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DREC Feedlot

Virtual Field Trip

Friday, October 9, 2020 @ 9:30 AM

Resources for Teachers

students petting a steer at drec feedlot

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DREC Tour: October 9, 2020: Led by Brooke Latack, UCCE Livestock Advisor for Imperial, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.

California is one of the nation's greatest beef-producing states, and beef is the #1 most valuable agricultural commodity in Imperial Valley.  This tour of the DREC feedlot will teach us about how beef cattle are raised.  What do cattle eat, how much water do they drink, what is a Holstein, what is a steer and so much more?  Our tour guide, Brooke Latack, is a livestock researcher and advisor with all the latest information about the science of beef. 

Beef Cattle and Dairy e-learning Resources for teachers and parents

ALL GRADES

Beef Commodity Fact Sheet

Dairy Commodity Fact Sheet

Nutrition Resources for Online Learning: Access easy-to-use, turnkey nutrition resources to support distance learning, hybrid, and in-person education models this school year.

Learn About Ag...Beef: California is one of the nation's greatest beef-producing states, and beef is one of the state's most valuable agricultural commodities. Cattle have played a critical role in our state’s history, and they continue to be a part of the California landscape and culture. Explore the resources on this page to learn all the ways California beef contributes to our daily lives. 

Farm to You: Starting with the sun, there is quite a journey to bring our food from Farm to You. Agricultural products are carefully prepared for consumers, involving a number of steps and checks for quality assurance. These teaching resources include a colorful illustration, photos, and hands-on lesson plans and activities to help students understand the people and processes involved from Farm to You.

Arizona Beef Council

Journey 2050:Journey 2050 takes students on a virtual farm simulation that explores world food sustainability. Using an inquiry-based approach the program encourages students to make decisions and adjust them as they see their impact on society, the environment, and the economy at a local and global scale. The students hear from farmers across the globe.
As the student interacts with each family they learn the role of best management practices in feeding the world, reducing environmental impacts, and in improving social performance through greater access to education, medical care, and community infrastructure. Our Journey to feeding the world has started.

GRADES K-3

Fun on the Farm Printable Coloring Books

My American Farm: Fun online games for K-6 – for both the classroom and families. Brought to you by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. 

Ice Cream in a Bag

A-MAZE-ING Dairy Maze

Milk or Meat? Beef or Dairy?: Students will identify the differences between beef and dairy cattle and determine the commodities produced by each type of cattle.

Animal Life Cycles: This lesson introduces students to six major livestock species, teaches that animals need air, space, food, water, and shelter to survive, and introduces students to the life cycle of a farm animal.

GRADES 4-6

My American Farm: Fun online games for K-6 – for both the classroom and families. Brought to you by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

Cowboy Brands: Explore the importance of brands to identify a rancher's cattle

Got Guts? Investigate the ruminant digestive system

Milk Matters! Discovering Dairy: This unit contains five lessons designed to teach students about the history, production, nutritional value, and economic significance of California’s dairy industry. Students will gain knowledge in social science, mathematics, language arts, science, visual arts, and physical education as they learn about the process through which dairy products are produced and transported from cow to consumer. Students will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for agriculture’s role in their daily lives.

Cowherd Crossword Puzzle

Shake-it-up word scramble

Think in Picture: Like Dr. Grandin: Students will compare agricultural inventors and inventions by creating a timeline of important dates, explore cattle flight zones, and work as agricultural engineers to design a corral system that uses the research of Dr. Temple Grandin.

Compliments of Cattle Poster: 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 blackline 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.

GRADES 7-12

On the Farm STEM Resources

Say Cheese: Investigating the cheese-making process.