Using Poll Everywhere and Class Companion to Deliver an Extraordinary APHG Unit V Introductory Lesson

With Unit V, Titled: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

Recently, an APHG teacher asked the members of one of the APHG Teachers Facebook groups I belong to if they had an “extraordinary lesson plan” they could use to introduce Unit V of the course, titled Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes.

The teacher explained that on the day they were to introduce Unit V, they would be “formally observed,” meaning school administrators would be present to evaluate their teaching.

The bottom line is that they were looking for a way to introduce the unit in a manner that would truly impress (aka open-wide the eyes of) the school administrators observing the class.

In response, I suggested an approach that called on the teacher to make extensive use of two popular and innovative educational tools — Poll Everywhere and Class Companion — which leverage technology to enhance student engagement, learning, and assessment.

For those not familiar with either of these two platforms:

Poll Everywhere allows students to respond to various questions in real-time using their phones, tablets, or laptops. These questions can range from multiple-choice and open-ended questions to word clouds, surveys, and ranking activities. Responses are displayed live on the screen, creating an engaging, interactive experience that sparks meaningful class discussions and encourages active participation.

Class Companion allows teachers to assign their students multiple-choice and free-response questions in three ways: questions created by the teacher with the help of AI, selected from the Class Companion question bank, or uploaded from a document that teachers already possess.

The program also provides instant feedback to students, helping them identify areas for improvement and reinforcing their understanding.

Another standout feature of Class Companion is Ditto, the AI tutor. Ditto enables students to chat about their assignments, ask for hints, or explore topics further. This interactive tutor offers personalized guidance while encouraging critical thinking. Importantly, all interactions with Ditto are viewable by teachers, ensuring transparency.

Additionally, Class Companion empowers students to dispute the feedback they receive and teachers to override any feedback that Class Companion gives.

My Suggested Lesson

The lesson begins with the teacher projecting the unit title onto the screen to capture students’ attention and set the focus for the day.

Using Poll Everywhere, students then respond in real-time to the question, What comes to mind when you think of the word “agriculture”?

The students’ answers are displayed live onto the screen as a word cloud or list, sparking discussion and encouraging students to share their thoughts and perspectives.

The teacher then projects a comprehensive definition onto the screen along with explanations of related terms such as “crops” and “livestock.”

I’m envisioning something like this.

Agriculture is the practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising livestock to produce food, fiber, medicinal plants, and other products essential for sustaining and enhancing human life.

Crops: Plants grown in large quantities for food, fiber, or other purposes. Examples include wheat, rice, and cotton.

Livestock: Domesticated animals raised for agricultural purposes, such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens, which provide meat, milk, wool, and other products.

Cultivation: The process of preparing land for planting crops, including activities like plowing, sowing, and watering.

Sustenance: The basic means of supporting life, often referring to food and drink produced through agriculture.

Next up, the teacher calls on the students to use 15 multiple-choice questions related to the term agriculture and the key concepts they need to know in Unit V.

To create these MCQs, I recommend using Class Companion’s “Generate Assignment with AI” feature. Additionally, I suggest prompting Class Companion’s AI to ensure the questions cover essential concepts, including the von Thünen Model, monocropping, and crop rotation. (See Sidenote #1 for a sample of what Class Companion’s AI might produce if you go this route.)

As students work through the questions on their devices, they receive instant feedback.

The goal here is to provide students with a low-stakes opportunity to acquire some foundational knowledge, even if the material hasn’t been formally taught yet.

After the MCQs, I suggest providing the students with the list of focus areas below.

1. The Impact of AI on Farming: Explore how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing crop monitoring, livestock management, and predictive farming.
2. The Rise of Vertical Farming: Investigate how urban areas are adopting vertical farming techniques to grow food locally and reduce transportation costs.
3. The Global Fertilizer Crisis: Research the causes and consequences of the recent fertilizer shortages on global food production.
4. Droughts and Their Effect on Agriculture: Examine specific regions, like California or the Horn of Africa, to understand how prolonged droughts are impacting farmers and food supply.
5. Debates Over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): Look into current discussions about the benefits and risks of GMOs in addressing global food shortages.
6. The Role of Regenerative Agriculture: Analyze news stories about farmers adopting regenerative practices to combat soil erosion and improve carbon sequestration.
7. The Labor Shortage in Agriculture: Explore how mechanization and immigration policies are influencing labor availability in the farming sector.
8. The Global Coffee Crisis: Study how climate change is threatening coffee production in key regions like Brazil and Vietnam.
9. Bees and Pollination: Investigate reports on the declining bee population and its implications for agriculture.
10. Agriculture and Trade Wars: Look at how international trade policies, such as U.S.-China trade tensions, are affecting agricultural exports and farmers.
11. Soil Degradation and Its Impact: The consequences of soil erosion and nutrient depletion on global agriculture and food security.
12. Precision Agriculture: How technologies like sensors, satellite imagery, and data analytics are optimizing farming efficiency and yields.
13. Agricultural Subsidies: The role of government subsidies in supporting farmers and shaping agricultural practices worldwide.
14. Organic Farming Movement: The rise of organic farming practices and their impact on health, the environment, and consumer demand.
15. Aquaculture Expansion: The growth of fish farming as a solution to meet global protein demands and its environmental implications.
16. Deforestation and Agriculture: The connection between deforestation and agricultural expansion, particularly in regions like the Amazon rainforest.
17. Food Waste Reduction: Strategies for minimizing food waste across production, distribution, and consumption stages to improve sustainability.
18. Global Hunger and Food Security: Efforts to address food insecurity and malnutrition in vulnerable populations through agricultural innovation.
19. Agri-tourism Trends: How farming communities are diversifying their income through tourism, including farm stays and educational tours.
20. Renewable Energy in Agriculture: The integration of solar, wind, and bioenergy in farming to reduce carbon footprints and operational costs.

Then I suggest giving the students an opportunity to either use the internet or access an AI platform of their choice to independently learn about one or more of these high interesting and relating to Unit V topics.

The purpose of this activity is to give students a meaningful opportunity to connect with the unit content in a personalized and engaging way. By allowing them to explore topics of their choice, they can dive into areas that genuinely interest them, fostering curiosity and ownership of their learning process.

This approach respects individual preferences and encourages deeper exploration, whether students want to take a quick overview or immerse themselves in extensive research. It transforms learning from a prescribed set of tasks into a more dynamic and student-driven experience, making the unit content more relevant, memorable, and impactful.

The lesson concludes with a Poll Everywhere exit question, On a scale of 1–10, how engaging and informative was today’s lesson?

Again, students’ live responses are projected onto the screen at the front of the room, thus provide immediate feedback to the teacher, fostering a collaborative and responsive learning environment.

By combining real-time technology, AI-driven learning, and student-led inquiry, I beleive this lesson plan offers a structured yet dynamic approach that is sure to engage students and leave a lasting impression on both any/all learners and formal observers alike.

Sidenote #1:

Here’s a sample of MCQs that Class Companion might create if its AI is prompted to generate 15 multiple choice questions focused on key concepts within Unit V: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes.

Q1.
What is the primary purpose of the von Thünen Model?
a. To explain urban settlement patterns
b. To describe the spatial organization of agricultural activities
c. To predict the global distribution of natural resources
d. To analyze the environmental impact of industrial agriculture
Answer: b. To describe the spatial organization of agricultural activities

Q2.
How does monocropping impact biodiversity in agricultural systems?
a. It enhances biodiversity by combining crops
b. It reduces biodiversity by relying on a single crop
c. It improves biodiversity through crop rotation
d. It has no impact on biodiversity
Answer: b. It reduces biodiversity by relying on a single crop

Q3.
Why is crop rotation considered a sustainable farming practice?
a. It maximizes short-term crop yields
b. It reduces the use of water in agriculture
c. It improves soil fertility and prevents pest buildup
d. It increases reliance on chemical fertilizers
Answer: c. It improves soil fertility and prevents pest buildup

Q4.
What are the environmental effects of large-scale livestock farming?
a. Increased soil fertility and reduced water usage
b. Deforestation and high greenhouse gas emissions
c. Enhanced biodiversity and cleaner water systems
d. Reduced carbon footprint and conservation of natural habitats
Answer: b. Deforestation and high greenhouse gas emissions

Q5. What role does water management play in successful agricultural practices?
a. It eliminates the need for fertilizers
b. It ensures consistent crop yields and prevents soil erosion
c. It focuses on reducing biodiversity
d. It increases dependence on rain-fed agriculture
Answer: b. It ensures consistent crop yields and prevents soil erosion

Q6.
How has technology, such as drones and sensors, transformed modern agriculture?
a. By replacing the need for skilled labor
b. By improving efficiency and precision in farming
c. By reducing the costs of organic farming
d. By increasing reliance on monocropping
Answer: b. By improving efficiency and precision in farming

Q7.
What is the connection between agriculture and climate change?
a. Agriculture is unaffected by climate change
b. Agriculture contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions
c. Agriculture only mitigates the effects of climate change
d. Climate change has no impact on agriculture
Answer: b. Agriculture contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions

Q8.
How does urban farming address food security challenges in cities?
a. By reducing urban population density
b. By providing access to fresh produce in underserved areas
c. By increasing reliance on imports
d. By focusing on high-yield cash crops
Answer: b. By providing access to fresh produce in underserved areas

Q9.
What is aquaponics, and how does it integrate fish farming with plant cultivation?
a. A method that uses chemical fertilizers to grow plants
b. A system combining fish farming with hydroponics to grow plants
c. A traditional farming system focused on livestock production
d. A method of planting trees in urban areas
Answer: b. A system combining fish farming with hydroponics to grow plants

Q 10.
Why is regenerative agriculture gaining popularity among farmers?
a. It requires minimal investment and training
b. It improves soil health and captures carbon in the soil
c. It focuses on monocropping to maximize yields
d. It reduces the need for crop rotation
Answer: b. It improves soil health and captures carbon in the soil

Q11.
What challenges do small-scale farmers face in the global agricultural market?
a. High profits and low competition
b. Lack of access to markets and technology
c. Over-reliance on organic farming methods
d. Excess government support for their operations
Answer: b. Lack of access to markets and technology

Q12.
How have genetically modified crops influenced modern agricultural practices?
a. By eliminating the need for herbicides
b. By improving crop yields and pest resistance
c. By reducing the diversity of crop species
d. By focusing exclusively on cash crops
Answer: b. By improving crop yields and pest resistance

Q13.
What are the primary economic impacts of agribusiness on rural communities?
a. Increased income equality and food security
b. Displacement of small-scale farmers and rural depopulation
c. Promotion of sustainable farming methods
d. Equal access to markets for all farmers
Answer: b. Displacement of small-scale farmers and rural depopulation

Q14.
How does the von Thünen Model explain the spatial distribution of agricultural activities?
a. By considering transportation costs and proximity to markets
b. By focusing solely on labor availability
c. By eliminating the need for economic analysis
d. By encouraging urbanization near farmlands
Answer: a. By considering transportation costs and proximity to markets

Q15.
What is the relationship between soil health and sustainable farming practices?
a. Poor soil health promotes biodiversity
b. Healthy soil supports sustainable farming by improving productivity
c. Soil health has no impact on farming practices
d. Sustainable farming decreases soil fertility over time
Answer: b. Healthy soil supports sustainable farming by improving productivity

Before assigning the MCQs, be sure to review them for accuracy and relevance — AI tools can occasionally make mistakes, although, in my experience, it doesn’t happen often.

Sidenote #2

Here’s a sample table that outlines how much time to spend on each section of the lesson.

Sidenote #3

I’ve designed this lesson so that in a standard 55-minute period, you should be able to complete all sections of the lesson except for the Sharing & Reflection and Exit Poll portions. That said, if you have a block period, you’ll have more than enough time to go through the entire lesson comfortably. Regardless of the time format, I recommend sharing the lesson plan table with the individual formally observing your class. It provides a clear, structured outline that highlights thoughtful timing and pedagogical intent.

Sidenote #4

Here are six easy classroom poll makers that can be used in place of Poll Everywhere.

• Slides with Freinds
• Mentimeter
• Aha Slides
• Survey Monkey
• Typeform
• Kahoot

Click here to learn more about each of these.

Sidenore #5

According to ChatGPT, here are six AI-driven platforms that can be used in place of Class Companion:

1. NoteGPT’s AI Quiz Generator: This tool allows you to transform any text into multiple-choice questions. You can adjust difficulty levels, choose languages, and generate professional quizzes in seconds, making it suitable for educators and trainers. notegpt.io
2. Questgen: An AI-powered platform that generates multiple-choice questions from any text. It identifies key sentences, extracts keywords, and formulates questions with relevant distractors, streamlining the quiz creation process. Questgen — AI Powered Quiz Generator
3. Revisely’s AI Quiz Generator: This tool uses artificial intelligence to create questions suitable for tests, exams, or general practice. It can transform various content types, including notes, textbooks, PDFs, or PowerPoints, into comprehensive quizzes in seconds. Revisely
4. Quizgecko: An AI-powered multiple-choice test maker that converts text, articles, documents, or webpages into engaging quizzes. It offers various question types and allows customization to fit different learning or testing scenarios. Quizgecko
5. Monsha’s Quiz Questions Generator: Designed for educators, this tool creates effective, personalized, AI-powered assessment questions. It offers robust control over question types and customization options, aligning with specific subjects, grade levels, and curriculum standards. Monsha
6. AIQuizGen: This platform generates high-quality multiple-choice questions in seconds from various data sources, including text and PDF files. It offers features like study mode, multiple question types, and easy sharing options, enhancing learning outcomes effortlessly. AIQuizGen