Written collaboratively by Christine Wood and Sara Koepke, former SDSU Extension 4-H Educator - Grant County.
The Adopt-A-Cow: Dairy program engages kindergarten through second grade youth in learning about Dairy production through hands-on activities and by connecting youth virtually with real South Dakota animals. Students follow their “adopted” cow and calf throughout the school year while they learn about the South Dakota dairy industry. The “Adopt-A-Cow” program is an excellent opportunity for students to learn how food gets from farm to fork while having fun.
Lessons combine a variety of learning strategies including video and hands-on activities. Some lessons also have recommended extended learning opportunities that allow classrooms to dive deeper into the topic as time allows. Some of these learning opportunities include math worksheets, sending mail to the SD 4-H Adopt-A-Cow team, and external lessons from sources like National Ag in the Classroom and Minecraft.
Together the lessons of each unit work to build agriculture literacy.
National Agriculture Literacy Outcomes
Plants and Animals for Food, Fiber and Energy Outcomes
- Explain how farmers/ranchers work with the lifecycle of plants and animals (planting/breeding) to harvest a crop
- Identify animals involved in agriculture production and their uses (i.e., work, meat, dairy, eggs)
- Identify examples of feed/food products eaten by animals and people
- Culture, Society, Economy and Geography Outcomes
- Discuss what a farmer does
- Trace the sources of agriculture products used daily