Teacher’s guide:
Dairy case studies
Welcome
This guide will help you plan a series of
successful lessons, exploring dairy farming and
the production and processing of dairy foods,
for students aged 11-16 years. The resources
have been developed to be flexible to suit your
teaching needs, feel free to ‘dip-in’ and select
those most relevant to your lessons. These
resources support a wide range of curriculum
areas, including science, food technology, home
economics, geography, health and wellbeing,
and personal, social and health education. The
case study format provides students and
teachers with up-to-date, accurate and
consistent messages.
The dairy industry
The dairy industry makes a major contribution to the British diet. Around 5 billion litres of
milk are sold in Britain each year and we consume an average of 1.6 litres each a week. On
top of that, 7 billion litres go into dairy products such as cheese, butter and dried milk
powder, which is a vital component of many other food products. (Source:
thisisdairyfarming.com)
It is important to be aware of where our food comes from and how the animals and natural
resources are treated that provides that food. The dairy industry maintains high standards of
animal health and welfare on farms and actively seeks to sustain the environment. These case
studies have been developed to support teachers and student investigating this area of food
production and processing.
The key topics include:
1. Animal health and welfare
2. The environment and sustainability
3. Diversity of farming systems
4. Production of milk (and other dairy products, e.g. cheese)
The resources
The resources comprise:
5 x PowerPoint presentations (these can be modified allowing you to tailor these to suit the
needs of your students)
 Introduction to dairy farming
 The environment and sustainability
 Health and welfare of cows
 Diversity of farming systems
 Dairy farming case study
4 x photocopiable note sheets: these can be used to guide your students in note taking and
creating summaries of the information presented in the PowerPoint presentations;
4 x photocopiable worksheets, based on the information provided in the PowerPoint
presentations.
3 x photocopiable data sheets: these provide data on the nutritional composition of milk,
yogurt and cheese;
2 x online tutorials: each allows independent, self-paced, differentiated, learning experiences
using online information and activity slides with the facility to print a report at the end.
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Classroom activities
There are many opportunities where information on dairy farming and food processing can
form part of a lesson or scheme of work.
Here are a variety of ideas to get you started:

Each PowerPoint presentation can be used in conjunction with the note sheet as
part of a lesson with the whole class. Alternatively, students who finish work early
or who wish to work independently can also complete the note sheets on their
own.

The online tutorials can be used for extension work or assigned as homework.

A farm visit could be arranged, with the resources either being used to prepare
students for the visit or after the visit to consolidate student learning. Alternatively,
information concerning farming could be researched online or experts could be
accessed for presentations in school.
Students could also:

Investigate the different farming systems and set up a debate between two different
systems, such as organic vs. non-organic, or extensive farming vs. all-year-round
housing.

Research a variety of food products, such as Cheddar cheese, which are legally
permitted to use the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) mark on labelling.

Explore the different schemes set up to help protect the health and welfare of dairy
cows, and promote sustainability.

Create a list of the different employment opportunities and the skills needed to
work on a dairy farm.
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Links the to UK Curricula
This chart shows the main curricula links to different subjects throughout the UK. There are
also lots of other opportunities in school for cross-curriculum links, including geography,
history, art and design, health education, numeracy and literacy. Food – a fact of life also
supports the appropriate use of ICT.
Country
England
Northern
Ireland
Scotland
Wales
Opportunities for use of these resources
Key stage 3 Design and technology
Range: Design d. the impact of products beyond meeting their original
purpose and how to assess products in terms of sustainability.
Key Stage 3: Science
Range 3.4.c human activity and natural processes can lead to changes in the
environment.
Key Stage 3: Citizenship
Range e. actions that individuals, groups and organisations can take to
influence decisions affecting communities and the environment
Key stage 4: Design and technology and home economics courses
Examination specifications contain references to the food chain, consumer
responsibility and sustainability. Materials within this resource can be used to
help support teaching on these areas.
Key stage 3 Life, learning and work: Home economics
Although not specifically mentioned, aspects of the food chain and
sustainability are important attributes of Home Economics.
Key stage 3: Environment and society - Geography
Objective 3. Developing pupils as contributors to the economy and
environment
Key stage 4: Design and technology and home economics courses
Examination specifications contain references to the food chain, consumer
responsibility and sustainability. Materials within this resource can be used to
help support teaching on these areas.
Second and third
Health and wellbeing: Food and the consumer HWB 3-36a
Technologies: Technological developments in society TCH 3-02a
Fourth
Health and wellbeing: Nutrition HWB 4-30a
Health and wellbeing: Food and the consumer HWB 4-36a
Technologies: Technological developments in society TCH 4-01a / TCH 401c
Key stage 3 : Science: The sustainable earth - range 5
Key stage 3 : Science: How things work – range 6
Key Stage 4: Science
Environment, earth and universe range
Range: The effects of human activity on the environment using living and nonliving indicators.
Key stage 4: Design and technology and home economics courses
Examination specifications contain references to the food chain, consumer
responsibility and sustainability. Materials within this resource can be used to
help support teaching on these areas.
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Links to the Food Standards Agency’s Food Competences for young people
The Food Competences for young people can help young people to choose, cook and eat safe
healthy food. These competences are set out as a framework of core skills and knowledge
for children and young people.
The food competences support wider UK Government work aimed at improving the health
of young people and will contribute towards helping schools develop a 'whole school
approach' to diet and health.
Diet and health
By the age of 14, pupils should:
• use current healthy eating advice to choose
a varied balanced diet for their needs, as well
as being physically active.
• know that food provides energy and
nutrients in different amounts; that they have
important functions in the body; and that
people require different amounts during
their life, e.g. pregnancy, infant feeding.
• be able to apply current healthy eating
recommendations, and understanding of
peoples' needs, to their own diet and
others', e.g. before and during pregnancy.
By the age of 16+, students should:
Consumer awareness
By the age of 14, pupils should:
• know that food is produced, processed and
sold in different ways, e.g. conventional and
organic farming, fair trade.
• consider a wider range of factors when
making food choices, e.g. seasonality, local
food, sustainability.
By the age of 16+, students should:
Food safety
By the age of 14, pupils should:
• understand the principles of cleaning,
preventing cross-contamination, chilling,
cooking food thoroughly and reheating food
until it is piping hot.
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Sources of further information
British Nutrition Foundation www.nutrition.org.uk
Dairy Council – www.milk.co.uk
DairyCo www.dairyco.org.uk
Farm for schools – www.farmforschools.org.uk
Farming and Countryside Education www.face-online.org.uk
Food – a fact of life www.foodafactoflife.org.uk
Red Tractor www.redtractor.org.uk
Royal Highland Education Trust www.rhet.org.uk
School milk - www.schoolmilk.co.uk
This is dairy farming www.thisisdairyfarming.co.uk
Acknowledgement
This work has been developed by the British Nutrition Foundation, and is supported by the
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB) milk sector organisation DairyCo.
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