Part of Lesson Plan: "MEET YOUR MATES!" - Swine Breed Identification and Ear Notching Techniques & Tools - Part 2

Activity Overview / Details

"Alright everyone, great job taking your notes, we'll use them in about 5minutes, but for right now, please put them aside and come up to the front lab station and get a set of piglet ears and cut them out" --the ear template should be copied onto cardstock if not cover paper to ensure that it has a similiar thickness to a real pig ear-- --allow students 3-4minutes to cut out their piglet ears-- "Now that you finally have ears for your piglet, go get your dried piglet and glue/tape your pig's ear on" --allow students 5-8minutes to get their piglets from the lab stations/"barnyards" and glue or tape their ears on-- "Your piglets sure are hearing everything now, but uh oh, we don't know how to identify them still, even though all of them may look a little different to Farmer Pareas they all look the same, so please get your piglet id card that I gave you from the beginning of class and your notes and decide where you will ear notch your piglet, and mark the spots first with a marker. Check with your neighbor to make sure you have the right placement or if you have questions BEFORE asking me; if both of you are confused then please raise your hand and your TA's and I will be around to answer questions. Finally when you think you have everything right, Please put both hands in the air and we will come by check your piglet, make sure you have the right placement, and stamp your notes. If you do not have it correct we will ask you to try again. Once you have your stamp you may go over to lab station 8 and starting notching your pigs.What questions can I answer for you at this time?" --answer all questions-- "Let the notching begin!" --allow 5-14minutes for students to complete this portion of the lab, you will want to put 4-6 ear notchers out depending on classroom student number--