This lesson is one in a series of five related lessons to promote the development of STEM abilities and critical thinking skills, while fostering an appreciation for the people involved in livestock production. For more information about what STEM is, why it's important, and how it can be implemented in your classroom, watch the video, What is STEM? The curriculum includes real-life challenges for students to investigate, inquiry-based labs, and opportunities to plan and construct models. Featured careers include:
Rangelands are vast natural landscapes that include grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, forests, tundra, wetlands, and deserts. Rangelands do not include barren desert, farmland, or land covered by bare soil, solid rock, concrete, or glaciers. Rangelands are uncultivated lands that will provide the necessities of life for grazing and browsing animals. Rangelands are distinguished from pasture lands because they grow naturally occurring vegetation rather than plants cultivated by humans with irrigation, fertilizers, and other additions. From the wide open spaces of Northern California to the vast plains of Africa, rangelands are found all over the world, encompassing more than half of the Earth’s land surface.
Rangelands also provide important habitat for domestic livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. These animals graze the land, feeding on plants, such as grasses. Grazing is important in agriculture, because domestic livestock convert grass and other forage into meat, milk, and other products.
There are many benefits to livestock grazing, including reducing fire hazards, promoting plant life, and encouraging wildlife species. Properly managed livestock grazing helps reduce fire hazards by controlling the amount and distribution of grasses and other potential fuel. Additionally, livestock grazing controls the growth of non-native grasses and herbs so that desirable plants (wildflowers and native grasses) can regenerate and coexist with them. Many species, including several threatened species, benefit from the vegetation management performed by livestock.
Rangelands are an important resource. They preserve open space and provide recreational uses, natural beauty, wildlife habitat, water purification, and clean air. Approximately 70 percent of the planet and 50 percent of the United States is rangeland.
Range managers care for our country’s vast rangelands. They maintain plants for forage; wildlife for aesthetics and hunting; livestock for meat, milk, and fiber production; and clean water. In this lesson, students will learn the basics about rangelands and use their acquired knowledge and research skills to design an educational game.
Refer to the Answers to Commonly Asked Questions for more background information.
