how technology has affected it.

Links to other activities

This activity is linked to:

• What's for dinner, Daisy?
• Dairy and beef: contrasting industries
• A tag in every ear
• Pig production is getting bigger and more specialized
• There's a pig in your closet
• Growing dominance of a few large poultry farms - a continuing legacy
• How supply management works
• The pumpkin patch - a venture in agri-tourism
• Prairie farmers have always found a way to adapt
• The rise and fall of fall rye

Suggestions for further research

• Students can find out how improvements in technology have changed the landscape in their communities.
• Students can use 2001 Census of Agriculture data in E-STAT for data analysis, graphing and mapping activities for specific geographic areas of local interest.

Please send comments or examples of how you used this lesson in your class to Learning Resources.

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