Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 2

Lesson Video

This page supports the lesson note with a companion video and a short classroom-ready summary.

For class groups and homework, share this lesson page so learners also get the summary, objectives, and full lesson context.

Performance objectives

• Identify various harvest, post-harvest, and storage tools.
• Demonstrate the operation of simple agricultural tools.
• Discuss challenges faced by women and people with disabilities in using these tools.
• Understand the importance of planning in mechanised farming.

Lesson summary

Welcome, future leaders of Ghanaian agriculture! Today, we are moving from the farm to the storehouse. It's not enough to grow healthy crops; we must also gather them efficiently and prepare them for storage or sale. Think about the last time you ate boiled yam, fufu, or kenkey. A farmer had to harvest that yam or cassava and shell that maize. How they do it makes a big difference in how much food reaches our tables. In Ghana, a significant amount of food is lost between the farm and the market – this is called post-harvest loss. By learning to use simple harvesting and post-harvest tools correctly, we can reduce this waste, improve food security, and increase income for our farmers.

Lesson notes

This lesson focuses on the practical skills of using tools. First, let's understand the key terms. Harvesting: This is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. The timing and method are crucial to the quality of the final product. Post-Harvest Activities: These are all the operations that happen immediately after harvesting. They include threshing, shelling, drying, cleaning, sorting, grading, processing, and storing. These steps prepare the crop for consumption or sale. Tools/Implements: These are simple, usually hand-held devices that require human energy to operate. Examples: cutlass, sickle, hoe. Machinery: These are more complex devices, often with moving parts, that can be manually operated (e.g., hand-cranked) or powered by an engine or electricity. A. Simple Harvesting Implements

These are the backbone of small-scale farming in Ghana. The Cutlass (Akaate/Dada) Description: A long, heavy-duty knife with a flat blade, slightly curved at the end. It is the most versatile tool on a Ghanaian farm. Crops Used For: Harvesting cassava, yam, plantain, sugarcane; clearing weeds before harvesting. Method of Operation (for harvesting cassava): Grip: Hold the wooden or plastic handle firmly. Ensure your hands are dry to prevent slipping. Stance: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for good balance. Action: After loosening the soil around the cassava, hold the stems firmly with one hand. Use the cutlass in your other hand to cut the stems about 15-20 cm from the ground. This leaves a "handle" to pull the tubers out. Safety Precautions: Always keep the blade sharp for clean cuts and less effort. Ensure no one is standing close to you, especially within your swinging radius. Wear sturdy boots to protect your feet. When not in use, place it securely, never leave it lying on the ground with the blade exposed. Inclusivity Considerations: The cutlass is heavy and requires significant upper body and wrist strength. This can be a barrier for some women, elderly farmers, or persons with disabilities affecting their arm strength. Lighter-weight versions or alternative harvesting tools are needed. The Sickle (Asafee) Description: A tool with a short handle and a curved, crescent-shaped blade. Crops Used For: Primarily for harvesting grain crops like rice, millet, and some vegetables. Method of Operation (for harvesting rice): Grip: Hold the sickle's handle in your dominant hand. Action: With your other hand, gather a bunch of rice stalks. Cutting: Place the curved inner blade of the sickle against the base of the stalks. Pull the sickle towards you in a firm, swift motion. The stalks will be cut cleanly. Placement: Place the cut bunch neatly on the ground to be collected later. Safety Precautions: The blade is extremely sharp. Always cut away from your body and your free hand. Wear gloves to protect your hands from cuts. Be mindful of others working nearby. Inclusivity Considerations: Using a sickle involves repetitive bending and squatting, which can be very strenuous on the back and knees. This is challenging for individuals with back problems or mobility issues. Long-handled sickles (scythes) can reduce the need to bend. The "Go-to-Hell" (Spade/Shovel hybrid) Description: A long-handled digging tool with a flat, pointed metal blade and a footrest at the top of the blade. It's used for lifting and digging. Crops Used For: Harvesting root and tuber crops like yam, cocoyam, and potatoes. Method of Operation (for harvesting yam): Positioning: Stand next to the yam mound. Place the tip of the blade into the soil a safe distance from the expected location of the tuber to avoid damaging it. Action: Place your foot on the footrest and apply body weight to drive the blade deep into the soil. Leverage: Push the handle downwards. This uses leverage to lift and loosen the soil containing the yam tuber. Extraction: Repeat this process around the tuber until it can be lifted out carefully by hand. Safety Precautions: Wear strong boots to protect your feet when pressing down. Be aware of the force you are applying to avoid losing balance. Inclusivity Considerations: This tool requires significant physical strength and body weight to operate effectively. It can be difficult for people with lower body weakness or balance issues. Modifications like wider footrests or improved lever designs could help. B. Simple Post-Harvest Implements & Machinery Manual Maize Sheller (Hand-cranked) Description: A small machine, often mounted on a stand. It has a rotating disc with metal teeth inside a casing. A handle is used to turn the disc. Function: To remove maize kernels from the cob quickly and efficiently. Method of Operation: Setup: Secure the sheller on a stable surface or its stand. Place a container (bucket or basin) underneath the outlet to collect the kernels. Feeding: Take a dried maize cob (with the husk removed) and insert it into the opening at the top. Cranking: Turn the handle in a steady, continuous circular motion. Action: As you crank, the toothed disc rotates against the cob, scraping the kernels off. The kernels fall into the container below, and the empty cob is ejected from a separate side outlet. Inclusivity Considerations: While much faster than hand-shelling, the continuous cranking motion can be tiring and strain the arm and shoulder. The height of the machine might not be suitable for someone in a wheelchair. A design that could be operated with foot pedals might be more inclusive. Cassava Grater (Manual) Description: A semi-cylindrical or flat metal sheet with punched, jagged holes, mounted on a wooden frame. It is used to grate peeled cassava into a mash for making gari or agbelima. Function: To process cassava tubers into a pulp. Method of Operation: Positioning: Place a large bowl or basin under the grater to collect the mash. Grip: Hold a piece of peeled cassava firmly in both hands. Action: Rub the cassava against the sharp, jagged surface of the grater in a vigorous up-and-down or back-and-forth motion. Caution: Be extremely careful as you get to the end of the cassava piece to avoid grating your fingers. Safety Precautions: This is a high-risk tool for cuts and bruises. Some farmers use a wooden "pusher" to hold the last piece of cassava. Keep fingers away from the grating surface at all times. Inclusivity Considerations: This is a very labour-intensive and dangerous activity. It requires strength and can cause injury. Motorised graters are a significant improvement, but even a simple hand-cranked rotary grater (like a large cheese grater) would be safer and more accessible than the traditional flat grater. Solar Dryer Description: A simple structure, often made from wood and clear plastic sheeting or glass. It is designed to trap heat from the sun to dry crops faster and more hygienically than open-air sun drying. Function: To reduce the moisture content of crops like pepper, cassava chips, grains, and fish to preserve them. Method of Operation: Preparation: Spread the cleaned and sliced produce in a thin layer on trays or racks inside the dryer. Positioning: Close the dryer and position it to face the sun directly. Drying: The clear cover traps solar radiation, heating the air inside. Vents allow moist air to escape, accelerating the drying process. Monitoring: Periodically check the produce and turn it over to ensure even drying. The process is complete when the produce is brittle and has the desired low moisture content. Inclusivity Considerations: This technology is excellent as it reduces the physical labour of constantly moving and covering crops during open-air drying. The height of the trays can be designed to be accessible to everyone, including wheelchair users.

Guided Practice (With Solutions)

Question 1: A farmer in the Volta Region has just finished harvesting her paddy rice. She has a large pile of harvested stalks. Which simple hand tool was most likely used for the harvest, and what are the three main steps she followed to use it safely?

Evaluation guide

• Demonstrate the skills in the operation of simple harvest and
• postharvest implements and machinery use in Agricultural
• production.
• Collaborative l earning : Learners in gender -based groups surf the internet