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How has farming changed over time? - Summary
Farming has changed significantly throughout human history. In this KS2 explainer from The Regenerators, pupils explore how people moved from hunting and gathering food to farming crops and raising animals. The video also looks at how technology has transformed farming and how modern methods aim to balance food production with protecting the environment.
In this video, students will learn:
- How farming changed the way people lived.
- How farming developed from early settlements to modern agriculture.
- How new tools and technologies improved food production.
- How pesticides and fertilisers can affect the environment.
- How modern farming methods can help protect natural resources.
Classroom video - Food and farming
Farming through history
Our explainers are engaging, collage-style animations which explain many of the issues and themes around sustainability.
This video is a fun, concise answer to the question: How has farming changed over time? It is the perfect springboard for classroom discussions.
Narrator: When we think of farms, we often think of tractors, fields, maybe animals and crops. But as the population has grown, and technology has changed, farms and farming has changed over the years too.
If we go right back more than 4000 years, the farms then were different to how we might know them now.
The first people to live in Britain were hunter gatherers, who moved from place to place in search of food. But farming meant people could settle in one place. Large clearings were made in forests where crops were grown and animals were kept.
Most of the tools farmers had were made from stone, until they found metals like bronze and iron. This metal could be made into new tools that were stronger. As this metal work became more common, tools got more advanced.
As technology transformed farmers became more efficient at producing food. Pesticides helped keep bugs away and fertilisers are used to help crops grow.
Unfortunately, some of these chemicals pollute the environment, harming wildlife and damaging the soil for future crops.
Thanks to technology improving further, we can now see what might be harmful or done differently. This has led to more mindful, modern farms which are still large, but use new technology blended with some natural, older methods to help preserve the earths resources.
Quick facts about farming
- The first people in Britain were hunter-gatherers who moved from place to place in search of food.
- Farming allowed people to settle in one place and grow crops.
- Early farming tools were made from stone before stronger metal tools were developed.
- Pesticides are used to protect crops from pests and fertilisers can help crops grow.
Let's discuss: How can farmers produce enough food while also protecting the environment?
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