Make it fun. A picture of a cow is always the best place to start. Simply showing a picture of a cow and asking them to guess what it is will be a good starting point if they haven’t yet learned what a cow is. It’s also a good place to start if they already know what cows look like, but don’t know all the facts yet.
- Having the sound recording of a cow’s “moo” will also get children excited about learning about cows. Ask them, “What animal makes this sound?” play the recording, then have them guess.
Associate the things they eat with the cow. Ask them, “Where does milk come from?” or “Where does cheese/yogurt/ice cream come from?” You may also want to tell them the very basics of how cheese or ice cream is made as well.
- You can also ask them “Where does beef come from?” and point out it comes from a cow, but try not to get into details how it’s obtained until you think they are at the age where it is safe to do so.
Point out basic facts about cows. You may want to include certain facts such as:
- Some cows have spots
- Cows are farm animals like chickens, sheep and horses
- Cows live on farms
- Cows eat grass and hay
Show your students cows. For example, take a field trip to a dairy farm. If this isn’t possible, show your students pictures or drawings of cows. Then, have them draw pictures of cows.
Assign a project or quiz. This will wrap up the lesson. Projects can be graphic organizers, posters, or oral reports. Think up your own quiz on what you taught about or emphasized on cows.
