Turkey - It's not just for Thanksgiving anymore!

Introduction
Students have read through the websites about the turkey producing industry in the United States. In this activity, students will learn specifics about the growing popularity of turkey as an everyday meal option rather than a holiday meal. Students will also learn interesting information about how turkeys are raised and the business of turkey production.

Lesson Description
Students will find information about turkey consumption and turkey production on the National Turkey Federation website. Students will then answer four questions about the growing popularity of turkey meat as an everyday food. Students will then conduct an informal poll of their peers on their own uses of turkey and when they eat it most often. Students may decide to determine if the trends in national turkey consumption are reflected in their classmates own personal eating habits.

Instructional Objectives:

1. Students will learn about the turkey producing industry and the growing popularity of turkey as an everyday meat choice.
2. Students will conduct a survey of their classmates, basing questions on the data and knowledge they acquired from the Web site viewing. They will construct visual displays of the collected data and prepare a summary of their findings.

1. Turkey consumption has shown a consistent increase since the 1970s.
2. The top three turkey producing states and the number of turkeys they produced in the year 2001 are: North Carolina-44,500,000 turkeys; Minnesota-44,000,000 turkeys; Arkansas-29,000,000 turkeys.
3. One possible answer that the students may suggest include the facts that turkey is now provided in more varieties and cuts than the traditional whole bird, which opens up new avenues for preparation on a regular basis. Students might also remember that turkey is a healthier and leaner meat that beef or other red meat. The increased emphasis on healthier eating has contributed to the choice of turkey as a lean meat alternative.
4. Possible answers include being sold in delis as sandwich meat, ground turkey, turkey sausage or turkey bacon. Turkey is also processed into important protein products for dog and cat food. The turkey's feathers are sometimes used in Native American ritual clothing and the feather down can be used in pillows. Even tanned turkey skin can be processed into boots, belts, and other clothing accessories.
5. Students presentations and visual graphs will vary according to the different questions they choose to ask their peers. Students should create a sheet with their survey questions and room for people to write their responses. All graphs and charts should be neatly designed and display their data to the best effect. The student presentation should be brief but informative, providing careful explanation of the information gathered. Students should be encouraged to consider if the data they collected corresponds to the data presented in their Web browsing. If there are discrepancies, the students should consider why these differences occurred.

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