Marlborough Boys’ College

NCEA L1 Agriculture and Horticulture - Ahuwhenua me te Ahuone

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Miss R. Kane.

Recommended Prior Learning

No prior knowledge is required for this course, though an interest in primary industries or plant cultivation is highly recommended. Students must be prepared to actively participate in hands-on activities, including regular digging and weeding in the garden.

This course delves into the diverse primary industries in New Zealand, with a particular focus on the critical role of soil. Students will examine soil structure and sustainable management practices to ensure productivity. The course also covers the cultivation and production of primary products, exploring the specific regions in New Zealand where they thrive and the environmental impacts—both positive and negative—of primary industries.

Students will work on a shared 1.8x1.8m garden plot. During terms 1, 2, and 4, we will cultivate a variety of vegetables and sunflowers. In term 3, we will plant a green manure crop, which will be dug into the soil to improve its fertility. Students will be responsible for all aspects of garden management, including cultivation, fertilisation, weeding, watering, and harvesting the crops.

Course Overview

Term 1
The course contains both Unit Standards and Achievement Standards.
Students will incorporate their learning with practical as they sow seeds and grow a small crop on the school grounds. Students are expected to cultivate, prepare and grow seeds in a 1.8m x 1.8m square plot. They will be required to photograph the management of their plot from preparation to harvest. They will grow seeds in rows as well as a green manure cover crop (in Term 3) which they will dig in to return nutrients to the soil.

91930 - This assessment will look at soil properties and how they are managed in a primary production system, including soil components, and how as kaitiaki (guardians) we can manage the biological, physical, and chemical aspects of the soil. We will apply our knowledge of management practices to our plots to reinforce our learning such as cultivation, adding fertiliser, compost, and irrigation to grow our produce sustainably.

Term 2
91928 - This standard will look at life processes of primary products and how management practices are used to meet the needs of society. Students will apply their knowledge from managing their plots in Term 1 to relate life processes, such as photosynthesis or germination, to management practices like cultivation and irrigation. Student will also have to explain how manaakitanga is managed within the life process. They will analyze how these practices impact the quality, quantity, and timing of the products.

91929 - Students will explore different regions and their primary industries. The course will investigate how and why growers produce their products, focusing on local primary product cultivation. This includes understanding the climate, topography, and economic, social, and cultural factors required to produce these primary products.

Term 3
91931 - This standard looks at the key practices of growing products and how these growing environments can affect the air, soil water, and living organisms, as well as the social and economic factors that they provide. We will consider future growers/producers and how management practices can influence the environmental, social and economic impact of these industries.

Term 4
91930 - We will revise soil properties and how they are managed in a primary production system for the external exam.

Learning Areas:

Year 11 (NCEA Level 1), Science - Mātauranga Pūtaiao

Assessment Information

Assessments vary depending on the standard. They will be required to keep a dairy with photographic evidence for US1.