Author: info@discoverdairy.com
Create an Adopt a Cow Workbook or Memory Book
| This teacher came up with a creative way to keep her classroom’s Adopt a Cow activities all in one place! She made this workbook of all the different worksheets students have completed so far. Whether you teach in a traditional classroom setting, or home school setting, try making your own workbook or memory book from the months you spent with your adopted calf. Watch a short video of her workbook. |
New Animal Health Lessons Now Available
Dairy farming is a way of life for more than 40,000 farm families in the United States. To help you introduce the career field of dairy farming to your students, along with how farmers keep their cows healthy and comfortable, Discover Dairy just published new Animal Health Lessons for three grade levels. Log in to your Discover Dairy/Adopt a Cow account to access these free lessons:
- K-2nd Grade Animal Health Lesson – In this lesson, we will learn some words around a dairy farm, explore the career of being a dairy farmer, and see the ways farmers care for their cows every day.
- 3rd – 5th Grade Animal Health Lesson – In this lesson, students will learn what it’s like to operate a dairy farm and introduce animal health. Specifically, it will teach them ways farmers care for their cows each and every day. The lesson will also touch upon other dairy-related careers within the agricultural industry.
- 6th – 8th Grade Animal Health Lesson – In this lesson, students will learn how to work with others to make sure that their cows’ diet is balanced and nutritious to keep the cows healthy and happy. The lesson will also highlight the career of being a nutritionist.
Get a Customized Ear Tag Keychain With Your Adopted Calf
Did you know a cow’s ear tag helps dairy farmers identify the cow from the rest of the herd? The tags can include numbers, birthdates, or their names! If you want a fun memory from this year’s Adopt a Cow program, we have a limited amount of customized ear tag keychains available. By making a $10 donation, you’ll receive a customized ear tag keychain as a thank-you gift. Each tag will be yellow with the Discover Dairy calf on one side. You can customize the other side of your tag with your adopted calf’s name in memory of your special classroom mascot. For every $10 donated, you will receive one ear tag. You must order yours and make your donation between January 1-26, 2024 (or while supplies last).
Mess With Your Milk: Make Magic Milk “Plastic”
Don’t just drink your milk — mess with it! You probably already have everything you need in your kitchen to make your milk transform into “plastic” charms! In this video activity, you can make your own Magic Milk “Plastic.” How does it work? Milk contains protein. When milk’s protein meets vinegar’s acid, the protein molecules join together in long chains, causing curds to form. Those curds can then be molded into any shape. When they dry, you have homemade “plastic!”
Age group? This video/activity is ideal for students of all ages.
Frequently Asked Questions About Calf Care
As you share Update 1 about your adopted calf with your students, here are some answers to frequently asked questions about your calf and her life on the farm. These topics can help you make connections to how old your calf is now and what her life is like during the winter months.
How Do Calves Stay Warm in the Winter?
There’s nothing cuter than a calf in a jacket. When the temperature drops below 40 degrees, calves typically get to wear calf jackets. So, why do dairy farmers put jackets on their calves this time of year? Because calves are unable to properly regulate their own body temperature until they are about 1 month old. So the calf jackets help keep them warm and cozy during the winter months.
Why Do Farmers Move Calves to Group Housing?
Calves are creatures of habit, and any change in routine can be a stressful time for them. Moving from individual hutches to group housing potentially combines many stressors at once – new surroundings, feeding and watering changes, vaccinations, and socialization with other calves. Dairy farmers work hard to follow best practices to optimize immune function and minimize disease risks to better prepare calves for the transition to group housing.
National Hot Chocolate Day on Jan. 31: Homemade Hot Cocoa with Frozen Whipped Cream Cut-Outs
| Did you know National Hot Chocolate Day is January 31? This week, we have a cozy homemade hot cocoa recipe with a fun twist: frozen whipped cream cut-outs in your favorite shapes! Add a snowman cut-out or a heart for Valentine’s Day in February. |
| Supreme Hot Cocoa Recipe – 3/4 cup white sugar – 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder – 1 pinch salt – 1/3 cup boiling water – 3 1/2 cups milk – 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Click here for directions on how to prepare. Frozen Whipped Cream Cut-Outs Recipe – 11/2 cups (12floz/350ml) cold heavy whipping cream – 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (optional) 1. Line a 8×8 inch tray (or any small tray) with parchment paper 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, sugar and vanilla extract (if using) until the cream reaches a soft peak. 3. Use a spatula to spread the whipped cream onto your tray, taking care to even out the top.4. Freeze until solid (Recommended to do this the night before and freeze overnight). 5. Using festive cookie cutters, press firmly into the cream and lift straight up. Lay back on the tray and store in the freezer until ready to use. 6. When ready to serve, top each of your hot chocolates with a frozen whipped cream cut-out. |
Dairy Fun Fact
By three months old, a calf should more than double its birth weight! Dairy calves grow very quickly in the first few months of life.
Share this fact with your students as you look through Update 1 that you received in December!
Stuffed Cow Adventures
Hugh Goodwin Elementary School has been sending their stuffed cow, Alleyoop, that they received in their Cow Kit all around with their students and sharing their adventures and photos! Here are some fun highlights they shared with us. If you donated to receive the Cow Kit, what kind of adventures have you been having this year? Email us at info@discoverdairy.com to share!
- “Peyton took Alleyoop to enjoy some yummy ice cream this weekend at the El Dorado Creamery.”
- “Emery took her to the movies.”
- “Alleyoop got to watch the NCAA Football National championship with Nelson.”
Interactive Dairy Puzzles for Holiday Break
This dairy-themed activity sheet is an interactive worksheet you can send home with students over Christmas break! The sheet includes three fun mind teasers:
- Navigate the route from the farm to the breakfast table. Without crossing any black lines, draw a line from the milk truck to the grocery store to your cereal bowl.
- Unscramble the letters to form the dairy words at the left of the page.
- What’s happening at the dairy processing plant? Connect the dots to find out!
Age group? These activities are ideal for elementary and middle school students.
Visit the Calving Corner Exhibit at PA Farm Show in January and Meet Brittany From Discover Dairy
If you live near the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area, consider taking a trip to the Calving Corner exhibit at the PA Farm Show! The exhibit, which is a live dairy cow birthing center, will be held at the PA Farm Show from January 6-13, 2024. Meet newborn calves that were born that week, talk directly to dairy farmers, and participate in “Moo U” hands-on STEM learning activities that are kid-friendly and perfect for the whole family. If you can’t make the trip in person, the Calving Corner also live streams the birthing process all week long on their YouTube channel. Brittany from Discover Dairy will be leading a milk activity on Saturday, January 13 all day long.
Find the Calving Corner in the Northeast Hall at the PA Farm Show. Click here for more information about the PA Farm Show and directions.
Age group? The Calving Corner is ideal for students of all ages.