Teacher’ s Guide
Ag in the Classroom- Helping the Next Generation Understand Their Connection to Agriculture
Additional Resources growingyourfuture. com- connects you to Colorado’ s Agriculture in the Classroom program. A variety of resources are available at this site. Need a lesson about food, fiber & more? Go to: http:// agclassroom. org / colorado / matrix /
Skillathon Quiz Bowl http:// www. pork. org / youth-and-education / skillathon-quiz-bowl / From county fairs to larger pigs shows on a national level, there are always opportunities for youth education. Many exhibitions have skillathon or quiz bowl competitions built into their events. The Pork Checkoff has created a downloadable resource for teachers, Extension personal and other leaders to use for organizing these types of competitions. Resources for both skillathons and quiz bowls are divided into three age categories: junior, Intermediate and senior. A variety of subject areas are addressed, including breeding, animal well-being, swine health and other key topics.
Producers Pigs and Pork Video Producers, Pigs and Pork is a set of five lessons that addresses our food supply system and focuses on pork production. It includes a variety of lessons and activities which enhance standards and skills. Best practices and multiple teaching techniques are used in Producers, Pigs and Pork to provide a meaningful learning experience for students as they gain knowledge about pork and our food supply.
Amazing Pig DVD Watch the Amazing Pig video to learn about everything you ever wanted to know about pig. These video can be ordered at: http:// www. pork. org / youth-and-education / educational-materials-videos /
Pork Reader
Introduction Food animal producers’ livelihoods depend on the well being and performance of their livestock. To do anything short of providing the best, humane care possible would be selfdefeating.
Producers use science as a basis for their animal husbandry practices. Producers invest significant costs in housing facilities, feeding systems and other items of infrastructure. They recognize that science evolves as new research discovers better ways to care for animals, it may take time for producers to implement changes their own farming operation.
Addressing animal welfare in isolation without consideration of animal health, food safety, and the environment is not wise and will lead to unintended consequences. Each of these other areas must also be addressed simultaneously in a way that ensures an effective balance without sacrificing critical points and that maintains the pork operation’ s susainability.
Specific treatments and procedures( i. e., vaccination, weaning, tail docking, etc.) are performed for specific health and welfare benefits for the animal. They can be short-term stressors, however they provide long-term welfare, health and management benefits to individual animals and
Comments, questions, suggestions and feedback about the Colorado Reader are welcome. Contact: Colorado Foundation for Agriculture Bette Blinde, Director PO Box 10 Livermore, CO 80536 Phone 970-881-2902 bblinde @ growingyourfuture. com www. growingyourfuture. com their herd mates.
The National Pork Board has an Animal Welfare Committee that is charged with using producer checkoff funds to review the science of animal welfare, to relate that science to production practices and to inform the producer about the latest, scientifically sound swine husbandry practices that can be implemented on farms. National Pork Board has been fully supportive of adding to the scientific knowledge about animal welfare in all phases of pork production.
The industry also has a“ Swine Care Handbook” that is the guideline for producers regarding animal care. The Swine Care Handbook is based on the current scientific research and extension literature for animal science, veterinary medicine, and agricultural engineering.
PAGE 2 Answers
Use the word( s) to the left and choose the best word to fill in the blanks below.
1. The large swine in the picture above is a sow.
2. The small swine in the picture above are called piglets.
3. The group of small swine pictured above are called a litter or farrow.
4. The small swine pictured above are nursing the sow.
5. Hogs, pigs, piglets are collectively called swine. 6. A sow is pregnant for about 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. 7. A male pig is called either a boar or a barrow. 8. A female pig is called either a gilt or a sow.