4-H Delivers

Alameda County Veterinary Science Project

The Issue:

The Youth Development through Veterinary Science is a 4-H Youth Development curriculum that introduces youth, grades 3-6, to many aspects of veterinary science through experimental and inquiry-based learning. The curriculum uses color plates that work better when printed in color which in turn makes them more accessible by youth members by being passed around for viewing and observation. There are some of the lessons that benefit from stethoscopes and penlights. Activities also benefit from the use of microscopes with slides and hands-on dissections of the body components that are being studied.

 

What has 4-H done?:

The State 4-H Office provided funding for color copies of the material with a digital copy on DVD to be distributed to each 4-H club in Alameda County. We purchased two microscopes, a dozen stethoscopes and penlights, and two otolites for the hands-on activities. The microscopes and prepared slides allowed the members to get an up close look at anatomy. The microscopes provided the opportunity for studying fur, feathers, and skin.  Dissections encouraged the youth to explore more. Cow eyes obtained from a meat packing facility and a video from the Exploratorium in San Francisco were a big hit with members; along with hearts from local ethnic markets that enabled the youth to see the how the heart’s chambers work. One of the teen members put together a workshop that was presented at the county SET Career Day which allowed the participating youth to compare heartbeats of different species of pets and looking at prepared slides of various animal hairs under the microscope.

 

The Impact:

All 4-H members in the project gained an intimate knowledge of several body systems. They also learned to compare and contrast the way these newly learned body systems work with their own along with their familiar 4-H project animals. The participating youth will also be sharing what they are doing and what they have learned with the public at the zoo on a day of enrichment delivery.  The presentation by the teen leaders to the county Leaders’ Council made the teens organize what they had learned, along with exhibiting to leaders in other clubs that the curriculum is not intimidating and that the project is fun and exciting for youth to participate in.