With National Reading Month taking place in March and Read Across America Day quickly approaching on March 3, Discover Dairy has a new book available – “Curious Clover” – to help bring dairy farming to life for elementary and middle school students.
The book is available in both English and Spanish and includes accompanying interactive resources to encourage literacy, creativity and farm-to-table connections. The Discover Dairy program is managed through the Dairy Excellence Foundation. With a $15 donation to the foundation, individuals can receive a printed copy of the book to share with students and families.
“Every time someone turns the page and meets Clover in our ‘Curious Clover’ book, they get a firsthand look at where their food comes from. This book is a new and exciting way to include agriculture in your March reading plans,” said Brittany Snyder, dairy education program manager at the Dairy Excellence Foundation. “In addition to the book, we have an activity sheet and lesson plan to really get families and communities engaged with where their milk comes from. Whether you’re a teacher, parent or advocate for the dairy industry, we hope you’ll help us share this book with someone who might enjoy it this spring.”
The “Curious Clover” book and complementary activities are designed to encourage students of all ages to build curiosity about the world around them while learning about the journey of milk from the farm to the fridge. If individuals make a donation by Feb. 14, the books will be delivered before March 1 in time for National Reading Month. Individuals can make a donation for a book at www.discoverdairy.com/curiousclover or by calling 717.346.0849.
“We read ‘Curious Clover’ the other month and colored our own ‘Clovers’ to take home during Christmas break. Their assignment was to take their Clover on an adventure and to share that adventure with us during our sharing time in morning meetings. This is an amazing program,” shared Cassandra, a second grade teacher from Wisconsin.
After reading “Curious Clover,” students can color their own Clover cut-out coloring sheet and physically take her on adventures. Families and teachers can help children document these adventures with photos, journal entries and more. Free “Curious Clover” lesson plans, in both English and Spanish, are also available for pre-K – 5th grade.
“We’re all striving to nurture and grow kind, diverse students in this world, and ‘Curious Clover’ is a great way to teach some of those lessons while fostering a love for creativity and reading. Consider sharing this book with families, teachers and other community members, or send a book to someone who might appreciate it during National Reading Month,” Snyder added.
Discover Dairy, managed by the Dairy Excellence Foundation, is an engaging, interactive, multi-level educational series that shows upper elementary and middle school students where milk comes from and how dairy farmers contribute to our communities. The Discover Dairy program also includes the popular Adopt a Cow program, which impacts more than one million students each school year and connects classrooms directly to a calf from a progressive dairy operation.
For more information about Discover Dairy and the “Curious Clover” book, visit www.discoverdairy.com/curiousclover or contact Brittany Snyder at bsnyder@centerfordairyexcellence.org or call 717.346.0849. Online donations must be submitted by Feb. 14 to receive a print copy of the book by March 1.
Discover Dairy is an educational series managed by the Center for Dairy Excellence Foundation of Pennsylvania in partnership with American Dairy Association North East, American Dairy Association Indiana, Midwest Dairy, the Dairy Alliance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Dairy Management West, Dairy West, New England Dairy, Dairy Farmers of Washington, American Dairy Association Mideast, Dairy Council of Florida, United Dairy Industry of Michigan, Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council and Oregon Dairy Council.
