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Summary and Objective
After examining the Allen Sisters photos and reading the passages from "The Fields of Home" by Ralph Moody, students will understand that farmers used horsepower and scythes in hay production in the 19th century. This lesson is done as an activity preparing students for an interdisciplinary unit based on Michael Pollan’s book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat.” In this larger unit students study the evolution of agriculture from the small self-sufficient farms of colonial New England to the large Agribusinesses that predominate today. Examining the production of hay using horsepower and scythes provides students with a glimpse into agriculture of the past and will help them understand the major changes that have taken place over the last century.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Students will begin class by examining a handful of hay. In their journals they will describe what the hay looks, smells, and feels like.
Step 2.
Students will independently read the excerpt from Ralph Moody’s “Fields of Home.” (Page 92-94)Independently students should answer the following questions: 1. who helps with haying? 2. What tools and equipment do they use? 3. How would you describe the work? 4. What made haying difficult?
Step 3.
Next, pass out copies of the Allen sisters’ photographs to small groups of students. In these small groups students should examine the photos and answer the following questions: 1. who helps with haying? 2. What tools and equipment do they use? 3. How would you describe the work? 4. What made haying difficult?
Step 4.
As a whole class create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the photographs with the excerpt from the book.
Step 5.
Individually students will create a diary entry from the point of view of an individual from the early 20th century on a day when they put up hay describing what it was like and any difficulties they might have faced.
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