First Term Lesson Note for Week Three
Class : Primary Six
Subject : Basic Science
Topic : Fertilizers ( Meaning and types)
Duration : 40 Minutes
Period : Single Period
Reference Book :
Basic Science for Primary Schools, Book 6.
Lagos State Unified schemes of work for Upper Primary, Primary 4 – 6.
Online Resources
Instructional Material : Chart showing the types of fertilizer.
Learning Objectives : By the end of the lesson learners will be able to :
i. Define Fertilizer
ii. List and explain the types of fertilizer.
iii. Identify the macro-elements found in fertilizer.
Content :
Fertilizer is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applies to the soil or plant tissues to supply one or more nutrients essential to the growth of plants.
Fertilizer is a substance that is added to soil to improve soil fertility (productivity) to help plants or crops grow better. Fertilizers enhances the growth of plants by providing nutrients and effectiveness of the soil by modifying its water retention and aeration.
Fertilizer exist in different sources, but can be grouped or classified into two, namely :
1. Natural or organic fertilizer : ( farmyard manure, green yard manure and compost.
2. Chemical or Inorganic fertilizer : Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, Ammonia fertilizer, Super phosphate fertilizer, N. P. K fertilizer.
Natural (Organic) fertilizers :
A. Farm yard manure : This is a decomposed mixture of cattle dung and urine with straws and litters used as bedding materials and residues from fodder fed to the animals.
B. Green yard manure : This is created by leaving uprooted or sown crop parts to wither on a field so that they serve as mulch or soil amendment. The plants used for green yard manure are often cover crops grown primarily for this purpose.
C. Compost : This is a manure formed by a mixture of decaying organic substances such as dead leaves, waste from farm yard uses for fertilizing soil compound.
Artificial (Inorganic) fertilizer : These are fertilizer formed by chemical elements produced in the laboratory. Ammonia fertilizer, NP fertilizer, PK fertilizer, NPK fertilizer.
There are three (3) major nutrients or macro nutrients in fertilizer :
1. Nitrogen (N) : This is responsible for growth.
2. Phosphorus (P) : This is responsible for development of root, flowers, seed and fruits.
3. Potassium (K) : This is responsible for strong stem growth and movement of water in plants.
Advantages of Organic fertilizers.
i. They release nutrients slowly to the soil.
ii. They