Introduction

Let's get started...

Whole Hog is an inquiry-oriented educational resource designed to help teachers and students learn about North Carolina's corporate hog industry, explore issues (i.e., economic, environmental, health, social/political) raised by the industry's rapid growth over the past decade, and examine ways North Carolinians are working to address these issues.

There are two options for getting started. Brief summaries of each are provided below.

The Offer (A Family's Dilemma)

This is a classroom simulation exercise in which a family must decide whether to sell the farm to a large, corporate pork producer. Using selected web resources, students investigate the hog industry and related issues from the perspectives of various stakeholders. Then they discuss and debate the issues before a simulated "family" which, in turn, makes the decision. During a follow-up discussion, students express their own opinions on what the family should do.

Exploring the Whole Hog: A WebQuest

In this WebQuest, students assume the role of a magazine writer whose editor has assigned him/her the job of determining whether a feature story on large-scale, corporate hog farming in North Carolina would be of interest and value to the magazine's national audience. Students are asked to 1) independently conduct a guided, online investigation of the issues, 2) prepare a written report that clearly states his/her opinion on whether a story should be developed and why, and 3) present and defend the report during a simulated "story meeting."

Students will:

Research different aspects of the hog industry including intensive livestock operations, current research and technology, and the people involved with the industry.
Investigate biological processes and technologies involved with waste disposal, including current research.
Explore environmental concerns of the hog industry.
Assess society's need to balance economic progress with environmental protection and differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable tradeoffs.
Conduct online research to access information on North Carolina's hog industry and evaluate the information.
Identify and communicate with people knowledgeable about the hog industry, such as local and state agency representatives.
Become more familiar with internet searches.

Introduction

The Whole Hog web site primarily addresses the environmental science, computer, and information components of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study at the middle and secondary school levels. However, issues raised in A Family's Dilemma and the WebQuest, by the debate topics, and through various extended and stewardship activities provide opportunities for meeting social studies and healthful living objectives as well. Written assignments, particularly the WebQuest report, also address an array of competency requirements in English Language Arts.

Most of the materials and activities contained in Whole Hog may be adapted for use with upper elementary students.

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan #1 - A Family's Dilemma: To Sell or Not to Sell the Farm to a Large, Corporate Pork Producer (a classroom simulation exercise).

Lesson Plan #2 - Exploring the Whole Hog: A WebQuest on Corporate Hog Farming in North Carolina (an independent research and writing activity followed by a small group simulation exercise).

Suggestions For Modifications:

While the "Activities" sections in each of the lesson plans above recommend approaches for using the activities and materials provided, there are alternatives. For example:

The online research component of the stakeholder activity in Lesson Plan #1 may be scaled back or dropped completely if students have very limited access to computers hooked to the Internet. Under those circumstances, student "stakeholders" could use printed profiles provided by the teacher.
The online research assignment in the WebQuest is very detailed, requiring considerable computer time. To cut back on the length of this activity, place students in research teams. That way they can divide up the task and meet afterward to exchange information before beginning their reports.
Video Production - Teacher will help by assigning groups as part of the production crew. Students will need a pre-production, production, and post-production guidelines. Time limitation should be placed on each video group.

These are just a few suggestions - feel free to adapt Whole Hog to your needs.

(A special "Thank You" to Melva Okum, UNC-CH Environmental Resource Program & Caroline Martens, Instructional Designer for Environmental Resource Program for allowing us permission to re-activate the Whole Hog Lesson to be used solely at Centennial Campus Middle School in conjunction with an integrated unit on Water Quality. Modifications have been made by Sharon Irby to reflect 8th grade teacher specifications and current Hog Industry Internet resource links.)