Content Standard C — Life Science
Regulation and Behavior
Population and Ecosystems
Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms

Content Standard D — Earth and Space Science
Structure of the Earth System
Earth's History
Earth in the Solar System

Content Standard E — Science and Technology
Understanding about Science and Technology

Content Standard F — Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Population Resources and Environment
Natural Hazards
Risks and Benefits

Content Standard G — History and Nature of Science
Science and a Human Endeavor

Topics: Drought and Loss of Topsoil
Say . . . "We are going to look at the country of Zimbabwe, which is located in southern Africa. The people of Zimbabwe are in the midst of a terrible drought, which threatens the sustainability of their farmland and of their very existence. As you watch this section of the video, think about possible solutions to this problem."

View Segment One: length 3 minutes and 43 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Visual and audio cues: Start after the program title appears on the screen and you hear "In a remote corner of Zimbabwe, in southern Africa . . . ."  Stop when you hear "It's a vivid reminder of just how vulnerable the land is to human pressure.")

Post-viewing Discussion

1. What elements in nature make farming in Zimbabwe more difficult? (Examples include environmental disasters, weather conditions, climate. Students may also want to discuss the effects of El Nino).
2. How do you think drought might affect the price of agricultural products in our area? (Students may want to use the Internet to research answers. Have them search under "drought.")

Say . . . "Now we are going to look at one solution to the problem of drought in Zimbabwe."

View Segment Two: length 57 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Visual and audio cues: Start when you see a man chopping wood against a sunset and hear "Fortunately others are taking the battle for survival into their own hands." Stop when you hear "David Jura's dam has bettered the lives of thousands of people.")

Post-viewing Discussion

1. How did David Jura take the battle for agricultural survival/sustainability into his own hands? (Answer: David built a dam.)
2. What effects do you think David's solution may have had on people living downstream? (student discussion)
3. If you have a stream on your own property, can you build a dam to create a reservoir? Why or why not? (Note: Following this classroom discussion, students could do further research on the topic of dams by studying the dam projects on the Colorado River and the effects the projects have had on Mexico.)

Say . . . "Another problem caused by nature that threatens sustainable agriculture is the loss of topsoil due to erosion. What are some of the causes of soil erosion?" (Give the students some background information on the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.) Then say, "Now let's look at the loss of topsoil in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania."

View Segment Three: length: 53 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Visual and audio cues: Start when you see a man driving a tractor across a dry, dusty field and hear "But reminiscent of the Dust Bowl days . . . ."  Stop when you hear "The rest lies somewhere on the bottom of the Susquehanna River or the Chesapeake Bay.")

Post-viewing Discussion

1. Can you think of other examples of soil erosion near your home or in your community? What could be done to address this problem? (Answers will vary.)

Say . . . "This next section of the video shows one Lancaster County, Pennsylvania farmer's solution to the loss of topsoil on his family's farm."

View Segment Four: length 2 minutes and 6 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Visual and audio cues: Start when you see a farmer on a tractor coming straight towards you head on and hear "The devastating cycle of topsoil loss does not exist on the Groff farm." Stop when you hear "And we've been able to consistently get increased yields ever since we've been able to do this.")

Post-viewing Discussion

1. What was the method that Steve Groff found to be successful in reducing the loss of topsoil on his farm?" (Answer: no-till farming)
2. What are some other benefits that resulted from Steve Groff's sustainable agricultural system? (Answers: reduced use of insecticides and fungicides; consistently increased yields.)
3. How has modernized farm machinery aided farmers in new farming methods? (Have students research information about new farm machinery.)

Topics: Pollution and Misuse of Chemicals and Pesticides
Say . . . "It is also important to look at the effects of chemicals and animal waste pollutants in an agricultural system. Next we are going to travel to Brittany, France's most intensive agricultural area. Here we will see how farmers are working to increase their agricultural yields. We will also look at another problem for which we continue to seek solutions — the enormous amount of waste produced in animal farming."

View Segment Five: length: 1 minute and 35 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Visual and audio cues: Start when you see a tractor crossing a field and a girl is riding on its back and you hear "This is the nation's most intensive agricultural area." Stop when you hear ". . . enormous amounts of toxic waste which too often spill into already contaminated aquifers and streams.")

Post-viewing Discussion

1. Other areas of the world also face pollution runoff, not just from chemicals, but from toxic waste produced by animal farms. Again, pollution is a problem for which we seek solutions. What are some of the reasons we use chemicals in the production of agricultural products?" (Answers: increased yields and more efficient production)
2. Is it always better to have more without considering the other costs? (student discussion)
3. Animal waste pollution in agricultural production is becoming a real problem, a problem for which we have not yet found a solution. What are some ways you think we can solve this problem?" (Student answers will vary.)

Say . . "Although there are no clear cut answers for reducing animal waste pollution, farmers are finding ways to control the use of chemicals and herbicides. Let's visit Joe Horan in Iowa and see his solution to using chemicals while preserving the environment and safeguarding the region's economy."

View Segment Six: length 40 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Visual and audio cues: Start when you see a man in sunglasses driving a combine and hear "Joe Horan's on-board computer is linked to the satellites above." Stop when you hear "We try to be as good stewards of the soil as we can be.")

Post-viewing Discussion

1. What method did Joe Horan use to know exactly when and where to apply chemicals? (Answer: precision farming)
2. How has technology helped to improve agricultural production? (Answer: Through the use of computers and satellites, farmers are better equipped to anticipate weather conditions and improve production.)
3. What problems have chemicals and other farm pollutants caused to our soil, air, and water? (Answers will vary.)

Say . . . "As we look at the problems we face in sustaining agriculture around the world, the final problem we will explore is the loss of farmland due to urbanization."

Topic: Loss of Farmland Due to Urbanization
Say . . . "Industry is growing at a rapid pace in China today. However, this industrial growth, and its resulting prosperity, comes at a high cost as we will see in this video excerpt."

View Segment Seven: length 1 minute and 20 seconds. Pause when the screen goes black.
(Start when you see men unloading sacks off a boat and hear "Thousands of arable acres are being destroyed in the name of progress." Stop when you hear "They are now home to dozens of small and medium-sized industrial enterprises." )

Post-viewing Discussion

1. In China, how has booming industrial growth resulted in the loss of land for farming? (Answer: Growing industries are taking over land previously available for farming.)
2. Why do you think China has chosen industrial growth over agricultural production? (Answers will vary.)
3. What other countries do you think are facing this same problem? (student discussion)
4. There are a shrinking number of farmers in the United States today. At the start of this century, farmers made up nearly 35 percent of the total population. Today, fewer than two percent of American families work the land. How can this impact food production and development in your community? (student discussion)