Activity 1: Grading Beef  

1. Explain to students that after cattle are harvested, the carcass and whole cuts of meat are given a grade. Ask students the following questions:
   • How is the scale used to grade beef?
   • Why is beef graded?
   • What factors affect the grade given to cuts of meat?
2. Explain to students that in order to be harvested, cattle should be fed to a specific weight. This is called a finishing weight. When the meat is harvested, meat inspectors will grade the beef based on two things: maturity (age) of the beef carcass and how much marbling it has. Columns A through E on the chart refer to the age of beef and rows slightly abundant through practically devoid refers to the amount of marbling.
3. Instruct students make note of the following beef ages on their puzzles:
   • A: 9-30 months
   • B: 30-42 months
   • C: 42-72 months
   • D: 72-96 months
   • E: >96 months
4. Ask students the following questions to lead a class discussion:
   • What is marbling?
   • What causes marbling?
5. Project the Grading Beef slide (slide two) on the board.
6. Ask students to compare the degree of marbling in each of the photos.
7. Using the next six slides, instruct students or pairs of students to grade each photo based on its age and the degree of marbling. Allow students to use their puzzles to determine the quality grades of each photo.
8. Once students have determined a grade for a photo, have them place the corresponding number on their puzzles where it belongs. (Each photo is numbered.)
9. Discuss students’ results on each slide.

Activity 2: Grain-finished vs. Grass-finished

1. Ask students how the diet of cattle could affect the USDA grade.
2. Allow students to brainstorm possible answers.
3. Project the Beef Labels slide (slide nine) from the PowerPoint on the board.
4. Explain to students that many of the labels they see on beef packages give consumers an idea of how that beef was fed and raised.
5. Pass out a Beef Labels handout to each student.
6. Ask students to examine each of the labels and write their own interpretations of each label.
   • What kind of diet did this animal have?
   • How was it raised?
   • What does this label mean?
7. Discuss each of the labels with students and their interpretations.
8. Project the next four slides (10-13) on the board.
9. Ask students to write the facts about each label below their interpretations.
   • Were any of their interpretations correct?
   • What surprised students about the label facts?
   • What did students assume about the diet of cattle from beef labeled organic or natural?
   • Is all grass-fed beef considered organic?
   • Can grain-fed cattle be organic?
10. Project the Cattle Lifecycle slide (slide 14) on the board. Point out to students that all cattle spend the majority of their lives eating grass, but they can be fed (finished) differently to reach a harvesting weight.
11. Ask students to make a connection between the diet of cattle and USDA grades.
12. After students have brainstormed possible answers, refer to the Background Agriculture Connection paragraph to discuss the questions below:
    • Does grain or grass produce more marbling?
    • Why are Prime and Choice cuts of beef more expensive?
13. Ask students to create a T-chart comparing grain-finished beef vs. grass-finished beef.
14. Once students have made their own comparisons, use the Grass-Finished or Grain-finished Beef infographic provided by the Beef Council to discuss similarities and differences.
    • Is there a nutritional difference between grass-finished beef and grain-finished beef?
    • Do consumer needs/preferences affect what product farmers and ranchers produce?
    • Why do some consumers prefer grass-finished beef vs grain-finished beef?
    • What are the health benefits of eating beef? 

^{Infographic created by the Beef Council}

Activity 3: Label Regulations: Who's in Charge?

1. Ask students what "regulate" means.
2. Allow students to discuss the words "regulate" and "regulations". Where have they heard these words before?
3. Refer to the labels in Activity 2 (slide 15).
4. Ask students to think about these beef labels and other labels they see on food products and ask them, "Who regulates the use of labels on our food? Is it farmers? Ranchers? Nutritionists?" Allow students to brainstorm and discuss answers.
5. Explain to students that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) each regulate and oversee specific labels on food products.
6. (Slide 16) Allow students to read and analyze the bulleted lists in each column. Which government program regulates the labels on the left? Which government program regulates the labels on the right? Reveal the answers on the PowerPoint. 
7. Explain to students that the FDA regulates labels on all prepared food items such as breads, cereals, canned and frozen food, snacks, etc. The USDA uses a shield-shaped label and regulates labeling on all meat products including beef, pork, and poultry. This includes the beef quality grades students explored in Activity 1. Refer to the USDA Labeling Terms to read more about specific meat label terminology.
8. Inform students that the USDA also oversees regulations for all certified organic products*.
9. Explain to students that some prepared food items might have an FDA label as well as a USDA Certified Organic label. If that is the case, the product must meet both FDA's and USDA's regulations.
10. Promote critical thinking among your students by asking the following questions:
    • Why do the FDA and USDA regulate food labels?
    • How does food labeling affect farmers and ranchers?
    • Does food labeling affect consumer choices?
    • What does it mean if a product is labeled "organic" but it's not a USDA organic label?
    • Can labels be misleading or confusing?
    • Encourage students to explore food labels on products at home or the grocery store. 

*Some operations are exempt from certification, including organic farmers whose gross income is $5,000 or less. People who sell or label a product "organic" when they know it does not meet USDA standards can be fined up to $11,000 for each violation.⁸

Students should recognize that some labels are regulated by the USDA or FDA and have strict guidelines to qualify for their use. The USDA Organic seal and beef quality grades are examples. Other labels (such as "Grass-fed") are either not regulated or are regulated by private organizations who set their own criteria. Consumers should use critical thinking when determining food choices based on labels.