Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Explain economic production in agriculture and its importance in Ghana.
• Identify computing tools used to reduce drudgery in crop production.
• Demonstrate how to use a computing tool to improve farming.
• Collaborate on a report about technology in agriculture.
• Present findings on how technology enhances crop production.

Lesson summary

For generations, farming in Ghana has been associated with intense physical labour or "drudgery"—weeding under the hot sun, carrying heavy loads, and facing uncertainty from weather and pests. This perception often discourages young people from entering the agricultural sector. However, modern technology is changing this narrative. Today, computing tools, from the smartphone in our pocket to advanced machinery, are making farming smarter, easier, and more profitable. This lesson will explore these tools and demonstrate how they can transform agriculture from a field of labour into a sector of innovation, creating jobs and income for the youth.

Lesson notes

A. What is "Drudgery" in Agriculture?

Drudgery refers to the hard, repetitive, and tiresome work associated with farming that requires significant physical and mental effort but may yield low returns. It is the "back-breaking" aspect of agriculture.

Examples in the Ghanaian Context: Physical Drudgery: Clearing land with a cutlass and hoe; weeding large maize or cassava farms manually; carrying water in buckets for irrigation; broadcasting fertilizer by hand; carrying harvested cocoa sacks over long distances. Mental Drudgery: Trying to remember which parts of the farm have been fertilized; guessing when the rains will come; worrying about market price fluctuations; keeping complex farm records in one's head or on scraps of paper. Financial Drudgery: Travelling long distances to a bank in the district capital to pay workers or buy inputs; waiting in long queues for payments; risk of carrying large amounts of cash.

B. What are "Computing Tools" in Agriculture?

Evaluation guide

• Demonstrate the application of computing tools to reduce drudgery in Agriculture
• Digital Learning: Download and watch video documentaries that demonstrate the application of
• computing tools to reduce drudg ery in Agriculture.
• Collaborative Learning: Learners in mixed -gender and mixed -ability groups use computing