According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it is estimated that 25.6 billion pounds of beef will be consumed this year alone. This consumption will account for 79 billion dollars of revenue for the beef industry and give students 79 billion reasons to educate themselves on all aspects of the beef industry. A closer examination of the production practices in the beef industry such as the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, and feed additives will allow students to formulate their claim and defend their position pertaining to the question, “Should consumers purchase beef products that have been altered from their natural state?”
Main aspects of the learning process include:
A close reading process that probes all facets of the beef industry
A task engagement process that sets up the main teaching task
An extension that allows students to design and conduct an experiment with the 3 major types of meat products (organic, grass-fed, and status quo)
A transition to writing in which students connect their claim to textual evidence
A writing process in which students establish and support a claim about whether consumers of beef products should purchase beef products that have been altered from their natural state.
