New Revised NERDC JSS 1 Horticulture and Crop Production Scheme of Work

Week 1: Business Start-up in Horticulture and Crop Production
1. Content: This week introduces the meaning of business start-up in horticulture and crop production. Students learn industry entry requirements for horticultural and crop production businesses.
The content covers benefits of starting agricultural enterprises and introduces the agricultural value chain concept showing how products move from production to consumption.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to state the meaning of business start-up in horticulture and crop production, discuss various industry entry requirements for horticulture and crop production business, explain the benefits of starting an enterprise in horticulture and crop production, and identify agricultural value chain concepts.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher guides brainstorming on meaning and requirements of business start-up, the teacher facilitates debate and case study analysis of successful businesses, the teacher organizes visits to trade fairs or agricultural shows for real-world observation.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners brainstorm in groups on the meaning of business start-up and the industry requirements for horticulture and crop production, the learners debate on the importance of business start-up in horticulture and crop production,
the learners analyze case studies of successful horticulture and crop production businesses, the learners visit a trade fair or agricultural show to observe and analyze various agricultural produce or products.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: Samples of agricultural produce and products for examination, workbooks for recording observations and analysis, charts of agricultural inputs and tools required to start crop production showing resource requirements.
These resources help students understand practical requirements for starting agricultural businesses and how value chains function in real agricultural markets.
Week 2: Business Start-up in Horticulture and Crop Production (Continued)
1. Content: This week continues exploration of business start-up concepts with deeper focus on industry entry requirements, benefits of agricultural enterprises, and agricultural value chain analysis.
Students consolidate their understanding through continued case study analysis and examination of how goods and services flow through agricultural production systems from inputs to final consumers.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to state the meaning of business start-up in horticulture and crop production, discuss various industry entry requirements for horticulture and crop production business,
explain the benefits of starting an enterprise in horticulture and crop production, and identify agricultural value chain concepts.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher supervises analysis of value chains and their components, the teacher provides feedback on benefits and requirements understanding, the teacher facilitates continued discussion of case studies and real-world examples.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners continue debating and analyzing case studies with greater depth, the learners identify value chains in groups and map their components, the learners consolidate understanding through presentations and discussions.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: Samples of agricultural produce and products for continued examination, workbooks for detailed analysis and planning, charts of agricultural inputs and tools required to start crop production for reference.
These resources support deeper understanding of business start-up requirements and value chain relationships through extended analysis and application.
Week 3: Marketing of Horticultural and Crop Products (Goods and Services)
1. Content: Students learn the meaning of market and marketing in horticulture and crop production contexts. The week covers basic characteristics of agricultural markets, importance of marketing for horticultural and crop productions, and factors for selecting appropriate markets.
Content includes marketing strategies such as identifying target markets and understanding the marketing mix consisting of product, price, place, and promotion. Students learn different means of marketing including traditional marketing methods and digital marketing approaches.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to state the meaning of market and marketing in horticulture and crop products, explain the basic characteristics of markets in horticulture and crop products, discuss the importance of marketing in horticulture and crop products,
identify factors that determine the choice of target markets for horticulture and crop products, explain marketing strategies for horticulture and crop products, and identify different means of marketing in horticulture and crop products.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher guides brainstorming on meaning and importance of marketing, the teacher facilitates online searches for market characteristics, the teacher guides group debates on marketing importance and target market selection.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners brainstorm on the meaning of market and marketing in horticulture and crop production, the learners search online and other sources for the characteristics of markets in horticulture and crop production, the learners debate in groups on the importance of marketing and factors that determine the choice of target markets for horticulture and crop products.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: Samples of trade-related produce and products demonstrating marketable goods, workbooks for recording marketing concepts and strategies, invitations to trade practitioners who can share real-world marketing experiences,
pictorial charts depicting traditional marketing methods, ICT digital devices for researching digital marketing approaches, and textbooks covering marketing principles. These resources provide comprehensive exposure to both traditional and modern marketing methods relevant to agricultural products.
Week 4: Marketing of Horticultural and Crop Products (Goods and Services) (Continued)
1. Content: This week continues exploration of marketing concepts with deeper focus on market characteristics, marketing importance, target market selection factors, marketing strategies including the four elements of the marketing mix, and both traditional and digital marketing means.
Students consolidate their understanding through continued research, debate, and practical application of marketing concepts to agricultural products.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to state the meaning of market and marketing in horticulture and crop products, explain the basic characteristics of markets in horticulture and crop products, discuss the importance of marketing in horticulture and crop products,
identify factors that determine the choice of target markets for horticulture and crop products, explain marketing strategies for horticulture and crop products, and identify different means of marketing in horticulture and crop products.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher supervises practical marketing strategies and means identification, the teacher provides feedback on target market analysis, the teacher facilitates deeper discussions on marketing mix application to agricultural products.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners continue debating marketing concepts with increased sophistication, the learners practice identifying marketing means in groups including both traditional and digital approaches, the learners apply marketing mix concepts to specific agricultural products.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: Samples of trade-related produce and products for marketing analysis, workbooks for detailed marketing planning, invitations to trade practitioners for continued learning, pictorial charts depicting traditional methods for comparison with modern approaches,
ICT digital devices for exploring digital marketing platforms, and textbooks for reference. These resources support comprehensive understanding of how agricultural products reach consumers through various marketing channels.
Week 5: Review and Practical Application
1. Content: This week provides opportunity for review and practical application of key concepts from the third term. Teachers guide students in consolidating their understanding of business start-up requirements, value chain concepts, and marketing strategies.
Students engage in integrated activities that connect theoretical knowledge with practical application in agricultural business contexts.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of business start-up processes, identify and analyze agricultural value chains, and apply marketing concepts to real agricultural products.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher facilitates review sessions covering business start-up and marketing topics, the teacher guides practical projects that integrate multiple concepts, the teacher provides feedback on student understanding and application.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners engage in group projects that apply business start-up and marketing concepts, the learners conduct integrated reviews of all third term content, the learners prepare presentations demonstrating their understanding.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: General resources from previous topics including agricultural samples, workbooks, ICT devices, and charts. These materials support integrated review and practical application of entrepreneurial and marketing concepts.
Week 6: Continued Review and Practical Reinforcement
1. Content: This week continues review and practical reinforcement of third term content. Students deepen their understanding through additional practice, group work, and practical projects that demonstrate mastery of business start-up, value chain analysis, and marketing concepts. The week ensures students have adequate preparation for comprehensive assessment.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to synthesize learning across all third term topics and demonstrate practical competence in agricultural entrepreneurship and marketing concepts.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher facilitates continued review sessions and practical projects, the teacher provides individualized feedback on areas needing improvement, the teacher ensures students are prepared for comprehensive assessment.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners engage in continued group projects and practical applications, the learners conduct peer teaching and review activities, the learners complete practice exercises covering all third term objectives.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: General resources from previous topics support continued practice and skill refinement in preparation for assessment.
Week 7: Mid-Term Break
Mid-term break provides rest and allows for mid-term assessment covering topics from Week 1 to Week 6. Teachers should evaluate student understanding of business start-up concepts, industry entry requirements, agricultural value chains, and marketing principles.
Assessments should include both written tests on entrepreneurial and marketing concepts and practical demonstrations or projects showing ability to apply these concepts to agricultural businesses.
Week 8: Integration and Application
1. Content: This week focuses on integrating knowledge from across the entire academic year. Students review connections between technical agricultural skills learned in first and second terms and entrepreneurial concepts from third term.
The week emphasizes how production knowledge, post-harvest management, and business skills work together in successful agricultural enterprises.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to integrate technical and business knowledge, demonstrate comprehensive understanding of agricultural production and marketing, and apply year-long learning to practical agricultural scenarios.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher facilitates integration activities connecting production and business topics, the teacher guides discussions on how technical and entrepreneurial skills complement each other, the teacher provides opportunities for comprehensive practical application.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners engage in integrated projects demonstrating both production and business skills, the learners discuss connections between technical and entrepreneurial learning, the learners prepare comprehensive presentations or projects.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: General resources from all three terms support integrated learning experiences that connect production skills with business applications.
Week 9: Comprehensive Review
1. Content: This week provides comprehensive review of the entire year’s curriculum from first term through third term. Students revisit key concepts including farm tools and safety,
soil management, nursery preparation, seed handling, vegetable production, post-harvest management, entrepreneurship, financial management, bookkeeping, business start-up, and marketing. The review ensures students have consolidated learning across all fourteen topics.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to demonstrate mastery of all performance objectives from the complete curriculum and show readiness for comprehensive year-end assessment.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher facilitates comprehensive review sessions covering all topics, the teacher provides practice exercises and review materials, the teacher addresses any remaining areas of confusion or difficulty.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners engage in comprehensive review activities across all topics, the learners participate in practice assessments and exercises, the learners prepare thoroughly for final examinations.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: General resources from all three terms provide materials for comprehensive review and preparation.
Week 10: Final Preparation and Practice
1. Content: This week focuses on final examination preparation with emphasis on areas where students need additional support. Teachers conduct practice assessments, provide feedback, and ensure students are confident and prepared for comprehensive evaluation of their year-long learning in horticulture and crop production.
2. Performance Objectives: Pupils should be able to demonstrate readiness for comprehensive assessment across all curriculum objectives and show confidence in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
3. Learning Activities:
i. Teacher Activities: The teacher conducts practice assessments and provides detailed feedback, the teacher addresses final questions and concerns, the teacher ensures students are fully prepared for examinations.
ii. Learning Activities: The learners complete practice examinations and review exercises, the learners engage in final review and clarification activities, the learners demonstrate readiness for comprehensive assessment.
4. Teaching and Learning Resources: General resources from all three terms support final preparation activities and practice assessments.
Week 11: Revision
Revision week allows comprehensive review of all topics covered throughout the entire academic year. Teachers organize structured revision sessions that systematically cover content from all three terms including farm operations, soil management, plant propagation, vegetable production, post-harvest management,
entrepreneurship, financial management, bookkeeping, business start-up, and marketing. Students engage in intensive review activities, practice exercises, group discussions, and practical demonstrations that reinforce learning outcomes and ensure thorough preparation for comprehensive final examinations.
Week 12: Examination
Examination week involves administering comprehensive final assessments that evaluate student achievement across all performance objectives from the entire academic year. Teachers prepare examinations that test both theoretical knowledge and practical skills covering all fourteen curriculum topics.
The assessment should include written questions on concepts from all three terms and practical demonstrations showing student competence in agricultural production techniques, post-harvest handling, record keeping, and application of business principles to agricultural enterprises.
Week 13: Examination, Marking and Vacation
This week concludes the academic year with completion of final examinations, comprehensive marking of all assessment instruments, and recording of final results.
Teachers complete all grading, prepare final reports on student performance across the full curriculum, and maintain accurate records of achievement.
Once marking and recording are finished, students begin their extended vacation period. Teachers use remaining time for comprehensive curriculum evaluation, reflection on teaching effectiveness throughout the year, and planning for improvements in subsequent academic sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About the New Revised NERDC Scheme of Work for Horticulture and Crop Production JSS 1
1. What is the New Revised NERDC Scheme of Work for Horticulture and Crop Production JSS 1?
The New Revised NERDC Scheme of Work for Horticulture and Crop Production JSS 1 is a comprehensive teaching guide that outlines what teachers should cover each week throughout the academic year.
It includes fourteen topics spread across three terms, with detailed performance objectives, learning activities, and required resources for each week. The scheme connects theoretical agricultural knowledge with practical skills in crop production, horticulture, and agricultural entrepreneurship.
2. How many weeks are allocated to teaching in each term?
Each term has nine effective teaching weeks out of thirteen total weeks. Teaching occurs during weeks 1 through 6 and weeks 8 through 10. Week 7 is designated for mid-term break.
Week 11 is for revision to prepare students for examinations. Week 12 is for conducting examinations. Week 13 is for completing examinations, marking, recording results, and beginning vacation.
3. What are the main themes covered in this scheme of work?
The scheme covers four main themes throughout the academic year. The first theme focuses on farm operations and soil management including farm tools and soil texture. The second theme addresses plant propagation and nursery management including seed handling and vegetative propagation.
The third theme covers vegetable production and post-harvest management. The fourth theme introduces agricultural entrepreneurship and business management including bookkeeping, business start-up, and marketing.
4. Why does the scheme allocate multiple weeks to some topics?
Some topics like vegetable production, post-harvest management, and business start-up receive multiple weeks because they involve complex practical activities that cannot be completed in one week. Growing vegetables requires time for planting, nurturing, and harvesting across several weeks.
Post-harvest management needs extended practice for students to develop proper handling skills. Entrepreneurship topics require time for research, visits, analysis, and application. This allocation ensures students gain genuine competence rather than superficial exposure.
5. What teaching resources are required for implementing this scheme?
The scheme requires a combination of physical tools, living materials, and technology resources. Physical resources include farm implements like hoes, cutlasses, spades, and rakes for practical work. Living materials include seeds, fertilizers, and actual plants for production activities.
Technology resources include ICT devices for research, video clips for demonstrations, and spreadsheet software for bookkeeping. Schools also need access to farm space, classroom materials like charts and workbooks, and opportunities for field visits to entrepreneurs and agricultural shows.
6. How does the scheme integrate practical and theoretical learning?
The scheme balances theoretical knowledge with practical application throughout all topics. Each week includes content knowledge that students must understand and practical skills they must develop. Learning activities consistently pair teacher demonstrations with student hands-on practice.
For example, students learn theoretical concepts about nursery beds through discussion and video clips, then immediately apply that knowledge by actually preparing nursery beds on the school farm. This integration ensures students can both explain agricultural concepts and perform agricultural tasks.
7. What competencies do students develop through this curriculum?
Students develop multiple competencies beyond agricultural knowledge. The scheme emphasizes collaboration as students work in groups on most activities. Critical thinking develops as students analyze soil tests, diagnose plant problems, and evaluate business cases.
Creativity emerges through problem-solving in production challenges and designing business solutions. Communication skills grow through debates, presentations, and group discussions. Digital literacy develops through online research and use of spreadsheet software. These competencies prepare students for further education and potential agricultural careers.
8. How should teachers assess student learning under this scheme?
Teachers should use continuous assessment throughout the term combined with formal examinations. Weekly lessons include opportunities for formative assessment through observation of practical work, group discussions, and student presentations.
Mid-term assessments in week 7 evaluate understanding of content covered in the first half of each term. Final examinations in weeks 12 and 13 provide comprehensive summative assessment. Effective assessment includes both written tests on theoretical content and practical demonstrations where students perform agricultural tasks to show competence.
9. Can teachers modify the scheme to fit their local context?
Teachers can adapt implementation details while maintaining the core curriculum objectives and sequence. The timing of some practical activities may need adjustment based on local climate and growing seasons. The specific crops chosen for vegetable production can reflect local varieties and market demands. Field trips and entrepreneur visits will necessarily involve local resources and contacts.
However, teachers should cover all fourteen topics, achieve all stated performance objectives, and maintain the progression from basic operations through production to business concepts that gives the curriculum its coherence.
10. What support do teachers need to effectively implement this scheme?
Teachers need adequate agricultural knowledge, access to necessary resources, and administrative support for implementation. Professional development in horticulture, crop production, and agricultural entrepreneurship helps teachers confidently deliver content. Schools must provide farm space, basic tools, seeds, and other materials listed in the scheme.
Administrative support includes scheduling that allows adequate time for farm activities, funds for field trips and guest speakers, and assistance with maintaining school farms and resources. Collaboration among agriculture teachers through professional networks can provide additional support for effective implementation.
Source: New Revised NERDC JSS 1 Horticulture and Crop Production
