When is a steer more than a steer

Overview
This lesson focuses on the many products that are derived from beef cattle
beyond just meat and meat products. Students will see that animal agriculture is
an important part of their everyday lives.
Suggested Grade Level
6 - 8
Estimated Time
One-half a class period plus time at home or in the community.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
1. identify products they use every day that contain beef by-products
2. understand the importance of animal agriculture in their everyday lives
Materials
1. Background Information Sheets
2. Activity Sheet

Background
A steer is a lot more than steak and roast beef. Cattle by-products are a part of
many manufactured items that we use every day and their use enables us to use
99% of every animal.
You may normally think of beef as a hamburger, steak or a roast, which are
served at meal times. But there are other edible parts besides the protein-packed
muscle. The variety meats, such as livers and hearts, are just two of the many
alternatives that are used in gourmet dishes. There are also edible by-products
that are not quite so obvious. Do you know that gelatins in products such as ice
cream and yogurt are made from the hooves, horns, hide and bones of the cow?
Cattle provide a portion of the ingredients in manufactured products such as
chewing gum. People depend on cattle for ingredients in many food products.
“What do beef cattle have to do with me? I don’t have any in my backyard!”
This might be your first reaction to the statement above. However, items
manufactured from beef by-products are part of our daily environment. The soap
USDA – Ag in the Classroom-www.agclassroom.org you washed with this morning; the baseball equipment in the closet; or even the
paint on the walls of your home – all of these contain a beef by-product.

Tires have stearic acid from beef cattle, which makes the rubber hold its shape
under continuous surface friction. Even the asphalt on our roadways has a
binding agent from beef fat. Beef by-products are used in all sorts of mechanical
items. Chemical manufacturers use numerous fatty acids from inedible beef fats
and proteins for all sorts of lubricants and fluids.
Activity
1. Brainstorm with students what products they think come from beef cattle. 2. Have students read over the Background Information on some of the 3. Ask how many of the items are part of their everyday lives? 4. Using the Activity Sheet, have students complete an investigation of products they have at home that come from beef cattle. 1. Have students list (in a journal) the number of products they encounter throughout a whole day that come from beef cattle. Discuss in class the next day. 2. Find the nearest beef cattle producer in your state. Go on a visit to the farm/ranch or invite the producer to speak to the class about raising beef. Adapted from The American National Cattlewomen, Inc. USDA – Ag in the Classroom-www.agclassroom.org Name _________________________ Activity Sheet Beyond the Beef - Background Information Beef in Your Meal You may normally think of beef as a hamburger, steak or delicious roast for a satisfying meal. But there are other edible parts besides the protein-packed muscle. The variety meats, such as liver and heart, are just two of the many tasty alternatives that are used in gourmet dishes. There are also edible by-products that are not quite so obvious. Do you know that gelatins in products such as ice cream and yogurt are made from the hooves, horns, hide and bones of the cow? Cattle provide a portion of the ingredients in manufactured products such as chewing gum. People depend on cattle for ingredients to make food products such as these: Beef at Work, Play and in the Home “What do cows have to do with me. I don’t have one in my backyard!” This might be your first reaction to the statement above. However, items manufactured from beef by-products are part of our daily environment. The soap you washed with this morning; the baseball equipment in the closet; or even the paint of the walls of your home – all of these contain a beef by-product. The following contain one or more beef by-products: USDA – Ag in the Classroom-www.agclassroom.org Name _________________________ Activity Sheet Beyond the Beef - Background Information Beef in the Pharmacy The medical world also relies on this resource for the pharmaceutical wonders it produces and uses. This is because cattle have great similarities in organic chemical structure to humans. Our bodies will easily accept a medication or treatment made with these animal components. Some products are synthesized. However, many are still made more economically from cattle. Heparin – prolongs the time needed for blood to clot Corticotrophin – used in the treatment of allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, and respiratory diseases Thyrotropin – stimulates the thyroid gland Parathyroid hormone – used to treat parathyroid deficiencies Thrombin – promotes coagulation during surgery Glucagon – treats hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Sodium levothyroxine – thyroid replacement therapy Fibrinolysin – treatment of blood clots within the cardiovascular system Pancreatin – treatment of infants with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) Thyroid – treats myxedema (metabolitic disease caused by deficient action of the thyroid gland) in adults and cretinism (deformity and mental retardation in children Parathyroid hormone – used to treat parathyroid deficiencies Beef on the Road Tires have stearic acid that makes the rubber hold its shape under continuous surface friction. Even the asphalt on our roadways has a binding agent from fat. Some other unusual but necessary products are: asphalt Beef in Industry Beef by-products are used in all sorts of mechanical items. Chemical manufacturers use numerous fatty acids from inedible beef fats and proteins for all sorts of lubricants and fluids. animal USDA – Ag in the Classroom-www.agclassroom.org Name _________________________ Activity Sheet
“What do beef cattle have to do with me? I don’t have any in my backyard!”
Virtually the entire beef animal (99%) is used for something, but only 41% of it
is used as meat. The rest of the steer is used to provide products we use daily.

Using the Beyond the Beef Background Information Sheet, see how many things
you can find in your home that come from a beef animal. List products below.

Beef in Your Meal
USDA – Ag in the Classroom-www.agclassroom.org

Source: http://forces.si.edu/main/pdf/6-8-BeyondTheBeef.pdf