Teacher Preparation

Students will...

... understand that dairy farming in Australia is a very big business.
... recognise some of the positive and negative impacts of dairy farming.
... understand how some of the negative impacts can be mitigated through a range of farming practices, including organic and biodynamic farming.

Students can...

... work in teams.
... participate in a brainstorm.
... create a quiz from a text.
... create an infographic.

Teacher content information:

Australian dairy farming is in the midst of change. After the deregulation of the industry in 2000, the industry mantra quickly became “get big or get out”. Since then the trend has been towards fewer but larger, more intensive operations, which may put more stress on the environment, dairy cows and resources such as water, grain and land. At the other end of the spectrum are a growing number of small, ethically and sustainably-minded dairy farms that are taking dairy farming back to traditional methods, for the benefit of our environment, animals, farmers and health. For more information, read the Dairy Diaries.

When creating the quiz, students can use the Quiz sheet. They will need to detach the bottom section along the dotted line so that they can check answers when the quiz sheet is returned to them for marking.

Teaching schedule

10 minutes	brainstorming
15 minutes	create, complete and mark quizzes
30 minutes	infographic creation and presentation
5 minutes	reflection tool

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Preparation:

Before coming to class, distribute a copy of the Student Worksheet to each students and invite them to read through all the sections of the Dairy Diaries, expanding content on the webpage where necessary (by clicking on the pink 'Expand' tool).

Students should read through these sections and record their thoughts in response to the points listed below and on the Student Worksheet.

One thing from the Dairy Diaries did you find surprising or interesting
Something you read that reminded you of other things you know
What don't you understand
One thing about dairy farming would you like to know more about.

Step 1.

Begin this activity by asking students to brainstorm what they know about dairy and dairy farming. Consider the following questions to stimulate discussion:

What is dairy?
What dairy foods do you eat?
Where does milk come from?
What do you know about dairy farms?
What happens on dairy farms?
Why do we need dairy farms?
What benefits do dairy farms provide for people both in the country and in our cities?
What might be some environmental problems on dairy farms?
What are the different types of farming that can used to minimise environmental impacts?

Record student thoughts on the board, or by using an online brainstorming tool, such as mindmeister or bubbl.us.

Step 2.

Again refer students to the Dairy Diaries that they read as a Preparation Activity. Working independently, ask students to create a quick quiz of four questions based on the information on the Dairy Diaries page. Two of the questions MUST refer to the environmental sustainability of dairy farming.

Students should write quizzes on pieces of paper that can be handed to other students for answering. Students should write their name on the quiz so that it can be returned to them for marking. On a separate piece of paper students should refer to the section on the Dairy Diaries page where the answer to each question can be found. Alternatively, students can use the Quiz Sheet to create questions.

Step 3.

Once students have completed quizzes, take the quizzes and redistribute amongst the class. Set the clock to 2 minutes and ask students to answer the quizzes.

Take completed quizzes and return them to their owners for marking. Engage students in a brief discussion about answers.

Step 4.

Now invite students to focus on the following sections of the Dairy Diaries:

How Are Dairy Cows Fed In Australia?
What Are The Environmental Impacts Of Dairy Farming In Australia?
What’s The Difference Between Conventional And Organic/biodynamic Dairy Farming?

Invite students to work in groups to undertake research to explain the difference between conventional and organic/biodynamic dairy farming and to create an infographic to share their research. The infographic should include:

Any costs and benefits of each type of farming (including any economic and social benefits); and
How these types of farming differ in terms of soil health, cattle feed, water use and animal health.

Students can use images from the Cool Australia Student Toolboxes or from the Dairy Diaries page in their infographics. DIY infographic information.

Students can upload infographics to your school/class blog (optional).

Reflection

Ask students to watch this clip (also available on the Student Worksheet) and complete the reflection questions on the Student Worksheet.

What is the Environmental Impact of Aussie Beef? (https://youtu.be/tWX4TsiF6u4)

Homework

Ask student to return to the two questions they answered during the Preparation Activity. Ask students to research and answer their answer to the second question: What one thing about dairy farming would you like to know more about?

Students can write a short paragraph explaining the answer to their question.

Differentiated learning

Extension – Students should research information about the economic costs and benefits of conventional and organic/biodynamic farming and include this in their infographic.

Provisional learning support – Students with learning needs can be paired with other students for the quiz creation and marking.

Teacher reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Sustainable Table - The Dairy Diaries

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