In many cultures, she is a goddess, a nurturer of the world and a cult figure: the cow. Like hardly any other animal, it has influenced humankind since its early history. The cow supplies milk and meat and helps today in the cultivation of the fields. Even their dung is usable as fuel. With 1.3 billion grazing cows in this world, it is also the largest mammalian species in the history of the earth. But this triumphant process also has its downside. Its sweet-temper and its outstanding feature of making grass to milk, the cow has degraded to an industrialised milk machine. The high-performance milk cows spend their short lives in narrow stables, give birth to an average of 4 calves, give 10,000 litres of milk a year, and their final path ends in the slaughterhouse at the age of 6. Our thirst for cheap milk and our hunger for cheap meat exacerbate their situation. Does it have to be that way? What do cows need to be happy? How do cows and people live together in different parts of the world? How do a cattle look in Ethiopia? And how much meat is actually healthy?
Author: Südwind
Year: 2016
Languages: German
Typology of education resource : 7 learning units
GCE Issues: Environment
Author: Südwind
Specific sub-thematic area(s): Animal and nature, Multiculturalism, Food waste, Responsable consumption
Key word(s):
Tags:
agriculture , consumption , cow , food , meat , milk , responsible consume , water
School subject(s)/field(s) of studies in which the educational resource can be used: German, Science, Geography
Activity’ objectives:
- The pupils expand their knowledge in regard to the development of bovine breeds and their origins in the wildlife.
- They realise how cattle changed and know the reasons for this development.
- The students learn that some old livestock breeds are threatened from extinction and are sensitised for theirpreservation.
Pupils’ learning competences (SUBJECT- specific) addressed: Comparing information, Discussing, Learn to express their own opinions
Pupils’ learning competences (CGE) addressed: Critical thinking and decision making, Knowledge and understanding of natural resources, Comparing information, Discussing, Learn to express opinions
Methodology: Cooperative-learning, Debate, Game and Meditation
Age range: 6-10
Duration: 30-60 minutes each unit