Diving into the Dairy Unit
- Anna Sweeten
- Sep 14, 2022
- 2 min read
Over the past three weeks the PSU AgEd 23' cohort was tasked with creating and peer reviewing our first ever unit plan. I chose to write my dairy cattle unit plan because it is the first unit I will be teaching in the spring!
This unit is for the Animal Care and Management class that I have the opportunity to teach during my placement. This course introduces a variety of animals from companion animals to production. In each unit the class covers care as well as other information for each animal. I think in the end I was able to create a lesson plan that covered topics such as nutrition, housing, and careers in the dairy industry to name a few. However, it was not that easy in the beginning of the writing process. When I first started writing this unit plan I had no idea where to start. I can think of a ton of different topics to include in this unit, but I struggled with figuring out what I could fit in the time I was given. I decided to start with the introduction of dairy breeds and terms. That is when I had my "ah ha" moment. I found that when creating my units I should start with the most basic information first so I have a foundation to build from for the rest of the unit. I want my units to have a natural flow of information that we can build upon and can easily be comprehended.
Something I noticed I struggled with during both rounds of peer review was creating proper objectives. My objectives were okay, but they lacked detail. I think that to improve them for next time I could add more detail, for example "students will be able to identify dairy breeds with accuracy." This way I have a specific goal I want to reach with each lesson.
Writing this unit was difficult for me because I have limited prior experience with dairy cattle. Thankfully I have great cohort members who were there to help me.
- I hope you enjoyed this weeks story with Ms. Sweeten!
Anna, I have seen so much growth in your planning abilities in this space already this semester! You have taken feedback and applied it directly, you should give yourself so much more credit! You truly got this!! :)
Anna, as I have watched you through the process of working through your unit and lessons on dairy cattle you really impressed me and reminded me that limited prior knowledge doesn't mean you can't teach about it effectively. I think you can better piece together your unit by starting with the fundamentals and building each time when you are learning it yourself. Sometimes when we know a lot about a subject it can be challenging and even painful to go back to the basics. You are doing great work, keep it up!
Anna, hats off to you for starting with a unit that you knew would be a challenge. I think that is an awesome way to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone! I think you are on the right track with starting with the basics and building from there. I can't wait to see you teach this unit in the spring and hear how it goes!