This textbook is a valuable resource for the Animal Science 1 and 2 courses within the Utah CTE - agriculture curriculum. It excels in providing engaging activities that encourage student reflection and enhance their understanding of the material covered in each chapter. The content is aligned with current industry standards, ensuring that students receive education relevant to the U.S. animal and poultry industries. Additionally, the inclusion of high-quality images aids both students and teachers in visualizing concepts, which can significantly enhance comprehension and retention.
However, there are certain areas where the textbook could be improved. While the activities are engaging, they might lack the depth needed for a comprehensive understanding of more complex topics. Furthermore, the textbook's focus on U.S. industries may limit its applicability for students interested in global perspectives. The variety of activities could also be expanded to cater to different learning styles, ensuring inclusivity for all students. Lastly, to maintain its relevance, the textbook will need periodic updates to keep pace with the evolving industry standards and practices.
This text was focused on the U.S. industry (which we are teaching in the U.S.) but it would have been nice to see more information and applications to other countries and cultures.
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sensitive Materials and Prohibited Submission 53G-10-103, R277-628 | NA | Does Not Violate Law | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| I did not seen anything that stood out to me that would violate law. | ||||||
| Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107 | NA | Does Not Violate Law | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Nothing discriminatory. | ||||||
| Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202 | NA | Does Not Violate Law | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Does not violate constitutional freedom. | ||||||
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Assessment Tools | The material provides numerous, quality assessment tools for students, including reflective questions, activities, and application of skills. | The material provides some assessment tools for students, such as including reflective questions, activities, or application of skills. | The material provides minimal assessment tools for students including very little reflective questions, activities, or application of skills. | The material does not provide assessment tools for students. | ||
| The chapter review summaries, review questions, discussion questions, and student learning activities at the end of every chapter provide assessment for students to extensively review. | ||||||
| 2. Teacher Resources & Training | The material provides quality teacher resources, including questioning strategies, activity ideas, evaluation tools, and differentiation strategies. | The material provides some teacher resources, including questioning strategies, activity ideas, evaluation tools, or differentiation strategies. | The material provides minimal teacher resources, including very little questioning strategies, activity ideas, evaluation tools, or differentiation strategies. | The material does not provide teacher resources. | ||
| The student textbook itself provides resources for the teacher as well. | ||||||
| 3. Ethnic Studies (Ethnic studies in core standards and curriculum should be a narrowly tailored incorporation of age-appropriate opportunities that naturally arise through education without pretextual effort in courses, programs, or activities where ethnic studies is not a primary focus. The material should incorporate curriculum of people and cultures that reflect the state’s various demographics without commentary that seeks to violate the neutrality standard established in codes: 53B-1-118, 53G-2-103, 53G-2-104, 53G-2-105, 67-27-107, | In addition to the content outlined in “Adequate,” this material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for learning about various forms of cultural philosophies and epistemologies from Utah, the United States, and worldwide. The materials provide cultural backgrounds, contemporary real-life experiences, and contexts that are relevant to local students. Some examples may include people with disabilities, various body types, and ages. | This material demonstrates respect for diverse socio-cultural identities. The material provides opportunities to acknowledge and integrate the histories, cultures, contributions, and perspectives of people from the United States and worldwide. The material accurately represents the cultures, languages, traditions, beliefs, values, and customs of people from diverse backgrounds through a variety of texts, examples, scenarios, imagery, and applications. | The material has limited themes of social and cultural histories within the United States and globally. The material provides limited examples of inclusive or cultural real-life experiences and does not include diverse characters. | The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements. (53E-4-204.1). | ||
| This resource is focused on Livestock and Poultry production in the United States. There are a few instances where other cultures are mentioned but very briefly. | ||||||
| 4. Shared Values and Character Traits | The material extends beyond the content outlined in "Adequate", it includes elements that connect Utahns to the world. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. Some examples may include characters with a variety of personalities, education, income, occupation, or behaviors that illustrate character traits. | The material focuses on the shared values of diverse people and communities, the common elements that unite Utahns, and displays some character traits in its imagery and content. It aims to cultivate character traits in students, such as courage, leadership, intelligence, integrity, honesty, respect, morality, civility, duty, honor, and service, along with principles found in the Constitution. | The material lacks a sense of shared values or common elements that unite Utahns. Furthermore, the material has limited resources addressing civic and character education. | The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements (53E-4-204.1) and civic and character education. (53G-10-204) | ||
| The textbook unites Americans and groups the US together. | ||||||
| 5. Utah CTE Course Standards Alignment | The material provides adequate preparation of skills through quality examples, explanations, and online resources of the content. | The material provides some preparation of skills through some examples, explanations, or online resources of the content. | The material provides minimal preparation of skills through minimal examples, explanations, or online resources of the content. | The material does not provide preparation of skills through examples, explanations, or online resources of the content. | ||
| Yes - this textbook is an adequate resource for the Animal Science 1 and 2 curriculums. The only thing we felt like it lacked in was FFA and SAE. | ||||||
| 6. Engagement | The material is engaging by appealing to student interest through interactive and performance-based activities and content. | The material provides some engagement to student interest through some interactive or performance-based activities and content. | The material provides minimal engagement to student interest and includes minimal interactive or performance-based activities. | The material does not provide engagement to student interest through use of interactive or performance-based activities. | ||
| Yes - the review activities seem to be good resources for students. We would say it is heavy on text. There are some pages with a good chunk of words and little visuals. | ||||||
| 7. Non-Text Content | The material contains authentic, relevant, applicable, and well-integrated non-text content (images, graphs, visual aids, etc.). | The material contains some authentic, relevant, applicable, integrated non-text content (images, graphs, visual aids, etc.) | The material contains minimal authentic, relevant, applicable, or integrated non-text content (images, graphs, visual aids, etc.) | The material does not contain authentic, relevant, applicable, or well-integrated non-text content (images, graphics, visual aids, etc.) | ||
| Images and other content match the textbook. Some of the images and graphs could have a more modern look to them. | ||||||
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Industry Alignment | The material is aligned to industry standards through the use of research-based and real-world application of relevant, current terminology and content. | The material provides some alignment to industry standards through some use of research-based and real-world application of relevant or current terminology and content. | The material provides minimal alignment to industry standards through minimal use of research-based and real-world application of relevant or current terminology and content. | The material does not provide alignment to industry standards through the use of research-based and real-world application of relevant, current terminology and content. | ||
| Relevant information and applicable to industry standards. | ||||||
| 2. 21st Century & Workplace Skills | The material engages readers in the development of 21st-century and workplace skills, providing a greater depth of knowledge of the content. | The material provides some development of 21st century and workplace skills, providing some deepening of knowledge of the content. | The material provides minimal development of 21st century or workplace skills, providing minimal deepening of knowledge of the content. | The material does not provide development of 21st century or workplace skills, resulting in no deepening of knowledge of the content. | ||
| Textbook helps prepare students for 21st century workplace. | ||||||
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Lab Spaces | The material provides adequate preparation for hands-on learning experiences through the inclusion of content-related lab spaces and associated safety practices. | The material provides some preparation for hands-on learning experiences through some inclusion of content-related lab spaces or associated safety practices. | The material provides minimal preparation for hands-on learning experiences through minimal inclusion of content-related lab spaces or associated safety practices. | The material does not provide preparation for hands-on learning experiences through the inclusion of content-related lab spaces or associated safety practices. | ||
| More hands on activities/labs would be more beneficial. | ||||||
| 2. Lab Equipment | The material provides adequate preparation for hands-on learning experiences through the inclusion of a wide range of current and content-relevant lab equipment with associated safety practices. | The material provides some preparation for hands-on learning experiences through some inclusion of current and content-relevant lab equipment or associated safety practices. | The material provides minimal preparation for hands-on learning experiences through minimal inclusion of current and content-relevant lab equipment or associated safety practices. | The material does not provide preparation for hands-on learning experiences through the inclusion of current and content-relevant lab equipment or associated safety practices. | ||
| There are plenty of assessment activities in this text. However, there could be more hands on lab activities mentioned. | ||||||
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Physical Characteristics | The material goes beyond the content outlined in "Adequate" by incorporating modern, up-to-date, and relatable visuals. | In physical terms, the material is interactive and provides high-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for all users. | The material offers limited or low-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for students, but it is reusable. | The content either has low audio-visual quality or is not intended for reuse. | ||
| Visuals were great throughout textbook. Some of the images and graphs could have a more modern look to them. | ||||||
| 2. Technical Standards | The material surpasses the content outlined in "Adequate" by ensuring the safeguarding of student data privacy and easy installation or access without technical assistance. Furthermore, any licensing information is clearly stated in the description. | The materials meet all the requirements of federal and state laws, as well as accepted technical standards such as ISTE Standards and VPAT Compliance. Additional technical specifications and limitations, including hardware requirements, bandwidth demands, and software/web access restrictions, are clearly outlined in the description. The design of the materials allows for error-free installation or access without the need to purchase additional components. | The material is constrained by specifications that require additional materials, technical assistance, hardware, software, or infrastructure. Access to resources within the material expires after a trial period. | Student data privacy is at risk. | ||
| Nothing I noticed. | ||||||
| 3. Adaptability | The material is currently relevant and adaptable for educators and students. The material can be customized for the needs of diverse learners. | Educators or students can utilize the material, but it may not be customizable for the needs of diverse learners. | The material has limited options to address adaptability for the needs of diverse learners. | The material is not suitable for different educational settings with diverse learners. | ||
| Educator and student can adapt with this book using assessments and other resources. | ||||||
250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807