The Foundation’s 3rd STEM Unit Awarded an NGSS Design Badge

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has another STEM unit awarded the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Design Badge- “Unravel Genetics to Raise the Steaks.” With funding from Beef Checkoff, this high school unit marks the 3rd NGSS Design-Badged curriculum for the Foundation. The NGSS Design Badge is awarded to top-rated science units designed for the Next Generation Science Standards. 

In the “Unravel Genetics to Raise the Steaks” unit, students investigate how beef cattle have gotten bigger over time.  Across a series of four modules, students figure out how genetics related to cattle breeds and environmental factors such as climate, nutrition, and stress impact cattle growth and performance over time. Students conclude the unit by applying their understanding of how these factors have influenced growth trends in other animals that are raised for food. 

The unit can be found on the Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education website and is free to download. The Food and Agriculture Center for Science Education (The Center) is an initiative of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture dedicated to enhancing scientific and agricultural literacy by expanding access to agriculture. The Center accomplishes this by providing immersive professional learning opportunities for educators, high-quality instructional materials designed for the Next Generation Science Standards, and collaborative partnerships between educators and agricultural experts.