| 7. Crops |
 |
| People plant and grow different plant
varieties for food and other products such as wood, cork, cotton,
dyes, medicines, etc. Plants grown by humans for these purposes are
called crops, and the practice is called farming. However, farming
can be damaging, causing soil erosion, depletion of aquifers and water
pollution due to excessive use of chemical products like fertilisers
and pesticides. To remedy this situation it is urgent that we protect
farmlands and use them properly. Diversified and rational planting
helps keep soils fertile, while farming single crops tends to deplete
the soil of valuable minerals, in which case it must be fertilised
artificially. |
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| Assessing differences. Above (in the section
‘living organisms’) we said that perceiving differences
is a very important intellectual skill. However, not all differences
are of equal importance. For example, according to the circumstances
or the consequences, some differences are very important, while
others are not. |
| Do you think that it is important to perceive the
differences between the following things and activities? Whether
you think so or not, explain why. |
| 1. |
Between planting rice and planting olive trees. |
| 2. |
Between harvesting tomatoes by hand and harvesting
them by shaking the plant until they fall to the ground. |
| 3. |
Between putting the chocolate or the sugar first
in a glass of milk. |
| 4. |
Between thinking that today is Tuesday and knowing
that today is Tuesday. |
| 5. |
Between burning a forest and not burning a forest. |
| 6. |
Between imagining you’re
outdoors and being outdoors. |
7.
|
Between believing that there
is no water and knowing that there is no water. |
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Music. Listen to: Waltz
of the Flowers by Igor Tchaikovsky. |
|
| Painting. Rosa
Bonheur, 1822-1899, Ploughing
in Nivernais. |
|
| Reading. Myth
of Demeter |
|
| Grow a decorative
plant or flower. Individually or in groups, plant a seed
or seedling in the ground or pot and take care of it:
water it, prune it, if necessary fertilise it, etc. |
|
| ©
Grup IREF 2002, con el apoyo de la Comisión
Europea, DG XXII (Sócrates / Comenius, 3.-2) |
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