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PROGRAMME 7: TEXAS

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

The programme can be used as the focus of a stand-alone lesson. These activities support a variety of individual, paired and group work and can be chosen and adapted to suit the needs of the students involved.

For further information, websites and other resources, see Find out more.

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Before viewing

Before undertaking the activity related to Clip 1, read about how beef cattle are reared in the UK, on the site listed in Find out more.

Students can prepare for the activity related to Clip 2 by listing the ingredients on the label of a cheap brand of supermarket burger and of a McDonald's burger, taken from the site in Find out more. Try to find out more about the purpose of any additives. Note the amount of fat and salt in the burgers.

Before undertaking the activity related to Clip 4, do some background work to develop students' understanding about healthy diets. You can use information and activities from the downloads available here:
www.foodinschools.org/curriculum/
foodtech_pshe.php

After viewing

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The video clips may contain a few seconds of extra material at the beginning and end. We have therefore included opening and closing descriptions to help identify the intended scene.

Online video clips will be available on the site shortly.

Can you eat an animal with a name?
Clip 1: 06:26 – 09:38

• In: (Dave) 'The chosen cow enters the ring. If the girls want to buy her, it's now or never.'
• Out: (Nick) '…if he says she's gotta go for some reason, we'll change her name from Manchester Moo to Manchester Hamburger.'

Already the girls are growing fond of their cow, and have even given her a name. What would happen if people always 'met' the animals they were going to eat, and gave them names? Do you think more people would become vegetarian? Give reasons. What did you think of Nick's more pragmatic view: '…if she has to go, she has to go…'? Do you think farmers get attached to their livestock? How might a farmer's feelings differ from those of the girls?

Later in the film, Lauren says that she feels guilty about eating beef now, whereas before she never thought about where it came from. Now that you've seen cattle being raised and handled on a farm, has it altered your views about eating beef? List any changes. What could you do to be more responsible about eating beef?

Making a healthy burger
Clip 2: 09:40 – 10:39

• In: (Dave) 'Back at the ranch (I've always wanted to say that), Nick's mother Dolly is about to show the girls what a real Texan hamburger is.'
• Out: (Nick) '…unstressed animals are what put good food on the table.'

Dolly makes a traditional Texan burger. List the ingredients she uses and, using the research done before viewing, compare this with the lists of the ingredients in a burger from McDonald's and a cheap supermarket burger in the UK. Do the McDonald's and supermarket burgers include all the ingredients that are used in a Dolly's burger? What other ingredients are included? Why are those ingredients used? Are the burgers cooked by the same method? What difference does the cooking method make to the fat content of the burgers? Which of the burgers is healthier, and why?

Daring to take a hands-on approach
Clip 3: 14:17 – 15:48

• In: (Dave) 'Another aspect of managing a herd is checking the older cows for pregnancy.'
• Out: (John the vet) 'Good job. That was a very good job.'

Lauren amazes herself when she examines the cow. How well did she do this task? How open was she to trying new experiences? What did she get from the experience? What questions could Lauren have asked in order to learn more? Was the vet helpful? How do you think you would approach the same challenge?

Making a great burger
Clip 4: 19:40 – 10:23

• In: (Dave) 'With the clock ticking, it's a quick hop around the corner to the Top Notch Burger Bar.'
• Out: (Dave) 'Now, they're good marks. What a fitting end to the life of Manchester Moo.'

Lauren and Hayley did well when they made their burgers. From your research done before viewing, decide whether burgers like these can form part of a healthy diet. Would someone automatically be unhealthy if they ate a lot of burgers? What simple things could they do to make their diet healthier? Is eating fruit or fresh vegetables always better for you than eating a burger? Give reasons.