Author: info@discoverdairy.com
The Art and Science of Cheese-Making
How is cheese made? Your students will learn the steps of cheese-making and the science behind it in this new video lesson from Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Learn how Wisconsin milk is transformed into award winning Wisconsin cheese! View the video and accompanying resources:
- Watch the Video – “The Art and Science of Cheese-Making”
- Cheese Science Toolkit
- Center for Dairy Research – Cheese Resources
Age group? These activities are ideal for high school students.
Eat Better Together This Holiday Season
Eating meals together is good for everyone, especially this holiday season. The time spent preparing and eating meals together supports physical, social, and emotional health for children and teens. This “Eat Better, Eat Together” Guide includes a range of fun ideas and recipes:
- Cook with Kids: If kids help prepare their meals, they are more likely to eat what they make and tend to be more adventurous eaters. There are plenty of fun recipes included in this guide.
- Add Dairy to Enhance Any Meal or Snack: The guide includes clever ways to add nutritious dairy products to common snacks/meals your students might eat.
- Dairy Hacks This Holiday Season: Out of sour cream? Substitute the same amount of plain Greek yogurt and enjoy the added protein. The guide includes several simple hacks like these!
Thanksgiving Kitchen Table Activity with “Farmers Fuel the World” Lesson
In this activity, your students can learn how their Thanksgiving food gets to their kitchen table sustainably. The hardworking farmers across the country are behind every piece of food they eat during the holiday season. What dairy products will they have during their meal? Encourage your students to talk to their family members and ask which dairy products are used in recipes for Thanksgiving. Students can make a list and report back when they return to school.
| To build on this idea, these “Farmers Fuel the World” lessons on FuelUpToPlay60.com will teach students about: > Environmentally sustainable agriculture practices that farmers use. > Food systems and how farmers use them to deliver food from farms to schools while caring for the environment. > Careers available throughout food systems in the U.S., including scientific, technological, and agricultural fields. |
| Age group? These lessons are ideal for high schoolers, but you can simplify them for elementary/middle school students with the Thanksgiving food activity above. |
Football & Thanksgiving: “Design Your Own Game Day Plan” Activity
| Thanksgiving and football go hand in hand for a lot of families! Encourage your students to fuel their bodies this Thanksgiving with delicious food, and then get outside and active with their family (throw a football, go to the park or another activity)! In this “Fuel Your Game Day – Every Day Is Game Day” activity, it offers lessons focused on food as fuel for movement and associated activities, including the Design Your Own Game Plan Activity for students. Mindful eating and moving are a lot like preparing for a big game. By planning the four quarters of your day, students can create their own “game day plan” in this activity: – First Quarter: Breakfast -Second Quarter: School Day – Third Quarter: After School – Fourth Quarter: Family Time Age group? These activities are ideal for middle school students. |
Fun Fact: Cows and Pumpkins
Cows and pumpkins are the perfect pairing because dairy cows are the ultimate “recyclers!” Because cows have four stomachs, it gives them the ability to digest foods — like leftover pumpkins — that people cannot, ensuring that an entire patch of pumpkins won’t go to waste at the end of the holiday season. In turn, the pumpkins provide many benefits to the cows and dairy farmers. Pumpkins are included in the cows’ feed, which also consists of corn silage, haylage and various grains. The pumpkins serve as a good supplemental protein and energy source for the cows. Because of those nutritional benefits, pumpkins also help to increase the cows’ milk production.
Apple Pie Sundae Recipe
| This week, we have a delicious Apple Pie Sundae recipe for you. In addition to pumpkin pie, apple pie is often a staple at the Thanksgiving dessert table. Why not try something a little different with this sundae? Make sure to use real butter and enjoy it with your favorite vanilla ice cream. |
| Ingredients – 4 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced into 1/4 in. slices – ¼ cup butter – ½ cup chopped walnuts, a few reserved for garnish – ¼ cup packed brown sugar – 1 tsp lemon juice – ½ cup apple cider – 1 tbsp cornstarch – 1 tsp ground cinnamon – ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg – ⅛ tsp allspice – Vanilla Ice Cream – Waffle bowls Directions 1. Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. 2. Add apples in a single layer. 3. Sprinkle with lemon juice, brown sugar and spices. 4. Stir to coat. 5. Cover and simmer on low until tender, about 10 minutes. 6. Remove apples with a slotted spoon. 7. In a small bowl, combine apple cider and cornstarch. Whisk well. 8. Pour into skillet with drippings from apples. 9. Increase heat to medium. 10. Whisk continuously until thickened. 11. Combine apples, sauce and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine. 12. Allow to cool slightly. Scoop ice cream into waffle bowls, spoon apple mixture over top. Add a few walnuts to top. |
Cow Spot Fingerprint Craft
This preschool classroom did a fun craft when they were sending mail to their host farm using the Adopt a Cow “Contact Your Farmer” tool! Just like every fingerprint is different, no cow has the same spots. You can share this fact with your students as they create their own fingerprint cow painting – and consider mailing it to your host farm for a nice surprise!
Make-Your-Own Butter Activities for National Butter Day on Nov. 17
National Butter Day is happening on November 17, so it’s the perfect day to celebrate all things dairy and do some interactive activities with students! During these lessons, students will be introduced to both the history and science behind the process of turning heavy whipping cream (which comes from milk) into butter. Your class will make their own butter and discover how they can use their senses by adding different ingredients.
- Make Butter in a Jar: Pour it. Shake it. Strain it. Serve it! Make your own butter with only two supplies: heavy whipping cream and plastic cups. Age group? This activity is ideal for students of all grade levels.
- Make & Taste Butter Lesson: In this lesson, students will use a simple method to make butter and also discover ways to use butter to enhance the acceptance and enjoyment of nutrient-rich foods. Age group? This lesson is ideal for students in 6th – 8th grade.
- Make & Taste Butter Lesson: In this lesson, students will use a simple method to make butter and also discover ways to use butter to enhance the acceptance and enjoyment of nutrient-rich foods. Age group? This lesson is ideal for students in 6th – 8th grade.
Virtual Farm Tours at Ideal Dairy Farm in New York on Nov. 20
| Join American Dairy Association for a virtual farm tour at Ideal Dairy Farm in New York with Farmer Crystal! Students will view three live stops, including the cow barn, calf barn, and milking parlor to see how the whole farm works day to day while Farmer Crystal answers questions. There are check-in questions after each stop to engage students, and you have access to additional resources including lesson plans, vocabulary sheets, and all 20 of their past tours. Date: Monday, November 20 Time: 10 a.m. EST (Grades 6-12) Time: 11:30 a.m. EST (Pre-K – 5th Grade) Length: 30 Minutes Location: New York Questions: Click here to RSVP for the Pre-K – 5th Grade Tour. Click here to RSVP for the Grades 6-12 Tour. |
New England Virtual Farm Tour Recordings for Grades K-12
| Help your students make a personal connection to a New England dairy farmer from the comfort of your own classroom or home. Students can get an up-close look into the barns, meet the calves and cows, and learn firsthand how dairy farmers take care of their cows, the land, the environment, and their communities. > Make sure to download this Dairy Farm Scavenger Hunt to increase student engagement and enhance the experience with the virtual farm tour! Date: No date. These are recordings. Length: Approximately 30 minutes Location: Massachusetts and beyond How to View: Click here to view the farm tour recordings. Age group? These farm tours are ideal for grades K through 12. |