Farms in the UK

Curriculum Information

Subject: Geography
Key Stage: 1 (Year 1)
National Curriculum Link: Pupils should be taught to understand geographical similarities and differences through studying the human and physical geography of a small area.

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Identify different types of farms in the UK.
2. Understand what each type of farm produces.
3. Recognise how farms contribute to daily life.

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Resources

• Large printed images of different types of farms (arable, pastoral, mixed, and dairy).
• Toy animals and crops for hands-on learning.
• Mini whiteboards and markers.
• A simple farm-themed song or chant.

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Lesson Structure (20 minutes)

1. Introduction (5 minutes) – ‘What is a Farm?’

• Begin with a class discussion: “Who has been to a farm before? What did you see?”
• Show a large picture of a farm and ask, “What do you think happens here?”
• Explain that not all farms are the same. Today, the class will explore different types of farms.

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2. Activity 1 (5 minutes) – ‘Farm Matching’

• Display large images of different farms:
  • Arable Farm – grows crops like wheat and corn.
  • Pastoral Farm – raises animals like cows and sheep.
  • Dairy Farm – produces milk from cows.
  • Mixed Farm – does a bit of both!
• Hand out toy crops and animals. Ask pupils to match them to the correct farm by placing them on the right picture.

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3. Activity 2 (5 minutes) – ‘Guess the Farm’ Game

• The teacher describes a farm (e.g., “My farm has cows that give us milk”).
• Pupils hold up the correct answer on their mini whiteboards (e.g., ‘Dairy Farm’).
• Encourage pupils to explain their reasoning in simple sentences.

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4. Plenary (5 minutes) – ‘Sing & Recap’

• Teach the class a simple farm-themed chant:
  Arable farms grow crops so tall,
  Pastoral farms have animals small!
  Dairy gives us milk to drink,
  Mixed farms do both – what do you think?
• Ask pupils: “Which farm would you like to visit the most?”

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe pupils’ participation during the matching and guessing activities.
• Check mini whiteboard answers for understanding.
• Listen to responses during discussion time.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide extra guidance and use real-life examples (e.g., “Milk in your cereal comes from a dairy farm”).
• Challenge: Ask pupils to think about what jobs farmers do on each type of farm.

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Extension Activity (Optional)

For early finishers, provide farm-themed colouring sheets with labels for different types of farms.

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This plan ensures an interactive and engaging approach to learning about UK farms while keeping young learners active and participating. 🌱🚜