olorado
Reader
Purpose :
Students will examine the importance of the beef cattle industry , including where cattle are produced in Colorado , the beef production life cycle , and the key role cattle play in a sustainable food system . Concepts related to Colorado land use and sustainability are also introduced .
Cross Curricular Connections and Colorado Academic Standards :
4th & 5th Grade Reading , Writing , and Communicating :
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text , including figurative language such as metaphors and similes . ( CCSS : RL . 5.4 )
• Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text . ( CCSS : RL . 4.1 )
• By the end of year , read and comprehend informational texts , including history / social studies , science , and technical texts , in the grades 4 – 5 text complexity band proficiently , with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range . ( CCSS : RI . 4.10 )
3rd Grade Science : Life Science
• Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth , growth , reproduction , and death . ( 3-LS1-1 )
3rd Grade Social Studies : Geography
• Examine the characteristics of places and regions , and the changing nature among geographic and human interactions .
4th and 5th Grade Social Studies : Geography
• Use geographic tools to research and answer questions about geography .
More standard connections , particularly in science , can by met by using any of the suggestion lessons to go with this Reader .
How to use :
Use this Colorado Reader during your reading , science , or social studies time . Another option is to send these items home with your students ( or include in homework / enrichment packets ) to complete at home on virtual learning days . Or use during substitute days . Pass out one copy of the Colorado Reader to each student . Ask students to read the Colorado Reader , completing the activities within the Reader as they go . Answers to the activities in the Reader are included , should you desire to collect and score responses . To further enhance learning , incorporate
Educator Guide - 2022-2023 School Year The Story of Colorado Beef
any of the additional lessons from the Curriculum Matrix that are identified on the back .
Vocabulary byproduct : an incidental or secondary product made in the manufacture or synthesis of something else
calf : the name for baby cattle ; plural : calves
cellulose : the main component of green plants like grass and shrubs ; not digestible by humans but very nutritious to ruminant animals
cow : female cattle that have had a calf
digestion : the process by which food is changed to a simpler form after it is eaten
edible : suitable or safe to eat
feedlot or feedyard : a type of farm operation where cattle are fed balanced feed rations in preparation for harvesting
forage : bulky food such as grass or hay typically consumed by livestock
grazing : to eat grass or other plants that are growing in a field , pasture , etc .
heifer : female bovine that has not produced a calf
herd : a large group of animals , especially hoofed mammals , that live , feed , or migrate together or are kept together as livestock
land cover / use : the term used to describe the human use of land and represents the economic and cultural activities ( i . e . agricultural , residential , industrial , mining , and recreational uses )
ruminant : an animal that has a four-compartment stomach and chews its cud in order to digest plant cellulose
steer : male bovine that has been castrated
Lesson Plans to go with this Reader
The Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix is an online , searchable , and standards-based database for K-12 teachers . The Matrix contextualizes national education standards in science , social studies , and nutritional education with relevant instructional resources linked to Common Core Standards . Below are a few lesson plans that could be used in conjunction with this Colorado Reader . Go to www . GrowingYourFuture . com and click on Curriculum Matrix ( on the Home Page or under the Educator ’ s Tab ), search each title within the Curriculum Matrix to find these lesson plans .
Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom • 10343 Federal Blvd Unit J Box 224 • Westminster , CO 80260 • Info @ GrowingYourFuture . com • 970-818-3308