THE SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE

Section: Title: Author(s): Time: Objectives: Students will learn:

Animals The Anatomy of a Cow Cheryl Newberry 30 minutes

about the beef cattle industry. how beef cattle are different from humans.
Science

TEKS:

Supplies/Materials/Handouts Needed:

Surgical Glove Cardboard Headband Four (4) socks Sandpaper Elastic String or yarn Fly swatter Four (4) Balloons

Preparation for Lesson: Assemble the following items ahead of time for the activity and place them in a bag or large box out of sight of the children. Udder Stuff surgical glove with tissue. Attach yarn to tie around students waist Horns and Ears Cut cardboard in the shape of a cows ears and horns, and attach them to a plastic headband Hooves Cut four cardboard hoof prints, and attach them to the bottoms of the four socks Tongue Cut sand paper in the shape of a cows tongue. Attach elastic to tongue to hang around students head Stomachs blow up four balloons and tie them together Tail Use a fly swatter and tie a string to it to tie around the students waist Lesson Content: Does anyone here live on a farm or have cows? Have any of you ever see a cow before up close? Well, today, were going to create a cow right before your eyes and learn more about them, but first, lets learn some facts about beef cattle and why they are important to us.

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

Cattle have been around for a very long time! It is believed that cattle were first domesticated in Europe and Asia during the Stone Age. Early cattle served three purposes: meat, milk, and labor. How do you think the farmers from long ago used the cows to help around the farm? Farmers used the cattle to pull plows for planting crops and many other chores around the farm that called for moving heavy objects. Eventually, cows were replaced by horses - and later machinery - for labor in most parts of the world. Over time, cattle were developed to serve single purposes - meat production or milk production, although some breeds continue to serve as dual-purpose cattle for both meat and milk production. How many different kinds or breeds of cattle do you think there are? There are over 900 different breeds of cattle in the world. Thats a lot! If you have seen a cow, what color are they? Cows can be lots of different colors, sizes and shapes. The colors of cattle include black, white (or gray), red, brown. What are some foods that you eat that come from a cow? Some examples of foods that come from a cow include: Hamburger meat Steaks Roast Chicken Fried Steak Milk Butter What are the top two countries that produce beef cattle today? Today, the United States and Brazil are the top beef producing countries in the world. All 50 states in the U.S. have beef cattle. The United States produces about 25% of the world's beef supply with less than 10% of the world's cattle population. Which of the 50 states is the top beef producing state? Texas, of course! Everythings bigger in Texas, right? Activity: Anatomy of a Cow Place the bag or box of cow part props in front of the group. Now we are going to create a cow right before your eyes! Could I have a volunteer to assist me with our cow creation?

What makes a cow a cow? In other words, what are some parts that a cow has that we dont have?

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Cows have four legs instead of two. Its a good thing they are built the way they are, since they get much of their food from the ground. Cows have hooves instead of feet. They do have toes, but only two on each hoof. Have the volunteer put the socks with the cardboard hooves on their hands and feet. What do you think the cows use their hooves for besides to stand on them? The hooves of cattle help loosen up the soil so new grass can grow more easily. The ears of a cow are much larger than ours and help transfer heat. Breeds that originated in warmer climates have larger ears and looser skin to help their bodies get rid of heat. Some cattle can even use their ears to fan themselves in warm weather. Loose skin also protects the cattle from insect bites. Both male and female cows are born with horns (unless they are a polled breed), and sometimes the farmer has the veterinarian remove them. Have the volunteer put the horns and ears on their head. Cows have tails, which is a good thing, since they dont have hands to swat away the flies, like we do. Tie the fly swatter around the waist of the volunteer with the fly swatter positioned in the back. A female cow has one udder and four teats that produce milk after she has had her first calf. Tie the utter around the waist of the volunteer with the utter positioned on their waist. What do we call a male (boy) cow? What do we call a female (girl) cow? A male is called a bull, and a female is called a cow. Female cows, before they have any babies, are called heifers. How many stomachs do you think a cow has? Cows have four stomachs, while we have only one. The four stomachs allow them to eat feeds like grass and hay that humans cannot eat. Have the volunteer hold the 4 balloons on their stomach. What do you think a cows tongue feels like? The cows long tongue feels like sandpaper and helps pull in the grass and hay that they eat. Have volunteer put the tongue around their head and position it in front of their mouth. Can anyone think of any other features of a cow that are different from us? As you can see from our new cow, they are quite different from us, but yet, they serve a very important part in our world. Next time you see a cow, you will notice these different parts and be able to understand why a cow has those parts and how they work.

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Conclusion: What did we say that cows were used for back in the stone age? Meat, Milk, and Labor What are they used for today? Meat and Milk What state produces the most beef? Texas What are some of the characteristics of a cow that are different from humans? Ears, stomach, tail, toes, skin, udder, horns, toes, eats grass What are some characteristics of a cow that are similar to humans? Eyes, mouth, both can walk, etc. Why are cows important to us? Cows provide our milk and lots of food. Is there anything we can do to keep cows healthy? Littering can cause harm to our environment and cows live in our environment. If they ate something that we threw out the window, it could harm them. Dont pour chemicals out on the ground. Chemicals can get into our water and cows need water to live, too! Students may think of other answers! Lesson adapted from: Beautiful Bovine, Oklahoma Ag In The Classroom website lesson plan, http://oklahoma4h.okstate.edu/aitc/lessons/extras/commod.html#beef

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