Cattle Grazing Systems

In this upper elementary task, students obtain information from various media sources to explain how an agricultural management practice, the rotational grazing of cattle, can improve a pasture ecosystem. Students explore the components of the rotational grazing system and how the system improves vegetative cover, grass, and root growth, dry matter production, soil erosion, and stream health. Students use what they learned in the task to explain the original phenomena—before and after images showing a previously degraded pasture system that has been improved using a rotational grazing system. This is an updated version of the Grazing Task. This task intends to elicit student learning of the following NGSS dimensions:

•    Disciplinary Core Ideas – ESS3.C-E1: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience (ES) 
•    Science and Engineering Practices – Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information (ES)
•    Crosscutting Concepts – Systems and System Models (ES)
•    New York State P-12 Standards – 5-ESSE3-1
 

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