Overview of Lesson		Materials
Connection to the Curriculum,Standards and Skills		Body of Lesson - Procedure & Assessment
Grade Level		Activity One
Purpose of Lesson		Activity Two
Primary Geographic Question		Assessment of Lesson
Secondary Questions		References

Overview of the Lesson

In all areas of agriculture, technology is replacing physical labor of both people and beast. Along with advantages, there are disadvantages which may not be apparent on the surface. Students must learn to look at things from different perspectives in order to gain a full awareness of the prices paid for technology.

Geography Standards

Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 14:  How human actions modify the environment.

Alabama Course of Study:  Social Studies Content Standards (Grade 7)

Standard 10: Relate the use of technology to the way culture groups perceive and use places and regions.

Standard 17:  Relate economic activity of a region within its geographic context.

Geographic Skills

Create and interpret data using graphs; chart and discover relationship of data; contrast and compare data; drawing inferences

Grade 7

To illustrate that the replacement of the mule with the tractor has affected the agricultural, economic, and social aspects of the farming industry in the South.

In what ways has the replacement of the mule with the tractor affected the agricultural, economic, and social aspects of the farming industry in the South?

What are some advantages of farming with a mule? A tractor?

What are some disadvantages of farming using a mule? A tractor?

What are other factors that influence the general decline in the number of farms and acres planted since the 1930s and 1940s?

• rulers
• colored pencils
• transparency markers
• transparency sheets
• reference materials
• computer

Activity One

Divide students into three groups. Group 1 will collect data to create a graph showing the number of farms in Alabama in the decades from 1930-1990. Group 2 will collect date to create a graph showing the amount of cotton planted in Alabama in the decades from 1930-1990. These groups will create the graphs on transparency sheets so they may be compared  to show  relationships. (Remind the students that for the graphs to be compared they must be standardized. Group 3 will research mules and tractors and create a chart listing advantages and disadvantages of each.

Activity Two

The students will make a presentation to share their findings with the class. Groups  will display the different graphs and charts  in order to determine a relationships among the independent findings.

Did students accurately create graphs from the reference materials provided? Ask students to identify relationships of the data generated by each group.Ask students to respond, in a short essay, to the primary and secondary questions.

Auburn University

Rural Heritage

Lecture information from Geography of the South course, UNA, Professor Gary Green

John Deere, Inc. Brochures