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Agriculture – The Grocery Store Project: Part II

Remember how agriculture is another word for farming? Today we are going to talk a little more about agriculture.

We are going to have a list of vocabulary words this week that you need to learn. We will have a test next Monday, December 14, 2009 to see if you know – and can use – all of the words.

Vocabulary

1. What do you need in order to grow crops? You need land. Another word for land that you can farm is, you guessed it: farmland.

2. A product is something made to be sold. A product can be anything from a car, to bars of chocolate, to corn. A product can also be work that is finished. For example, when you finish Assignment #3, you will have a finished product.

3. The word produce has a few meanings. Produce can be a verb. To produce something means to make something. When you complete Assignment #3 and post it to your blog, you will have produced some work.

Produce is also a noun that also means crops, such as fruits and vegetables. In the grocery store, when you buy grapes, you are buying one kind of produce that is also a fruit. If you buy corn, you are buying another kind of produce that is a vegetable. When you go to the grocery store, there is a section where the vegetables and fruits are. It’s usually called fresh produce.

4. Value is how much something is worth. For example, a pencil may be valued at 5 cents and a slice of pizza may be valued at $1. Is $1 for a slice of pizza a good value? A person’s apartment in Manhattan, New York City could be valued at more than $1,000,000. What do you think a person is worth? Can you put a value on a person’s life? Look at the supermarket flyer below. What are some good values?

5. Local means close by, in the same state, or the same neighborhood. When you eat grapes from New York State, you are eating fruits that were grown locally.

Picture: Apples locally grown in New York State.

6. An import is a product people buy that comes from far away. When people buy a Lexus, a brand of car, they are buying a product imported from Japan. Also, you can say, China imports a lot of products to the United States. Do you use any products imported from other countries?

7. A market is a place where you can buy fresh fruits, vegetables, produce, meats, bread, and drinks, among other things. A market is also a place where goods are bought and sold.

Assignment #3 has two parts. You must write in complete sentence, and use six out of eight vocabulary words.

First, today, you are going to write two paragraphs about a market in your home country. What was the name of the market and where was it located? Talk about the kinds of things that were sold at that market. Where did the food come from? Do you know where the food came from? Was the food local? Were there a lot of imported foods? Was shopping at the market in your country a better value than in the United States? Give five examples of prices for different vegetables, fruits and meats, if you can remember them. If not, just talk about the experience of being in the market. Were there a lot of people? Was it very crowded? How did it smell? How did the food taste? Was the produce fresh?

Second, you are going to go to the supermarket on your own. Describe the produce section. What produce looks fresh? What doesn’t look so fresh? Take down some notes. Write down the names and prices of twenty different items. What state or country did those vegetables and fruits come from? Are any of the fruits and vegetables local? Which vegetables would you buy? What are some good values this week? What vegetables are too expensive? At the end of the trip, please bring back a sales flyer.

Assignment #2: Agriculture in New York Part I

Good morning ESL Students!

Today's vocabulary word is farming. Farming is a job where people grow crops (both vegetables and fruits) or raise animals, such as cows and pigs. Farming is a way to make money.

Farming is an industry. Another word for farming is agriculture.

A farm is a place where vegetables and fruits are grown, and where animals are raised as livestock.

A farmer is a person who works on a farm.

Check out these two farms. Where are these farms located? What are the farmers growing?

New York State also has its own farms. New York State has a multi-million dollar ($$) agriculture industry. New York State is known for its dairy products, especially milk. In New York State, many crops are grown, such as apples and grapes.



Read the handout "A Look at New York Agriculture." Then, using the handout and other Internet resources, please answer the following questions:

Click Here to download the Word file for "New York Farming and Agriculture: Part I"
New York Farming and Agriculture Part I

Directions for Assignment #2:
1. Please write your answers in complete sentences using Word, an Alphasmart3000, or in writing.
2. Then write down, or "cut and paste" [use Command-C] the Internet link where you got the information. At the very least, write the title of the book or website.
3. If you do not finish, please finish this assignment for homework.
4. Publish the questions and answers in your blog as "Assignment #2: New York Agriculture Part I."

Here is a list of Internet resources below. Feel free to add your own:
Google
Dictionary: MSN Encarta
Wikipedia
Dictionary.com
50states.com

This assignment is due by Monday, December 7, 2009.

Unfinished and New Business

Today and Friday we will:

1.) Finish the handout from yesterday about distance. Post your answers in your blog. Title the first entry "Assignment #1: Distance."

2.) Talk about the requirements for our blogs. You can choose to take your blog in many different directions. Click on the picture below for more information.

What is Research?

Dear TASS ESL Students,

What is research? Research is when you look up information from books and websites on the Internet. You can do research at school or at the library. If you have an Internet connection, you can even research at home.

Your "It's Your Road Trip" blogs will require several trips to the library, as well as Internet research. You will be expected to do research at the library for homework.

Hey! Where are you going?

Get a Voki now!

Get your gmail account today! Your gmail account (e-mail for school) should have your first name only, followed by tasstech. For example, if your name is David, your account might read: davidtasstech@gmail.com.

Today's word is distance. Distance is the length of space between two things, people, or places.

One inch = 25.4 millimeters

One foot = 12 inches.

One mile = 5,280 feet!

Google Directions

Directions: Use Google directions (get directions) to find the following distances in miles. Answer all questions using the comment button at the bottom of the entry. USE COMPLETE SENTENCES. If you do not use complete sentences, you will be asked to revise your work.

Questions

1. How far is New York City from Stamford, Connecticut? How long would it take you to get there by subway and train? How long by car? How long if it took you to walk!?

2. What is the distance between 185 First Avenue and the Empire State Building? Can you tell me how to get there? What modes of transportation can you use?

3. If you travel in a car at 55 miles per hour, how long would it take you to get from New York City to Boston, Massachusetts? How did you figure that out?

4. What is the distance between the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York City?

5. What times does the Bolt Bus leave from 34th and 8th street (by Tick Tock) in New York City? How many times does the bus leave each day? What time does it arrive at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Cherry Hill Mall)? www.boltbus.com

6. If it costs $$_____ to take the Bolt Bus from New York City to Philadelphia, and the trip is ______ miles long, how much does each mile cost? Is this a good value?

7. How many miles is it from New York City to Sylhet, Bangladesh? How do I get there?

8. How many miles is it from New York City to Changle, China? How do I get there?

9. What is the distance from east coast to the west coast of the United States in miles?

OMG! I am so excited ...