Activity 1: Moos News

1. Brainstorming. Write the word “Holstein” on the board. Ask students to share their associations, ideas and responses to the word. They can input any related idea, with no criticism allowed. After brainstorming, explain to your students that today they will become experts on not only the Holstein, but also four other popular breeds of dairy cattle.
2. Divide the class into cooperative learning groups. Each group will consist of five students. Explain to your students that they will be given the "Jobs Wanted" page from the newspaper Moos News. Each student will be assigned to read an article submitted by one of the five breeds of dairy cattle searching for a job.
3. Distribute Moos News and Moos News Activity Sheet. This is a jigsaw activity, where students will need some time to work individually. Once all group members have completed their individual tasks, students will collaborate and share as an entire group. Instruct students to work individually, reading their job listing carefully and completing their section of the graphic organizer on the corresponding activity sheet. Collaboratively, they will share their findings using the information recorded on their activity sheet and complete the graphic organizer detailing characteristics of popular dairy cattle breeds.
4. Students will select breeds of dairy cattle to best match the characteristics listed at the bottom of the Moos News Activity Sheet.
5. Review the activity sheet questions. Have students explain why they chose breeds for specific purposes. Students should be encouraged to look for facts in Moos News to support their opinions.

Activity 2: Geography Pathway

1. Give each learning group a world map or utilize maps found in class social studies textbooks. Use the detailed map on the Cowabunga! activity sheet to find specific locations of countries. Give each group a large piece of butcher paper, and have the students draw an enlarged version of the world map. Once students have completed the drawing, they will locate and label the following:
   • Each of the seven continents
   • Country of origin for each breed
2. On a separate piece of paper, students draw an accurate picture of their designated dairy breed. Use tape to affix each breed near its country of origin.
3. Using colored pencils, students track one possible route on their map for each breed’s arrival to America from its country of origin. Students also create a legend showing what color represents each breed.
4. Students present their maps to the class, describing each breed and its physical characteristics. Example: “This cow is brown because it is a Brown Swiss dairy cow from Switzerland.”
5. Review the concepts of longitude and latitude with students. Using the “Cowabunga!” activity sheet, students determine the longitude and latitude of each country of origin for dairy breeds. Students find and chart the longitude and latitude for the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, Jersey, and Guernsey.
6. Students work together to create a list of technology that made exploration by sea (and the arrival of new dairy breeds) possible.

Activity 3: Ancient Civilizations Pathway

1. Explain to students that ancient civilizations used cave carvings or hieroglyphics to record history, tell stories, or illustrate religious ceremonies. Often these cave carvings depicted a wide variety of cattle. Discuss with your class:
   • What does this tell us about the historical importance of cattle?
   • Why do you think cattle were so important to the ancient Egyptians?
   • How could cattle represent different social classes?
2. Write the word “domestication” on the board. Give each student a sticky note and instruct them to write a synonym or definition of the word. Students place sticky notes on the board. Choose several creative and accurate responses to share with the class.
3. Students choose one of the five breeds and create a cave drawing that depicts the breed of cattle at work. What might they be doing? Students write an explanation of their hieroglyphics at the bottom of the page.
4. Students share their work in groups or present to the class.

Variations

• Students can “show what they know” by repeating the brainstorming process used to introduce the lesson. Students will be excited to compare what they knew before to what they know now.
• Given an encyclopedia set, students research countries of origin and breeds. Record five facts about the country and five breed facts on a tear sheet. Students illustrate their facts with images and participate in student presentations.
• Students read Moos News aloud and complete activity sheet as a group.