Seniors_Lesson 5

5. grass to glass

Grass to Glass / slide 2 of 9

Has anyone ever been on a farm?

Grazing

Pasturisation

Milking Parlour

Homogenisation

1. Who here has a parent who is a farmer?
2. Who here has seen a cow graze (eat)?
3. Who here has ever seen a milking parlour? What do you think happens here?

Grass to Glass / slide 3 of 9

YouTube Clip

Listen carefully and answer all the questions

PRESSFOR NEXTQUESTION

1. What are the four types of farming in Ireland mentioned in the video?

2. Why is Ireland a great place for dairy farming?

3. What are some ways farmers take care of cows on a dairy farm?

4. What happens to milk after it leaves the farm?

5. What should you do with empty milk cartons and bottles?

Teaching Notes

For the Teacher

Grass to Glass / slide 4 of 9

Grass to Glass - Video Clip

Watch Video

Choose any four questions to answer

Q: What are the four types of farming in Ireland mentioned in the video?

Q: What happens to milk after it leaves the farm?

A: It is collected in a tanker, brought to the dairy for quality checks, poured into recycled bottles or cartons, and delivered to shops, homes, and schools.Timestamp: 3:50 - 4:19

A: Tillage, livestock, mixed farming, and dairy farming.Timestamp: 1:13 - 1:20

Q: What should you do with empty milk cartons and bottles?

Q: Why is Ireland a great place for dairy farming?

A: Clean them, flatten them, and put them in the recycling bin.Timestamp: 4:33 - 4:38

A: Ireland’s mild and wet climate allows cows to graze on fresh grass outdoors for around 300 days a year.Timestamp: 2:08 - 2:13

Q: What are some ways farmers take care of cows on a dairy farm?

A: Providing shelter in winter, moving cows to different fields for fresh grass, keeping sheds and milking parlors clean, and ensuring regular vet visits.Timestamp: 2:36 - 2:51

Grass to Glass / slide 5 of 9

Class Discussion

Optional recall task

PRESSFOR NEXTQUESTION

1. What is dairy?

2. What is dairy farming?

3. What animals do you think you would see on a dairy farm?

4. Have you been to a dairy farm?

5. Describe what you might see on a dairy farm.

Grass to Glass / slide 6 of 9

Pair Discussion

How does a farmer care for his cows and make sure they have everything they need to be healthy and produce milk?

Prompts for discussion:

• Farmers have bedding for cows to sleep on.
• Farmers can leave cows grazing on fresh grass outdoors for around 300 days a year!
• Farmers move cows from field to field so that they have enough grass to eat.
• Farmers bring cows indoors during the cold weather in winter.
• Farmers make sure cows have food to eat.
• Farmers keep the cow sheds and milking parlours clean.
• Farmers make sure that a vet visits the farm to keep the cows healthy.

Grass to Glass / slide 7 of 9

Activity Sheet

PRESS TO GOFULL SCREEN

• Think about how milk gets from the farm to your kitchen. Share your ideas with the class.

• Now, you’ll get an activity sheet called “From Grass to Your Glass.” Look at the 8 steps of milk production on the sheet.
• Work in groups to put the steps in the right order.
• After that, we will go over the correct order as a class and talk about each step together.

Grass to Glass / slide 8 of 9

Get Creative!

Design your own School Milk Carton. You can include pictures of grass, cows, farmers or keep it simple and just draw a splash of delicious fresh milk!

For the Teacher

Grass to Glass / slide 9 of 9

Home Activity

1. Ask pupils to imagine that they are expert dairy farmers who have just employed someone to work on their farm. Ask them to write instructions for working on a dairy farm to help their new assistant.

2. Does milk in their fridge carry the NDC ‘Farmed in the Republic of Ireland’ guarantee?

3. Do they know a local dairy farmer?

4. Record how many litres of milk each family member has for a week. Compare.