Is the production of milk good or bad for the environment? Conflicting media claims tell opposing views, which can be difficult for students to understand. In this high school 5E unit on the dairy food system and sustainability, students explore media claims about the impacts of the dairy sector on the environment to figure out which ones most accurately represent the body of science on the dairy sector’s impacts. Across a series of four modules, students figure out how the components of the dairy food system impact the environment, including pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, climate, and biodiversity. To conclude the unit, students use engineering design processes to evaluate multiple solutions to reduce the dairy sector’s environmental impact. [permalink]

In this high school 5E unit, students investigate how milk helps athletes recover from intense exercise. Students begin by observing a series of professional athletes undergoing intense exercise and drinking milk after their exercise sessions. Across a series of four modules, students figure out how exercise impacts the body and how milk helps with recovery. Students explore body temperature and water balance, heart and breathing rate increases, and muscle fatigue. To conclude the unit, students explore muscle recovery. [permalink]

In this high school Storyline unit on genetics and heredity, students are introduced to ‘SuperCows’. As they explore the wide variety of cattle breeds, students discover that cattle are specialized for different purposes, and while similar, the ‘SuperCows’ are clearly unique. Students wonder what caused this diversity and specificity, which leads to investigations about the role of inheritance, DNA and proteins. [permalink]

In this high school 5E unit, students investigate how beef cattle have gotten bigger over time. Students begin by observing a series of images of wild animals and comparing them to animals raised by humans for food production and pay particular attention to beef cattle and the changes in size from the historical perspective to the present day. Across a series of four modules, students figure out how genetics related to cattle breeds and environmental factors such as climate, nutrition, and stress impact cattle growth and performance over time. Students conclude the unit by applying their understanding of how these factors have influenced growth trends in other animals that are raised for food. [permalink]