Animal Curriculum
Gila County 4-H Curriculum Library
- Search the lists below to find a curriculum that's right for you.
- Complete the Curriculum Library Reservation Form.
- Staff will contact you within 5 business days to complete the reservation process.
- Pick up your kit at the UArizona Cooperative Extension office at 5515 S. Apache Ave., Suite 600, Globe AZ, 85501. Please contact staff BEFORE picking up your reserved materials.
Available Curriculum
Dogs
A Fearless Approach to Understanding Dogs, Their Care and Training – Teach kids with activities that explore dog care and training to create meaningful educational experiences that involve learn-by-doing. Curriculum Book
Dog 1: Wiggles and Wags – Part of the National 4-H Dog Curriculum, youth explore online dog resources, breed origins, safety, finding a missing dog, socializing a dog, feed and much more. Curriculum Book
Dog 2: Canine Connections – Part of the National 4-H Dog Curriculum, activities include selection and care, health, nutrition, behavior, training, fitting and showing of their dogs. Curriculum Book
Dog 3: Leading the Pack – Part of the National 4-H Dog Curriculum, youth learn to assess a dog's vital signs, explore functions of dog body systems, investigate dog breeding, consider needs of older dogs, conduct a class for puppies, recognize value of guide dogs, identify dog ownership laws, sponsor a dog fun day, and explore careers with dogs. Curriculum Book
Dog Achievement Program – Encourage youth to accomplish personal goals and master life skills with their dogs. Activities are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels depending on your experience. You may choose to select a combination of experience levels within any given topic area. Curriculum Book
Dog Clubs – Introduces kids to basic obedience, agility and how to teach commands to dogs using the 4-H meeting style. Curriculum Book
Dog Helper’s Guide – Part of the National 4-H Dog Curriculum, teach kids about dog web resources, breed origins, safety, locating a missing dog, socializing a dog, showmanship, tricks, health, feeding and controlling parasites. Curriculum Book
Dog Resource Handbook – Has important information for 4-H members involved in a dog project as it includes how to select a dog that’s right for you, caring for a dog and training methods. Curriculum Book
Top Junior Handler – Ideal for kids int eh Junior Showmanship Competition for Dogs and includes important information about handling and showing dogs.
Livestock
Beef Project and Record Book – This is a guide for 4-H members who are doing the Beef project. Developed by Ohio State University Extension, this booklet is to be used with the Beef Resource Handbook.
Beef Resource Handbook – This is a guide for those considering doing the Market, Breeding or Feeder Calf 4-H Projects. This is one part of a set that includes the Beef Project and Record Book.
Cattle Swine Sheep Goats – This guide serves as an overview of livestock showing for steer, swine, sheep and goats. This booklet dives into terminology, methods and background information to know in showmanship.
Dairy 2: Mooving Ahead – Youth explore dairy cattle breeds, select calves, identify body parts, recognize desirable traits, pack a show box, groom and show a calf and identify stages of calving and care in this curriculum guide.
Dairy 3: Raising to the Top – Level 3 of the 4-H National Dairy Curriculum. Advanced youth practice body condition scoring, selecting through records, mastitis detection, balancing a ration, pregnancy detection, delivery of calf, promoting dairy products and exploring career opportunities.
Beef 1: Bite into Beef – This curriculum helps youth identify breeds, locate parts, judge, halter break a calf, fit a steer, show a calf, recognize a healthy animal, select feed ingredients and shop for beef & beef by-products.
Beef 2: Here's the Beef – This beef curriculum challenges youth with activities related to leg structure, oral reasons, feed ingredients, behavior, nose printing, parasites, fitting, ethical issues, beef carcass composition and retail meat cuts.
Beef Helper's Guide – This is a helper's guide that dives into selection, breed identification, parts identification, handling, grooming, showing, budgeting, identifying parasites, controlling fleas and spaying activities within a beef project.
Beef 1: Bite into Beef – In this beginner level curriculum, youth identify breeds, locate parts, judge, halter break a calf, fit a steer, show a calf, recognize a healthy animal, select feed ingredients and shop for beef & beef by-products.
Dairy 1: Cowabunga! – Level 1 of the 4-H National Dairy Curriculum. Youth explore dairy cattle breeds, select calves, identify body parts, recognize desirable traits, pack a show box, groom and show a calf and identify stages of calving and care.
Dairy Science – This booklet serves as an introduction to dairy science, specific to dairy cows. Note, this is a member guide for the 4-H Dairy Science project.
Exploring Beef Health & Husbandry – This curriculum is designed as the guide for a project facilitator. The activities and background information in this curriculum will help youth develop the requisite knowledge and skills associated with raising and showing beef cattle.
Beef 3: Leading the Charge – In this beef curriculum, students dive into selection, judging, feeds, careers, health, reproduction, and meats and marketing encourage more in-depth learning.
Livestock Judging – This guide serves as an overview of livestock showing for steer, swine, sheep and goats. This booklet dives into terminology, methods and background information to know in showmanship.
Livestock Leader's Guide – This booklet is a guide for those considering becoming 4-H Livestock Leaders, produced by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.
Livestock Showmanship 101 – This is a beginner's guide to showing Sheep, Cattle and Goats in the 4-H Showmanship Competition. This guide features tips and tricks to practice and perform with your livestock.
Rams, Lambs and Goats
Dairy Goat 1: Getting your Goat – Whether youth own a dairy goat or are just curious about them, these activities provide enjoyable, hands-on experiences to introduce them to goats. Selection, feeding, management, fitting, showing, and responsible goat ownership are emphasized.
Dairy Goat 2: Stepping Out – In this curriculum guide, youth explore how to keep their goats healthy, feed them for maximum production, prepare for kidding, develop judging skills, milk a goat properly, and much more. Exciting activities for teams and individuals are included.
Dairy Goat 3: Showing the Way – This is Level 3 of the 4-H National Dairy Goat Curriculum. Experienced goat project youth will find these activities challenging and fun as they delve into genetics, careers, national industry issues, diseases, biosecurity, body condition scoring, linear appraisal, breeding programs, pedigrees, dystocia, quality assurance, and leadership opportunities.
Goat Helpers Guide – Helpers will appreciate this resource as they plan group meetings to get youth involved and excited to learn about goats. Youth will enjoy playing goat-related games, conducting skillathons, giving demonstrations, participating in showmanship contests, and experiencing many other fun and educational group activities.
Goat Helper's Guide, Dairy Goat – Helpers will appreciate this resource as they plan group meetings to get youth involved and excited to learn about goats. Youth will enjoy playing goat-related games, conducting skillathons, giving demonstrations, participating in showmanship contests, and experiencing many other fun and educational group activities.
Meat Goat 1: Just Browsing – In this guide, youth plan a program, complete project records, develop a management calendar, complete a meat quality assurance program, participate in a quiz bowl, skillathon, tour, give a presentation and explore goat related careers.
Meat Goat 2: Growing with Meat Goats – In this guide, youth actively explore goat diseases, identify poisonous plants, determine body condition, learn about goat reproduction and kidding, and learn proper animal husbandry. Designed for grades 6-8, 40 pages.
Meat Goal 3: Meating the Future – This is Level 3 of the 4-H National Meat Goat curriculum. Discover how to control parasites, practice bio-security, conduct judging clinic, judge goats, give oral reasons, select sires, balance ration, compare forage samples, practice sound ethics, and prevent diseases.
Meat Goat Helper's Guide – This helper's guide is packed with activities that involve the entire group. Youth will enjoy planning a program, completing project records, developing management calendar, completing meat quality assurance program and participating in quizzes.
Sheep 1: Rams, Lambs, & You – In Sheep 1, youth will learn how to select a project lamb, properly care for the animal, and prepare the animal for show. Youth will also learn about sheep products and byproducts.
Sheep 2: Shear Delight – This is Level 2 of the 4-H National Sheep curriculum. In Sheep 2, youth will practice presenting oral reasons, determine yield grades, compare digestive systems, explore a feed tag, practice management practices, and deliver a lamb.
Sheep 3: Leading the Flock – In Sheep 3, youth learn about judging, genetics and breeding, marketing a sheep product, and career paths. This is Level 3 of the 4-H National Sheep curriculum.
Sheep Helpers Guide – This guide is meant to be paired with the Sheep 1, 2, and 3 handbooks. Instructions for skillathons, bingo, pyramid, developing management calendars and more activities.
Swine
Swine 1: Incredible Pig – In this guide, youth do activities including naming breeds, learning swine body parts, judging market hogs, exploring a digestive system, examining a healthy pig, identifying pork cuts, and practicing fitting and showing.
Swine 2: Putting the Oink in Pig – This is the second book in the Swine series. Activities in Swine 2 include managing baby pigs, balancing a ration, exploring swine diseases, preparing pork, discovering swine careers and packing a show box.
Swine 3: Going Whole Hog – In this guide, advanced youth will plan a breeding system, judge breeding gilts, design a swine operation, complete a job application, explore career opportunities and international markets plus many other challenging activities.
Swine Helper's Guide – This guide is packed with activities to involve the entire group. Youth will plan a program, complete project records, develop a management calendar, explore the pork quality assurance program & investigate character education. This guide accompanies the Swine 1, 2, and 3 Books.
Small Stock
Cavy Resource Handbook – This resource handbook contains essential information for members doing a guinea pig project. Topics covered include general care, history, anatomy, selection, and housing of guinea pigs.
Livestock Showmanship 101 – This is a beginner's guide to showing Sheep, Cattle and Goats in the 4-H Showmanship Competition. This guide features tips and tricks to practice and perform with your livestock.
Pet Project 1: Pet Pals – This is the first book in the Pet Series. This guide features 14 activities including pet selection, body part identification, pet art, communications, handling, housing and daily needs.
Pet Project 2: Scurrying Ahead – This is the second book in the Pet Series. Youth develop planning and decision-making skills, learning exhibiting, debate pet sayings, create a story, observe pet behavior, promote a product and learn how to feed and care for your pet.
Pet Project 3: Scaling the Heights – This is the third book in the Pet Series. Explore genetics, pet issues, reproduction, caring for newborns, starting your own business, and careers.
Pet Helper's Guide – This is the Helper's/ Facilitator's Guide to the Pet Project from
4-H. Project helpers will find many fun and engaging group games and activities to further expand the pet project experience for youth.
Poultry Production – This guide is designed to help youth interested in the poultry production project. Youth will learn how to raise, grow and market poultry products in a meeting-based format.
Rabbit – This is a guidebook for those interested in the 4-H Rabbit Project. Topics covered include selection, care, and showing of rabbits in a meeting-based format.
Vet Science 1: From Airedales to Zebras – This is the first book in the Veterinary Science Curriculum series. This guide introduces youth to the normal animal, basic anatomy and systems, elementary principles of disease and careers with animals.
Vet Science 2: All Systems Go! – This is the second book in the Veterinary Science Curriculum series. This guide involves youth in in-depth investigation of normal & abnormal systems, preparation for college and exploration of the diversity of the veterinary profession.
Vet Science 3: On the Cutting Edge – This is the third book in the Veterinary Sciences Series. This guide involves youth in in-depth investigation of normal & abnormal systems, preparation for college and exploration of the diversity of the veterinary profession.
Vet Science Helpers Guide, Grades 3-12 – This is the Helper's Guide to the Veterinary Science 4-H Project. These supplemental materials provide helpers with activities to facilitate learning for various ages of youth. Numerous group activities help youth develop essential life skills as they pursue their interest in veterinary medicine.