4-H Animal Science Resource Blog

STEM Connections, know-how & Inspiration

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How Cool Are These? Extinct Amphibians!

June 20, 2019

Although we have thousands of extant (currently living) amphibians around the globe, there are many interesting extinct ones as well! Here are just a sampling of some of the amazing fossils that have been found of extinct amphibians! Beelzebufo ampinga - The devil frog!  Article from https://www.popsci.com/beelzebufo-devil-frog-bite-force-dinosaur/   Beelzebufo … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal Project Areas, Featured Resource, Focus on STEM, Herpetology, Herpetology, herpetology, STEM Learning

With an Animal Science Degree, You Don’t HAVE to be a Vet

April 27, 2019

If you know you want to spend your life working with animals and are focused on studying Animal Science after high school, it is also important to know that veterinary school is only one of several career options after college. When applying to schools, be sure that the Animal Science program you attend will see you graduate with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. This is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alpaca/Llama, Dairy Cattle, Dog, Featured Resource, Goat, Herpetology, Horse and Pony, Poultry, Rabbit/Cavy/Small Animal, Sheep, STEM Learning, Swine Tagged With: Animal Science degree, higher education, Rutgers 4H, Rutgers SEBS, Veterinary Medical College Application Service

Understanding how to be a scientist: Using science tools (scientific models)

February 20, 2019

One of our challenges as club leaders is to create a meaningful science experience for youth through innovative STEM activities that highlight the real skills and practices of scientists.  Most of us with K-12 school-age students, have heard about the recent education reform efforts needed for our state’s implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS for short). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Focus on STEM, STEM Learning Tagged With: scientific models, STEM learning

An Idea that Works: Managing Group Work During STEM Club Meetings

January 14, 2019

In 4-H we often strive to make everything we do “youth centered”, meaning we want the young people to drive the conversation, tasks, and goals of the club.  This builds leadership skills in youth and helps them learn how to communicate effectively with each other.  As a club leader, it can be challenging to figure out how to be the “guide on the side” and mentor as opposed to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Club Programming Idea, STEM Learning Tagged With: cooperative learning, Focus on STEM, STEM learning goals

Understanding how to be a scientist: Exploring the Scientific Method

December 7, 2018

Odds are as an animal science club member, you have thought about a future career in animal science. Perhaps you are thinking about being a veterinarian? But even if you are not thinking about a STEM career, taking a scientific outlook on life makes the world a more interesting place. This month we are going to kick off a series of posts on what is it like to be a scientist … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Focus on STEM, STEM Learning Tagged With: observations, scientific method, scientific thinking, youth STEM

Improving STEM Discussions in Club Meetings

May 14, 2018

This month we are going to talk about the importance of leading quality STEM discussions in your animal science club. I recently read a great book by Karen Gallas called Talking their Way into Science.   In the book Karen talks about how hands-on activities are not enough to help young people construct meaning and make sense of the topic. In order to avoid misconceptions and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Focus on STEM, STEM Learning Tagged With: Club Meeting Ideas, discussion map, questioning, STEM

How do I know if I am offering quality STEM activities?

April 13, 2018

How do I know if it is working for my youth? As we talked about last month, the Internet is chock-full of sites claiming that their activities will turn your young people into scientists and engineers.   We know however that all STEM activities are not created equal and it can be challenging to find the right fit for your club or program. Execution, or how you facilitate the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Resource, STEM Learning Tagged With: STEM learning goals, youth STEM

What is quality STEM learning? … more than just fun activities.

March 13, 2018

Are you interested in adding more STEM activities to your animal science club? If so, you may be wondering what to look for in a quality STEM activity? We all know the power of the Internet to search and find anything. We all use Google searches or ask Siri or Alexa for help finding information. However sorting through the thousands of links we get back can be overwhelming. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: STEM Learning Tagged With: STEM learning goals, youth STEM

Where is the science in animal science?

January 30, 2018

Although I did not grow up on a farm, I have always loved animals. As a kid, I had my own menagerie of cats, dogs, and guinea pigs. I have also always been a science nerd. My favorite subject in school was science and especially any science dealing with the outdoors and the ocean. When applying for college and thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, I considered a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: STEM Learning

Your Animal Science and Agriculture Projects are STEM! Here are National Resources to Showcase the Connection

January 15, 2018

STEM learning animal science

You probably already know that STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. When people think of STEM, they picture a man in a lab coat mixing chemicals. Or perhaps a boy building a robot comes to mind. But as animal science educators, we know that STEM learning involves so much more! With every lesson we are connecting our youth to STEM. It's happening all the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured Resource, STEM Learning Tagged With: 4-H Animal Science, Marissa Staffen, New Jersey 4-H, STEM, STEM learning goals, youth STEM

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New Jersey 4-H provides educational outreach programming for youth in grades K-13 (one year out of high school) through 4-H clubs, special interest programs, school enrichment, afterschool programs, and overnight camping.

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