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

Students explore breed characteristics and countries of origin for five different breeds of dairy cattle and discover why dairy farmers choose individual breeds for specific purposes. 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 examine how cows help conserve natural resources by identifying the important role dairy cattle have in reducing, reusing, and recycling food processing by-products. Students identify each stage of the ecological cycle and the important role of decomposers. Grades 3-5

With the help of his Dairy Godmother, Chuck is taken—poof!—on a memorable and delicious adventure to a dairy farm. He finds out exactly where ice cream comes from and gains an even deeper love and appreciation for his favorite food.

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.

Use this interactive map to help students see how geography and climate affects the production of agricultural crops. The map has USDA statistics built in to allow your students to answer questions such as, "Which state(s) produce the most cattle?" "Where does [my state] rank nationally in corn production?" "What region of the United States produces the most cotton?" etc. There are many agricultural maps available including field crops such as corn, wheat, barley, and alfalfa in addition to fruit and vegetable crops, ornamental nursery crops, and livestock.

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.

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.

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.