Premier Leadership · Personal Growth · Career Success

Tyson Foods – Antibiotics in Chickens

A 45-minute FFA lesson plan, created in partnership with Tyson Foods, that explores the agricultural issue of antibiotic use in chickens. Students watch a Tyson Foods video, complete worksheets (“Antibiotics—What’s the Story?” and “Pros and Cons”), research the issue, and create a debate weighing the pros and cons of antibiotic use in poultry. Includes student worksheets, a debate rubric, and an answer key.

At a glance

Learning objectives
  • Distinguish between the pros and cons of the use of antibiotics in chickens.
  • Create a debate on the use of antibiotics in chickens.
  • Understand the use of antibiotics in chickens.
Time required
45 minutes
Grade level
9-10
Materials
  • A copy of the "Antibiotics—What's the Story?" worksheet for each student.
  • A copy of the "Pros and Cons" worksheet for each student.
  • Internet access to play the video in real time or embed it in a PowerPoint ahead of time.
Resources
FFA.org
This Quick Lesson Plan Would Work Well As
A portion of an animal science unit; A portion of an agriscience unit; A portion of an agricultural issue unit.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Communication; Information, Communications, and Technology Literacy; Initiative and Self-direction; Leadership and Responsibility; Think Creatively

Downloads & Links

Aligned Standards

AFNR Career Ready Practices

  • CRP.02Apply appropriate academic and technical skills. Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive.
  • CRP.04Communicate clearly, effectively, and with reason. Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal and/or visual methods.
  • CRP.08Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem.
  • CRP.11Use technology to enhance productivity. Career-ready individuals find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve workplace problems.

AFNR Cluster Skills

  • CS.02Evaluate the nature and scope of the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Career Cluster and the role of agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR) in society and the economy.
  • CS.06Analyze the interaction among AFNR systems in the production, processing and management of food, fiber and fuel and the sustainable use of natural resources.

AFNR Performance Element

  • CS.01Analyze how issues, trends, technologies and public policies impact systems in the agriculture, food & natural resources career cluster.

Common Career Technical Core

  • AG1Analyze how issues, trends, technologies and public policies impact systems in the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Career Cluster.
  • AG2Evaluate the nature and scope of the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Career Cluster and the role of agriculture, food, and natural resources (AFNR) in society and the economy.

Common Core – Language

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.6Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Common Core – Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects: Writing

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.6Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9.10.1Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9.10.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Common Core – Math (Specific)

  • MP1Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  • MP2Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
  • MP3Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Common Core – Math Practices

  • CCSS.MP1Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  • CCSS.MP2Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
  • CCSS.MP3Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  • CCSS.MP6Attend to precision.

Common Core – Reading: Informational Text

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.8Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

Common Core – Speaking and Listening

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.4Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Common Core – Writing

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4Produce clear and coherent writing the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibility and dynamically.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

FFA Precept

  • FFA.CS-MCommunication: Effectively interact with others in personal and professional settings.
  • FFA.CS-NDecision Making: Analyze a situation and execute an appropriate course of action.
  • FFA.PL-DCharacter: Conduct oneself appropriately in relation to others regardless of the situation.

NASDCTEc

  • AGC10.03Compare and contrast issues affecting the AFNR industry including biotechnology, employment, safety, environmental and animal welfare to demonstrate an understanding of the trends and issues important to careers in this industry.

Next Generation Science

  • HS-ETS1-3Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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