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

Lesson: Dairy and beef - contrasting industries

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
Worksheet

Introduction

This activity looks at the differences and similarities in raising dairy cattle and beef cattle, and the differences in the way the two industries operate.

Curriculum connections

Geography

• demonstrates an understanding of the diversity of agricultural endeavours in Canada
• 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
• investigates food-related issues
• promotes an understanding of the links between agriculture and the consumer
• describes the effect of economics on food production and supply and, ultimately, costs to consumers
• describes the impact of consumer demand on food production.

Notes to teacher

This entire unit can be done as a group work project, with each group completing one activity and presenting it to the rest of the class.

Teaching and learning strategies

1. Students read the article "Dairy and beef - contrasting industries," pages 205 to 214 in Canadian Agriculture at a Glance (PDF).
2. Students complete the template in the worksheet as they read.
3. Students write a summary of the similarities and differences.
4. Students add terminology to their glossaries.

Assessment/evaluation strategies

1. Assess templates for completion and accuracy.
2. Evaluate summaries.
3. 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. For enrichment, students can make a poster to show the similarities and differences in the dairy and beef industries.
7. For enrichment, students can interview a dairy and a beef producer to find out more about each operation.

Links to other activities

This activity is linked to:

• What's for dinner, Daisy?
• A tag in every ear
• Pig production is getting bigger and more specialized
• There's a pig in your closet
• Growing dominance of a few large poultry farms — a continuing legacy
• How supply management works
• The pumpkin patch - a venture in agri-tourism
• Prairie farmers have always found a way to adapt
• Grain elevators are getting bigger but fewer
• The rise and fall of fall rye
• From wild beast to docile partner
• Dairy farming goes high tech

Suggestions for further research

• Students can investigate two other agricultural operations similar to one another, for example, laying-hen and broiler operations.
• 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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