Horticultural products

This lesson introduces students to the main categories of horticultural products, with a focus on those cultivated in North Queensland. Through discussions and examples, students learn about grasses, legumes, fibre crops, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and ornamentals, and explore how local climate and soil conditions support these diverse agricultural products. This lesson provides insights into regional horticulture and its economic and ecological relevance.

Learning Objectives:

Define what a horticultural product is.
Describe the main categories of horticultural products.
Detail specific examples of horticultural products grown in North Queensland.
Link examples of horticultural products to the region’s climate and soil conditions.

Lesson Highlights:

Starter Activity: Students brainstorm categories of horticultural products and guess examples commonly grown in North Queensland.
Introduction to Horticulture: Overview of horticulture’s role in agriculture, focusing on food, medicinal, and ornamental plant production.
Category Breakdown: Detailed exploration of each product category, with specific examples like sugarcane (grasses), soybeans (legumes), cotton (fibre), mangoes (fruit), macadamias (nuts), tomatoes (vegetables), and orchids (ornamentals).
Environmental Relevance: Students discuss how North Queensland’s climate and soil types support specific crops and why these factors are vital for crop selection and productivity.
Complete Answers and Timed Activities: All answers are provided for easy reference, with timers to maintain lesson pacing.

Included Materials:

PowerPoint Presentation with visual examples of each horticultural product category
Worksheet for identifying and categorizing products, with a focus on North Queensland
Answer key for all activities and discussion points
Reflection prompts to encourage student assessment of their understanding

This lesson package provides students with foundational knowledge of horticultural diversity and the environmental factors that support successful crop production in North Queensland.