Canadian Agriculture at a Glance Teacher's Kit > Lesson plans

Lesson: Dairy farming goes high tech

View the article (PDF)
Introduction
Curriculum connections
Notes to teacher
Teaching and learning strategies
Assessment/evaluation strategies
Accommodation and enrichment strategies
Links to other activities
Suggestions for further research

Introduction

This activity looks at changes in technology and how they affect the dairy industry.

Curriculum connections

Geography

• identifies the human factors that affect food production.

Family Studies/Home Economics

• identifies food supply and production industries in Canada
• identifies factors that affect food supply in Canada
• describes new technology and products related to food.

 Science

• demonstrates an understanding of how technological endeavours have been and continue to be influenced by human needs
• teaches an appreciation of the role and contribution of science
• illustrates how individuals, society and the environment influence and are influenced by scientific and technological endeavours.

Notes to teacher

This unit, which corresponds to the chapter "The Leading Edge" in the book, can be taught as co-operative group work, focusing on change and its impact on agriculture and our lives as consumers (PDF).

Teaching and learning strategies

1. Students read the article "Dairy farming goes high tech" on pages 313 to 318 in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance (PDF).
2. Students answer the following questions based on the article:
1. What is the milking cycle of a cow? Describe.
2. How important is the cow's diet? What factors need to be considered when feeding cows?
3. How is technology involved in providing the best food for cows?
4. How do farmers ensure they have the best producing herd?
3. Students add terminology to their glossaries.

Assessment/evaluation strategies

1. Assess answers for accuracy and completion.
2. Assess glossaries for accuracy and completion.

Accommodation and enrichment strategies

1. Some students may require assistance in order to complete written work.
2. Students with special needs may work with a partner to complete a task.
3. Templates for note-taking should be provided to students with special needs.
4. Main ideas and/or new information should be mapped out and organized to meet the needs of all students.
5. Wherever possible, vocabulary lists should be provided with a discussion of context clues and related vocabulary.
6. Students with special needs may wish to complete an oral, taped or video presentation rather than a written assignment.
7. For enrichment, students can investigate the nutritional needs of a non-ruminant animal, and compare the two.

Links to other activities

This activity is linked to:

• A science-fiction harvest
• There's omegas in those hemp seeds
• Growing herbs for the medicine chest
• Technology on the farm
• Farming with a mouse
• What's for dinner, Daisy?
• Dairy and beef - contrasting industries
• There's more to organic farming than being pesticide-free

Suggestions for further research

• Students can go onto a university website (such as the University of Alberta, www.afns.ualberta.ca/Hosted/DRTC/Articles\Article_All.asp) and find out what research is going on in animal nutrition.
• Students can use 2001 Census of Agriculture data in E-STAT for data analysis, graphing and mapping activities for specific geographic areas of local interest.

Please send comments or examples of how you used this lesson in your class to Learning Resources.

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