Learning About Delmar va’s Chicken Industry Middle School Lessons in Agriculture
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. 16686 County Seat Highway Georgetown, Delaware, 19947-4881
Consider exploring the many facets of the Delmarva chicken industry to enhance your science, social studies, and math classes. The lessons we’ve put together for you align to one or more educational standards sets: Next Generation Science Standards, STEM, and National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes. We’ve designed each lesson using the 5E Science curriculum design template to Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. You can pick and choose sections from each lesson, or present the lesson in its entirety. It’s never too early to introduce ideas for careers and we’ve included plenty of ways to explore the chicken industry for what students will need to study to enter a great profession in poultry science, food systems, and environmental stewardship.
Next Generation Science Standards
Maryland STEM Standards
National Agriculture Literacy Outcomes
NGSS MS-LS1-6: Construct a scientific
2.A: Integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Content: Analyze interdisciplinary connections that exist within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines and other disciplines.
The NALO Matrix is a comprehensive cross-cutting standards set that aligns agricultural lessons with a number of industry-recognized educational guidelines. Benchmarks and outcomes for the DPI middle school lessons align with the following NALO themes:
explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
NGSS MS-LS1-7: Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.
NGSS MS-LS2-3:Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
NGSS MS-LS2-4: Construct an oral and written argument supported by empirical evidence to support or refute an explanation of a model for a phenomenon or a solution to a problem.
Agriculture and the Environment
Maryland Common Core MD CC 7.EE.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.
Plants and Animals for Food, Fiber and Energy Food, Health, and Lifestyle Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Culture, Society, Economy, and Geography
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Serving Up Sunshine - 5
Supply and Demand -
Energy to Anatomy - 15
Green, Clean, Screen - 27
Getting the Job Done - 33
There A Doctor in the (Chicken) House? - 37
Resources - 45
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Dear Educator, Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. (DPI), the trade group representing the meat chicken industry on the Delmarva Peninsula, is excited to introduce Flocking to the Classroom: Learning about Delmarva's Chicken Industry. In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that students have little, if any, connection to the sources of their food. Building on an earlier, well-received, educational resource for elementary grades, we are hoping this new project will help students on the middle school level increase their understanding of the important role that science and technology play in producing the wholesome, nutritious, delicious chicken they enjoy each day. We also hope the lessons will introduce students to some of the exciting career opportunities the industry offers today's students. DPI thanks the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation for its invaluable assistance with the project and the United Soybean Board for the grants that made this outreach possible. If you have questions as you put the lessons to use, please contact us at dpi@dpichicken.org call 800-878-2766, or visit our website at www.dpichicken.org. With best wishes, Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. is the nonprofit trade association working for the continued progress of the meat chicken industry in Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In existence since 1948, DPI’s members include more than 1,000 farm families raising chickens, five companies producing birds on Delmarva, hundreds of chicken company employees, and hundreds of allied industry suppliers of products and services.
www.dpichicken.org
The Delmarva Peninsula is a geographical region that includes the Eastern Shore of Maryland, most of Delaware, and two eastern shore counties of Virginia. The climate, soils, topography and agricultural communities of this region are well-suited for raising broiler chicken, America’s most popular meat! In this lesson students explore how the region’s abundant solar energy helps to power an entire food system!
Engage! Ask students to imagine their favorite chicken meal. Is it served for a special occasion? Who prepares it? Why is it their favorite? How can a favorite recipe describe a place, time, an occasion, or event? Invite students to describe their favorite chicken recipe as a poem by filling in the blanks with phrases or word lists. Read aloud to share.
I Smell…. (What are the aromas and spices?) I See…. (Describe how the table looks, the light, and people.)
Essential Questions
I Savor…. (Describe the tastes – salty, sweet, hot, mild.) I Feel…. (How does eating this meal make you feel?) I Arrive …. (Describe the season and time this food is served) I Come From…. (Describe where the ingredients came from.) I Thank …. (Who provided the food? Who cooked the food?)
How does the capture and transfer of solar energy drive our food systems? Why does the Delmarva Peninsula provide an ideal geographical location for the poultry industry?
I Am…. (Now name the dish!)
Key Vocabulary Students will understand that the foods they eat just don’t come from the grocery store. Chicken is a favorite meal all over the world. Farmers on the Delmarva Peninsula are part of a complex food system that helps to feed our nation and the world!
Food system Solar Energy Photosynthesis Trophic Chart Delmarva Peninsula
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Elaborate - Make A Trophic Chart Invite students to explore the idea of energy pathways by creating a trophic chart that maps the steps and processes involved in creating a pot of delicious Delmarva Chicken Corn Chowder! Students may work in teams of two to four students. More ambitious teams may map the entire recipe from pot back to solar source, or you may limit the number of ingredients to one per student, with chicken being one of the most important to map. Discuss with students the steps that may not be obvious to us such as trucking the produce to market or how photosynthesis converts light and heat energy into sugars that give vegetables (for our chowder) or grain and soybeans (for chicken feed).
Materials: One piece of chart paper per team Markers, colored pencils Student copies of the recipe “Delmarva Chicken Corn Chowder�
Directions: Work in teams of 2 to 4 students per chart. 1.) In the lower right corner of the chart paper draw a pot of simmering Delmarva Chicken Corn Chowder. 2.) In the upper left corner, draw a picture of the sun. 3.) Create a map connecting the pot of chowder to the sun by charting all the ingredients listed on the recipe and working backwards to the original source of energy for our food systems. 3.) Think about processes such as planting, harvesting, distributing, and recycling involved in a food system. Connect the steps of growing the items on the ingredient list with the processes that require fuel. Remember that photosynthesis is a process that creates food (sugars) for plants. Understand that even fossil fuels (gasoline, propane, natural gas, coal) are all related to solar energy! Trace all ingredients through natural and managed processed back to the sun!
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Evaluate - How does Solar Energy Transfer? Ask students to circle the stages of energy transfer that involve photosynthesis. There should be several locations on the trophic charts where this process transfers solar energy into the food system. Ask student teams to construct an explanation that describes why solar energy and photosynthesis drive our food system. Review and revise as needed. Students will write their finished statements on their trophic charts.
Extension Invite students to collect their favorite family chicken recipe to help create their very own classroom family cookbook! On 4 x 6 index cards have students copy the following:
Name of Recipe _________________________________________________
Submitted by ___________________________________________________
This recipe is made for: Breakfast _____ Lunch _____ Dinner _____ Snack ______ Appetizer_____ This recipe can be served: Any day _____ Special occasions _____ Holidays _____ This recipe is a: A family favorite ______ From a cookbook _____ Traditional dish _____ This recipe calls for chicken that is: Baked _____ Fried _____ Grilled ______ Roasted ______ Boiled_______
Students should staple the recipe to the index card and submit for review. Invite a parent reviewer to check the recipes for accuracy and spelling. Compile the recipes into a cookbook using desktop publishing software and post as a pdf to the class webpage to share with the entire school!
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Use the Chicken Corn Chowder recipe from to have students determine the quantities of ingredients needed to serve the whole class. The original recipe is for four servings. Ask students what kinds of calculations they will need to provide one serving for every class member.
Use the Chicken Corn Chowder recipe from Serving Up Sunshine to have students determine the quantities of ingredients needed to serve the whole class. If the original recipe is for four servings, what kinds of calculations will students need to provide one serving for every class member? Rewrite the recipe to show the revised quantities!
Divide the class into four groups. Assign each group one ingredient from the recipe: chicken, corn, potatoes, onions, and celery. Use the Internet, library books, and resource people (such as a visit from a Master Gardener) to answer the following questions: How and where are the food plants grown? Locally outdoors? In greenhouses? In another region? In another country?
Essential Questions What are the benefits and constraints of buying school foods locally? How can students argue for locally purchased foods in their school districts?
How is chicken raised for meat? How are chicken or plant-based foods processed? Are they used fresh? Are they frozen, canned, or dried to store? Are they chopped, sliced, left whole to use?
Key Vocabulary Food miles Carbon footprint
If Chicken Corn Chowder were to be served in your school cafeteria to the whole school, how much of all ingredients should be ordered? Show your math!
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Explain - Supply and Demand Ingredients like those found in Chicken Corn Chowder are usually in demand throughout the year. Farmers grow crops like corn, potatoes, celery, carrots, peppers, and onions in large quantities that can be processed for storage until needed by consumers. Some crops like potatoes store well without processing, but they need just the right environment (cool and dark) to keep for a long time. All crops, meats, and grains are subject to supply and demand: the interaction between farmers and consumers. Show a whole carrot to the class. Who would like to buy this carrot? [Probably not many – why would anyone want to buy one carrot?] Why not? [There are plenty of carrots at the grocery store. When I need carrots I’ll go buy them.] The supply of whole carrots is great. The demand is low. Therefore the price is low. According to the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Price Index (http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/fruit-andvegetable-prices.aspx#26396) whole carrots are about 77 cents per pound retail. What if I told you that a disease is wiping out carrots in the fields? Soon there will be few carrots to purchase in the grocery store. We need carrots to make our Chicken Corn Chowder! The supply will soon be low. The demand will soon be high. Therefore the price will be sure to rise! Now who wants to buy this carrot? [Probably a few more hands go up – with some dickering for price!] What if I told you the disease is now under control with a new field treatment and our carrot supply returns to normal. People have discovered how wonderful our Chicken Corn Chowder is and suddenly everybody wants some! The supply stays the same. The demand goes up. Therefore the price goes higher! Explain to students that supply, demand, and price of chicken, crops, grains, meats, and other agricultural products are affected by a number of variables. Consider these questions: What type of weather may slow or end the growth of plants? What kinds of weather might affect the growing of meat chickens? Are chickens exposed to the outdoors? Explain to students that a chicken house is a large long building that is heated, cooled, and ventilated to create optimum growing conditions for young birds. What types of weather could cause problems for a chicken house? How do natural events and processes effect supply, demand, and price of agricultural products?
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Project or draw this incomplete graph for students to copy on large chart paper so that it measures 12” by 24” on paper. Provide rulers, markers, and chart or newsprint paper.
1.) Label each of the triangle markers from left to right, A through F. 2.) Measure and mark the Y axis in one inch increments. Each increment represents a ten cent increase from bottom to top, from 0 to $1.20. Label the Y axis “Price per Pound.” 3.) Label the X axis as ‘Time’ Share the following six scenarios. Have students take notes as you read. Invite teams to determine whether each scenario results in a rise or fall in supply, demand, and price. Place the number of the scenario above the triangle marker for which student teams identify as explaining the rise or fall of prices. Note that these scenarios combine variables other than weather. What are they?
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Scenarios to Chart Farmers who grow your crop enlarged their fields to grow more! A huge international order of your crop was canceled due to a major strike of shipping workers in an important port. If shipped, your crop will simply rot in their containers, since timely unloading will not be assured. A new disease has destroyed most of this year’s crop, although there are some regions of the country that are not affected. A news media report that inaccurately described a problem with the safety of your crop has frightened consumers away from buying! No one buys this ingredient for weeks until the media correct their story and consumers rebuild their trust in your team’s product. Lower prices have forced some farmers to abandon this crop and start growing other crops that will earn a higher return. Fewer farmers are now growing your team’s product. Campbell’s Soup has developed three new products that include your crop. It is buying large quantities from farmers who specialize in your team’s ingredient. There are several ways to label this graph. Think about variables. Invite teams to share their graphs and explain why they chose to label the markers as they did. What were the variables that determined price increases or decreases?
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Have students compose a letter to the school cafeteria staff or to a group of parent volunteers to ask if they might be able to make and eat their class-sized recipe of Chicken Corn Chowder. Decide how much all ingredients would cost to make the meal (and add cornbread or biscuits of course!) by scanning the local grocery flyers for quantities and prices. Include the cost of the meal in the letter and invite students to chip in to purchase what they’ll need! If staff or parents are willing to offer cooking items, space, and guidance, plan on a time to make this delicious meal together. What a great way to celebrate the bounty of the earth and the hard work of farmers!
Dear Cafeteria Staff, Could you help us with a project?
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The Delmarva region provides all of the resources necessary to grow a lot of chicken! Abundant sunshine helps grow the corn and soybeans needed to feed over 500,000,000 meat birds grown in this region every year! Students will explore how a meat chicken grows and how the meat is used to create so many wonderful and healthy meals, the world over!
Engage How does the digestive tract of a chicken compare with the digestive tract of a human? Compare this image with an image of the human digestive tract. Have students list the differences between human (mammal) and chicken (avian) systems.
Essential Questions Why is it important for poultry farmers to understand and apply good nutrition practices to grow meat birds for human consumption? How do birds convert food to muscle, beak, feather, and bone? Vocabulary Digestive tract Crop Proventriculus Enzymes Gizzard
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Explore - Fill Your Crop! Students should know that birds have very different digestive tracts compared to mammals. The most obvious difference is that birds do not have teeth! Mammals use teeth to rip, grind, and tear their food into small pieces. Many birds (chickens, raptors, quail, songbirds, turkeys) use their beaks to quickly pick foods like seeds, feed grains, insects, and meat. Food is stored in their crop until the bird can find a safe place to sit quietly and digest all it has eaten. Think of the crop as a muscular storage pouch. Try this fun activity to try your ‘beak” at collecting food for your crop
You’ll need: Yellow card stock cut to 8” squares, one per student A plastic zip-lock sandwich bag, per student A stopwatch Digital scale A cookie tray full of chicken feed crumble (easy to get at Tractor Supply) Access to this fun YouTube via Internet: http://youtu.be/XtGuiKTUq9Y
Directions: 1.) Make an origami chicken beak with the yellow card stock. Watch the instructional video to learn how.
Practice opening and closing the beak. Practice picking up some seed or feed from the tray. 2.) Fold back the opening of a plastic sandwich bag so that it stands on its own. This will serve as your
chicken’s crop. 3.) See how much food you can place into your crop using only the chicken beak! Try a set of different
timed intervals and compete against your flock mates! Weigh your crop after each interval to determine the winners. 4.) Save your crop-full-of-crumble for the next activity!
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Explain - Energy to Anatomy Compare the digestive systems of different mammals to birds to discover some major differences. Explain to students that the lack of teeth in birds means that food stored in the crop must be ground up in a special glandular stomach called the gizzard. It is important that chickens drink a lot of water because it is here that the dry feed becomes a paste, where acids and enzymes are released by the proventriculus to begin the digestive process. The paste travels back and forth between these organs to grind and mash the paste into a liquid. To get an idea of how food is prepared for digestion in a chicken’s digestive tract, fill your crop bag half full of chicken feed crumble. Place your feed-filled ‘crop’ zip-lock sandwich bag inside a second bag. Zip both bags closed. Pretend your hands are the muscles that surround the gizzard. Knead the bags gently for several minutes.
You’ll need: An extra zip-lock sandwich bag A measuring tablespoon Water
Directions: 1.) Ask students to describe the physical appearance
of the dry feed. Collect descriptive words in a word bank on the board or chart paper. 2.) Students will add 5 tablespoons of water and re-
seal the bags. Knead again for several minutes. 3.) Ask students to describe the physical appearance of the feed. Compare these words with the words col-
lected to describe the dry feed. How does added water change properties of materials? 4.) Ask students to continue to add teaspoons of water while kneading the bag until the feed turns into a
thin paste? Record the amount of water added and time required. ____________________ tablespoons
__________________minutes of kneading
5.) Ask students why it is essential that chickens have access to plenty of fresh water. It is the most important
nutrient for chicken flocks. Why? Can students suggest what could happen if water were not available to a flock?
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Elaborate - The Energy to Anatomy Musical!
When feed has been broken down by water and enzymes into a thin paste, the gizzard releases this liquid to the small intestine. In a chicken, the small intestine can be up to 4.5 feet long! It is here, with additional enzymes added by the pancreas, that the feed is finally broken down to the size of molecules! The walls of the small intestine absorb all essential nutrients and transport these throughout the body. These nutrients can be used to make different organs, skin, bones, and muscle. Nutrients are critical to providing energy to various body processes. Unused material is passed to the large intestine which absorbs the water and collects the waste material to be sent on to the cloaca and on to the vent to be released as manure. Nutrients essential for healthy meat chickens are grouped as water, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Remember that bag of chicken feed crumble used in the previous activity? Examine the ingredient and nutrition label. Get ready to perform the Energy to Anatomy Musical! Divide the class into five groups. Assign each group a Nutrient Card. The face of the card describes a nutrient category. The back of the card describes the importance of the category to the growth and health of a meat bird. Groups will find a place where they can prepare a song, rap, dance, and/or cheer to perform to the entire class as part of the Energy to Anatomy Musical! Have fun!
Print the next five pages for the nutrient categories. Fold each in half. Laminate to save and reuse. Divide the class into five groups and give each group a card. Assign or invite them to find a place clear of the other groups where they can read their cards and spend time to compose and practice a song, rap, dance, and/or cheer using the information given on their script cards. Each performance should take only a few minutes. Create a festive, theatrical atmosphere to get lots of laughs!
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Water
Water is the most essential nutrient for animals. Pets and livestock always should have access to plenty of fresh water. The bodies of mammals and birds are 75 to 80 percent water, which is mostly found in the blood. Blood carries nutrients from the digestive system to cells throughout the body. Blood also carries waste products away. For livestock, like broiler and layer flocks, water is absolutely essential for digestion and absorption of nutrients. Healthy meat and eggs consumed by you and me depends on plentiful fresh, clean water available on the farm!
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Proteins
Proteins are complex chemical components that form and maintain the tissues of the body. Proteins are built of smaller components called amino acids. Some amino acids can be made inside a mammal or bird, but most essential amino acids must be supplied through feed the farmer provides. Proteins build muscle, bone, blood, and skin for all animals (including us), feathers for birds, and hair and wool for mammals. We get our protein from eating poultry, fish, and beef, as well as nuts and beans. Soybean meal in chicken feed is high in protein. With so much poultry produced on the Eastern Shore, soybeans are an important feed crop grown in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
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Carbohydrates and Fats
Carbohydrates and fats are critical as fuel. These nutrients are essential to the conversion of animal feed to body tissues in livestock we later consume as meat. Carbohydrates and fats maintain an animal’s body temperature and power movement such as flying, chasing, grazing, and running. Carbohydrates and fats not burned as energy are stored as fat. Grains like corn contain a lot of carbohydrates and are an important ingredient in livestock feed. Delmarva farmers grow a lot of feed corn! Fats and oils come from sunflowers or tallow (beef fat), and a variety of plants such as rice, soybean, corn, and small amounts of canola and animal fats.
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Minerals
Minerals are used to build bones, beaks, and claws. Minerals are essential in chemical reactions necessary for life. Calcium and phosphorus are important for bone growth and maintenance of good appetite and water consumption. Some minerals like copper, zinc, and iron are needed only in small amounts. These are called micro-minerals. Calcium, phosphorus, sodium and chloride are needed in larger amounts. These are called macro-minerals. Minerals help livestock maintain healthy immune systems and to grow to healthy size and weight. Minerals are added to feed as part of animal protein meal.
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Vitamins
Vitamins help mammals and birds absorb and use other nutrients. Vitamins are essential for growth and are needed in small amounts by all animals. Fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. Vitamin A is essential for eyesight and appetite. Vitamin D is important for strong bones. Vitamin E is critical to a healthy immune system. Vitamin K is important for healthy blood. Water soluble vitamins include the B complex and C. The B complex vitamins help the body absorb proteins and carbohydrates, maintain healthy heart and skin, and promote growth. Vitamins for livestock are supplied in animal feed as a supplement or provided by grazing a green pasture.
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Make a set of Quiz cards using index cards with multiple choice questions on the front. Keep the answer key for yourself. Allow students to pick from the deck and read the question and choices aloud to the group. To allow all students the chance to answer the questions, give a ten-second wait period for hands go up. What is the most essential nutrient for chickens? o proteins o
water
o
energy
o
minerals
[ water ]
What is comprised of smaller units called amino acids? [ Proteins ] o proteins o
water
o
carbohydrates
o
minerals
What are used to build bones, beaks, claws, and fuel chemical reactions necessary for many life processes? [ minerals ] o
proteins
o
water
o
fats
o
minerals
Which kind of nutrient is used as fuel to supply energy? [Carbohydrates] o
water
o
carbohydrates
o
minerals
o
vitamins
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Non-essential amino acids‌ [are produced inside the animal’s body ] o are not important in the animal's life processes o
must be added to the animal's feed
o
are produced inside the animal's body
o
are building blocks of fats
What is essential for growth and needed in small amounts by the animal? [ vitamins ] o vitamins o
carbohydrates
o
proteins
o
fats
Copper, zinc, and iron are ‌ o macro nutrients o
fats
o
proteins
o
micro nutrients
Calcium and phosphorus are ‌ o micro minerals o
macro minerals
o
proteins
o
fats
[ micro nutrients ]
[ macro nutrients ]
Soybean meal and fish are... [ high in protein ] o never used in animal feed o
low in protein
o
mostly vitamins
o
high in protein
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Plants have been used for centuries to beautify and add interest to human - built environments, from city parks to residential landscaping. Vegetative buffers are very useful for minimizing runoff, absorbing excess nutrients, and improving viewsheds on agricultural lands.
Prior to class, cut an 8 to 10 inch leafy branch off of a variety of landscaping plants you may have around the school or at home. Try to have a selection of needles, waxy leaves, and deciduous leaf samples on a twig so that, if possible, each student has a distinctly different branch. It’s not important to know what species or varieties these are, just that they are different. 1.) Invite students to close their eyes or wear a blindfold. Give each student a cut branch. Students will want get to know their branches very well so that they can immediately find it again when all the branches are collected and placed in a big pile, eyes open! Allow a few minutes for students to become familiar with their branches. 2.) Collect the branches and jumble them into a pile. Have students remove blindfolds or open their eyes. Invite them to reunite with their branches by sight based upon the observations they made by feel.
How can we engineer a landscape with natural components to provide increased ecosystem services and stewardship?
Ask students: What characteristics of their branch allowed them to recognize it by sight?
Vocabulary
Describe the texture of the leaves or needles. Why are there so many different kinds of leaves? How does a waxy leaf benefit a plant?
Buffer Viewshed Ecosystem Services
How do needles benefit a plant? How do leaves benefit a deciduous plant? What are the bark textures? How does this benefit a plant?
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Print and share the brochure Vegetative Environmental Buffers: Improving the Environment from the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. website resources found under the Vegetative Environmental Buffers tab. http://www.dpichicken.org/veb/docs/VegBrochure-Enviro.pdf Ask students to read the brochure. Students should identify these important concepts: 1.) What is the primary goal of installing Vegetative Environmental Buffers (VEB)? 2.) What are the four potential environmental impacts of a chicken house buffer?
For Question #2 ask students to fill in a graphic organizer with the details of their answer. This can be completed individually or as a team using the following diagram as a model, on paper or using graphic software.
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Explain - Green to Screen and Clean
Students should understand that ecosystem services provided by plants contribute to our overall environmental health. Based on the previous activity summarize these important environmental services: 1.) Plants absorb and utilize atmospheric gases. 2.) Plants capture and filter groundwater and runoff. 3.) Plants capture and cycle nutrients. 4.) Large plants can provide shade that can reduce the need for running cooling fans.
There are four categories of ecosystem services that plants provide: Supporting Services. Plants form the base of food chains in most ecosystems. They harvest sunlight through photosynthesis that provides both food and habitat for other organisms. Provisioning Services. Plants are harvested for food, animal feed, and fiber. Trees and shrubs are harvested for firewood, lumber for building, and pulp for paper products. Some plants contain important medicinal properties. Regulating Services. Plants assist with ecosystem functions such as flood control and climate regulation. Plant root systems control water movement, and larger plants can prevent flooding much more effectively than turf. During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen. Carbon is stored in roots and stems, helping to regulate greenhouse gases. Cultural Services. Native plants are especially valuable to human cultures for recreational and spiritual uses. People especially appreciate a wooded park-like setting for camping, picnics, and other family gatherings. Many people make trips to their favorite woodlot each spring to see the wildflowers. We grow particular plants in our gardens and on our properties to support butterfly larvae or bees, or to create a pleasing view. Certain viewsheds contain natural or historic features that are protected and enhanced by choosing particular plants.
Ask students to group ecosystem services for their impact on certain physical spaces.
What categories of ecosystem services do VEBs provide for the farm property?
What categories of ecosystem services do VEBs provide to the surrounding community?
What categories of ecosystem services do VEBs provide to the watershed?
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Make copies or view online the list of trees and shrubs “Suitable Plants for Poultry Buffers” from the handbook VEB Tool Kit found on the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. website resources found under the Vegetative Environmental Buffers tab, Appendix A (31-35). http://www.dpichicken.org/veb/docs/VEBTK.pdf Be sure to review the Key (31) with students before starting this activity. Divide the class into landscape design teams of 4-6 students. This activity will take some time to complete so allow an extra class or extended period. Each team will need a large piece of paper, whiteboard, or access to a computer graphics program. Each team will draw a rectangle 4” (W) x 10” (L) . Note that large chicken houses can be 40 to 66 feet wide and 400 to 600 feet long! Stress that this chart is a simple representation. Label one of the long sides N for northern exposure, and label the other long side S for southern exposure. Label one end of the rectangle F for fans. Explain to students that large hoods extend out from this exterior wall – they may want to add a symbol to represent them.
Student scenario: A local chicken farmer is asking for your team’s help to design and install a buffer using trees and shrubs around a site on which a large chicken house will be built. Access for trucks to the chicken house will need to be established, and the buffer cannot interfere with deliveries or pick-ups of flocks. Students may want to research the size and shape of a chicken house on the Internet. The farmer states that in addition to screening the chicken house from cold northern winds in winter and hot southerly winds in summer, she would like the buffer also to mitigate the tunnel fan exhaust to help protect the local environment from dust and excess ammonia that could be vented outside. 1.) What are the chicken farmer’s goals for the buffer? 2.) What trees and shrubs will you recommend for each of three of the four sides of the chicken house? Re-
member, keep road access to the building open! Use the guidelines suggested in the VEB Tool Kit and a hard copy of Appendix A “Suitable Plants for Poultry Buffers” to plan and draw a blueprint of how and where you would construct a buffer. Hint: There are several kinds of buffers called for in this scenario!
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Review the plans of each landscape design as a group. Ask student teams to defend/explain their choice of trees and shrubs. What ecosystem services do their buffers provide? How will this buffer project affect the viewshed for the local community? Compare student team designs to the sample VEB diagram on page 10 of the VEB Tool Kit. Allow students to make corrections to their designs as needed. Check for the following criteria:
端 Buffer area to block cold northern winds. 端 Buffer area to block winds and provide shade during summer. 端 Treatment buffer for tunnel fan exhaust. 端 Access for farm equipment and trucks.
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The Delmarva poultry industry is built upon teamwork. There are many occupations within the industry that must function well together to ensure healthy birds, a healthy environment for birds and people, and nutritious, safe food for everyone!
Engage Gather students in a circle. Review what students have learned about the poultry industry thus far. Ask students if they can think of occupations this industry requires. Ask each student, in turn around the circle, to think of one job that might be important to producing meat birds for a local or regional food system. Ask students to briefly describe the job and why it would be important. If possible, go around the circle again and name a new round of jobs.
Explore What is the difference between a job and a career? What is s profession compared to an occupation? The Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. website can help us define and use these terms correctly. But first we’ll need some definitions. Work with a teammate or friend to look up the definitions of the following:
Essential Questions What is the difference between a job and a career? What is a profession compared to an occupation? What kinds of training and education would I need to have a career in the poultry industry ?
a.) Job b.) Occupation c.) Career
Vocabulary
d.) Profession
Complete this statement using your understanding of the terms above. Discuss your answers with other teams. An _________________ is generally thought of as a series of related _________. A Maryland chicken farmer’s _______________ is poultry production. Her ____________ is a lifelong ambition in the poultry business.
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Career Job Occupation Profession
Elaborate Ask students when would be a good time to start thinking about their careers? When is the best time to start thinking about a job? How are the two questions related? How are they different? Agriculture offers many kinds of jobs that can become profitable and enjoyable careers – but it takes planning. In middle school students may not know exactly what they want to do years from now, but they can begin to explore their interests. By taking the time now to think about their interests becoming a job or future career later, they will be better prepared to make decisions about what academic and career paths they should consider in high school. In the chart below is a sample of careers the Delmarva’s chicken industry offers in our region. Share the chart with students and ask them to check in pencil the level of education and training they think each career requires. We’ll explore how the real people in these careers prepared for their jobs later on in this lesson.
Column Heading Descriptions HS – High School STEM – Science, technology, engineering, math Job Experience – Education received working a job as compared to learning in a classroom College Science – Associate’s degree (2 year) or bachelor’s degree (4 year) formal education Internship – Limited, short term job experience (2 – 12 months) offered by a farm or company Professional Experience – Training/education gained while fully employed by a company or farm
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Chicken farming is a team effort! In the chart for the previous activity, several careers are listed that involve many types of jobs that must combine to make the process of raising and processing meat birds run smoothly, safely, and efficiently. Here are some descriptions of Delmarva’s chicken industry team members who help make this happen. Ask students to match the following descriptions with the career listings in the chart.
Kristina says: “I supervise and assist chicken growers to ensure that they are producing quality birds. I visit farms to check bird health, mortality, chicken house conditions, and feed inventory. I also collect avian influenza swabs, estimate bird weights and order feed.”
Scott W. says: “I check on housing conditions from before the flock arrives until after it leaves to verify that they meet the standards for raising poultry. I act as the liaison between the chicken company and the farmer.”
Don says: “I develop and monitor preventive poultry health programs for chickens. I train and educate personnel on poultry health matters such as biosecurity. I ensure that birds are raised humanely.”
Tanya says: “My job is to protect the environment and reduce the impact of our operation in the areas where our farms are located. I fulfill the requirements associated with water, wastewater, storm water, chemicals, and air permits. This involves a lot of training, testing, and documentation!”
Elizabeth says: “I am part of a team effort to ensure we meet industry guidelines for the humane rearing and slaughter of chickens for meat production. I develop and implement pathogen control programs and have oversight of our microbiology laboratory.”
Maria says: “My job includes receiving eggs, ensuring proper incubation, hatching, and processing. I also ensure that my associates have a safe and enjoyable working environment.”
Tanya on the job in wastewater monitoring.
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Share the following list of agricultural jobs with students. Ask them to sort jobs into career categories that align with those listed on the chart provided in the Explain section of this lesson. Will there be overlap in jobs that are performed in two or more careers? For ease of sorting, you may want to copy each of these jobs on an index card so that they can be sorted, grouped, and regrouped as needed. Ask students to explain how jobs are related to careers? What is the difference between a career, profession, and an occupation?
Jobs Description
● Provides veterinary services to a chicken farm ● Weighs chickens ● Works to ensure food safety ● Manages incubation ● Develops chicken health programs ● Documents how waste water is managed ● Checks chicken house temperature ● Uses microbiology lab equipment ● Tests chickens for good health ● Protects environment ● Accepts and processes egg deliveries ● Trains people in how to keep healthy chickens ● Makes air emission calculations for testing ● Ensures proper and humane treatment of chickens
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Meet some of the great people working in local agriculture who help provide your communities with safe, nutritious, and affordable chicken for your table!
Divide the class into teams of four to five students. Have students print their own set of career cards, provided on the following pages. Cut the sheets in half and mount with a glue stick on card stock. Laminate and trim. Read the job descriptions. How many cards out of the set have food safety, chicken health, and/or animal welfare as part of their descriptions? How important is health and safety to the meat chicken industry? How are these jobs related to Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM)?
Essential Questions How are agricultural professionals responsible for animal health and food safety?
Each team should place career cards face down on a table. Each student should choose a card. Students will read his or her career card silently. Students should write down any words that are unfamiliar to them. As the students finish reading each card have them pass it to the next reader on the team. Continue passing, reading, and listing words until all the cards are read.
How are professionals in animal agriculture trained and educated in science, technology, engineering, and math? Vocabulary STEM
On a piece of chart paper the teacher will list all individual student word lists. Combine the research power of all the team members and work together to find the definitions of all the words on the chart.
Biosecurity Microbiology Bachelor of Science Master’s of Science Doctorate
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Visit the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. website to take an industry tour at http://www.dpichicken.org/media/nr_view.cfm?id=353. Spread the career cards face down on the table. Each student will chose one card, flip it over, and read it aloud to the team. Think about where this person serves the meat chicken industry. Answer these questions in your group: ·
Where does your selected professional work within the meat chicken industry? On the farm? In processing and inspection? In a research laboratory or research setting? Describe.
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How is your selected professional responsible for ensuring safety and health of birds, on the farm, and in the environment? Explain.
Assemble all the teams together and lay all the career cards face down on the floor. Students will choose a new card from the large collection. Students will read the career profile silently to themselves, without showing it to their classmates. Ask students to role-play the professional on the card. Ask them to think about how they will answer the question “What do you do?” Try filling in the blanks to this statement as a starter: “I am a ___________ and I ____________.” Example: “I am a veterinarian and I make sure meat chickens are healthy and safe.” There will be many ways to answer this question as there will be several students role playing the same person! The goal is to correctly identify and gather all the players with the same card. To play the game: 1.) Students mingle in a large group and ask each other “What do you do?” 2.) Responses may only be given once to each inquiry. No follow-up questions allowed! 3.) If the student asking the question thinks the job description closely matches her own, she may ask “Are
you Dr. David Shapiro?” (from the example) or whomever is described on their hidden career profile. 4.) Should the responding student say “No!” then move on and approach another student to question. 5.) Should the responding student say “Yes!” then stick together as a team and continue to move through
the group until all students with the same profiles have gathered.
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In their career profile groups (all the same professional) ask students about how easy or difficult it was to find their teammates. Were there similarities among different career profiles? Was there overlap of jobs and responsibilities? Did some careers stand out as unique and distinct from the others?
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What surprised you about the career profile you chose?
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Why is it considered an agricultural STEM career?
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How has this lesson changed the way you think about jobs in agriculture?
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Resources Thank you for your interest in Flock to the Classroom! For additional information about chicken and agricultural education in the classroom, please check the following resources!
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. www.dpichicken.org
U.S. Poultry and Egg Association http://www.uspoultry.org
United Soybean Board http://unitedsoybean.org/
National Chicken Council http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org
Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. http://www.maefonline.com
National Agriculture in the Classroom http://www.agclassroom.org
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