Students discover that farm animals produce different types of products. Grades PreK-K

Students investigate rangelands by growing their own grass to represent a beef or sheep ranch. Grades 3-5

Students investigate rangelands by growing their own grass to represent a beef or sheep ranch. Grades 6-8

Students explain the value of the beef cattle industry, including the products cattle produce, the production process from farm to plate, and how cattle can utilize and obtain energy from grass and other forage. Grades 3-5

Students will evaluate the USDA grading system for whole cuts of beef and discuss consumer preferences and nutritional differences between grain-finished and grass-finished beef. Students will also distinguish various labels on beef products and discuss reasons for the government’s involvement in agricultural production, processing and distribution of food. Grades 9-12

Students explore concepts of heredity in beef cattle and identify dominant and recessive traits. Grades 3-5

Students explore cowboy culture and history and research 19th-century Texas cattle trails by writing cowboy poetry, mapping historic cattle trails, and creating cattle brands. Grades 3-5

Students identify the differences between beef and dairy cattle and determine the commodities produced by each type of cattle. Grades K-2

Students explore how genes affect important traits such as growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and behavior and discover the responsibilities of an animal geneticist. Grades 3-5

In this lesson, students will follow the farm to fork process of producing beef, learn how cattle and other ruminants convert grass into nutrient-rich foods such as milk and meat, discover ways cattle recycle food waste, and identify careers in the beef cattle industry. Grades 6-8

This engaging game introduces students to the world of beef production, from the cow-calf operation to the livestock auction, stocker ranch, and feedyard. Answering math problems is the key to progressing through the game, reinforcing key mathematics standards for third- through fifth-grade students.

Farm Animals is a 32-page book filled with facts to learn about many types of farms and the animals that live there. The book includes real-life pictures and color illustrations. In addition to the text, each page includes a fun fact. Readers will learn why traditional farm animals such as beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs are kept on farms. They will also learn why specialty farms raise ducks, geese, fish, and ostriches.

The novel Little Joe offers a realistic look at the bond between 9-year-old Eli Stegner and his Angus calf, Little Joe, as they prepare for the county fair -- and the beef auction that follows. Readers will be fascinated by the details of raising beef cattle and receive an in-depth account of life on the farm. 

Learn through the eyes of young farmers how animals are cared for, crops are raised, and renewable resources are used as they take you for a tour of their family's farm. This digital book series includes titles for beef, corn, soybeans, wind (energy), pigs, and apples.

When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe!

The Beef Ag Mag was written for elementary and middle school students. In this issue, students will learn about how cattle are raised, the life cycle of cattle, careers, cattle breeds, cuts of beef, fun facts, and more. Visit the Interactive Map to discover where your state ranks in beef production. The reader can be viewed by students electronically, as a class with a SMARTboard, or printed.

Need a great way to connect students to rangeland? Have them start their own ranch! This kit includes a classroom set of jiffy peat pellet pots and enough grass seed to fill each pot. As your class learns about cattle grazing throughout our history, each student will be able to see how grazing can help – or hurt – rangeland, and will understand the importance of keeping our lands healthy. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.

Take a Field Trip! from the farm to the grill to find out how that sizzling steak got to the grocery store. Nutritious and delicious, beef is a staple on our tables. 

Beef cattle are the leading source of farm income in Utah. This video is a mountain of beefy goodness that allows you to examine Utah beef from farm to fork.

Beef and dairy cattle provide us with hundreds of different products, and all they need is an ample supply of grass and other plants. Most of these plants people can't even eat, so why can cows eat them? This Gee Whiz in Agriculture video provides an in-depth look at the digestive system of cattle, focusing on differences between cattle and humans. Take a journey into a cow’s stomach and microscopically view the stomach contents. Ten-year old “experts” will share their “MOO-ving” experiences with you. This video is available on DVD or YouTube. Order this DVD online from agclassroomstore.com.

Meat isn't the only product that comes from beef cattle. The by-products of beef production are used to make numerous everyday items like lipstick, perfume, paint, crayons, leather balls, and more. This black line coloring sheet depicts cattle using items that come to us “compliments of cattle.” Students can color cattle doing things like playing basketball, repairing cars, and putting on lipstick. As they are coloring, students can check off the list of everyday items that are made from beef cattle by-products. Download the lesson plan "Beef Basics" for great classroom activities and a shopping list to create your own beef by-products kit.

This three-page informational sheet describes the processes of how an animal grows, how it gets from the farm to the store, and what products are produced from that animal. Words and simple graphics are used to portray this information for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. Print your own or order a set of 30" x 8" printed charts from agclassroomstore.com.

Modern Farmer magazine offers a number of illustrated accounts by Lucas Adams that depict interesting and important moments in agricultural history. The Illustrated Account of 'The Great Die-Up' of the 1880s tells the story of the winter of 1886-7, which was so harsh that only about one out of ten cattle survived, and the era of the open range came to an end soon after. Other accounts address topics such as the Pleasant Valley Sheep War, mulberry and silk production in 1830s Connecticut, a maple syrup heist, and dairy farming in the 1940s. These graphic novel style articles are sure to engage students from upper elementary to high school and older.     

Double-sided cards representing four livestock species. These cards can add a reading supplement activity to lesson plans to help teach the basic principles about beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. The cards can be printed from the attached PDF or ordered from the Nebraska Foundation for Agricultural Awareness.

The Before the Plate website contains information about the Before the Plate documentary and videos and explanations for each step of the farm-to-fork process for beef, potatoes, honey, milk, and sunflowers.