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High Steaks!

Welcome to High Steaks!

We hope you and your students find this program to be engaging, exciting, and applicable. Please find the below resources to help you in this project!

Elementary Rules and Checklist  Middle School Rules and Checklist  High School Rules and Checklist 

Rubric  Register  Student Pre-Inventory  Student Post-Inventory

2023 Virtual Events

Follow along with cattle's life cycle with this FarmChat® series. Follow the links to find Facebook Events with more details.

• (Canceled) January 26: TransOva Genetics - learn about the genetics of cattle production and how seedstock producers use this information
• February: Cow/Calf and Feedlot - learn about cattle farmers that specialize in mamas and babies, and in adult cattle!
• March: Processing - learn about how cattle are processed into meat products we enjoy
• April: Beef - learn about the final step in the beef cattle life cycle - becoming a meal full of zinc, iron, and protein!

What is High Steaks?

This experiential learning contest encourages students to creatively develop a marketing strategy for a beef centric product of their choice, while learning about the multitude of agricultural careers and skills it takes to develop and sell a product. Students also learn about the beef production industry and beef nutrition as a result of participation. It is funded in part by the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

What is the objective of the contest?

Students will work as a group to develop a marketing and nutrition plan for a beef-centric product or recipe.

Who is eligible to participate?

Third through 12th-grade students working in groups or as a classroom in Iowa are eligible to participate. Registration is required in the respective grade divisions. Multiple groups or classrooms from the same school may participate. FFA chapters, homeschool groups, and private schools are also eligible to participate.

What are the divisions of the contest?

There are three divisions; elementary (grades 3-5), middle school (grades 6-8), and high school (grades 9-12). Each division has slightly different expectations, and will be judged separately.

What’s the timeline?

Registrations will be open until March 14. Final projects are due by March 15. Winners will be announced no later than April 10.

Curriculum Connections:

Students who fully participate in this competition have the opportunity to learn about health literacy, nutrition, food safety, writing skills, financial literacy, careers, and many aspects of animal agriculture. The below PDF includes standards met by the High Steaks! lesson plans (linked below in the Resources section).

Curriculum Connections for High Steaks

What are the prizes?

The marketing plans and/or poster advertisements will be judged by a panel of beef producers and educators (see rubric for judging criteria). The top three teams from each division will be announced as winners. Prizes include: 

• 1st Place
  • $200 (made out to school) 
  • Lunch brought to their school and catered by the Iowa Beef Industry Council
  • Printed certificate 
• 2nd Place 
  • $100 
  • Printed certificate 
• 3rd Place 
  • $50 
  • Printed certificate

Prize money will be written as a check to the school and should be used for class or school use.

How do I register my classroom?

All classrooms must register to participate in the contest. The first 50 teachers to register will receive a FREE kit with resources to help implement the High Steaks! program. Register now by simply filling out this form: https://form.jotform.com/223465931178159

Resources

Use these lessons and resources to help teach the marketing and beef concepts and prepare students to enter the contest. 

High Steaks! Beef Marketing Competition Lessons:

• Grades 3-5 Lesson
• Grades 6-8 Lesson
• Grades 9-12 Lesson

Complementary Lesson Plans:

1. Science
2. 
   
   1. 3-5
   2. 
      
      • Beef Basics (agclassroom.org)
      • Beef Science (iowaagliteracy.org)
      • Build a Calf (iowaagliteracy.org)
      • Roll of the Genes (agclassroom.org)
   3. 6-8
   4. 
      
      • Create Your Own Herd (iowaagliteracy.org)
      • At Home on the Range (Grades 6-8) (agclassroom.org)
      • The Remarkable Ruminant (agclassroom.org)
   5. 9-12
   6. 
      
      • A Tale of Two Burgers: Beef and Plant-based Protein (agclassroom.org)
      • Carbon Hoofprints: Cows and Climate Change (agclassroom.org)
      • Average Daily Gain (iowaagliteracy.org)
3. Social Studies
4. 
   
   1. 3-5
   2. 
      
      • From Field to Table (iowaagliteracy.org)
      • At Home on the Range (Grades 3-5) (agclassroom.org)
      • Where Does It Come From? (agclassroom.org)
   3. 6-8
   4. 
      
      • Entrepreneurship in Agriculture (iowaagliteracy.org)
      • Source Sleuth: Investigating Credible Sources About Beef (agclassroom.org)
      • The QUEST for the Whole Enchilada (agclassroom.org)
   5. 9-12
   6. 
      
      • A Tale of Two Burgers: Beef and Plant-based Protein (agclassroom.org)
      • The Cattle Drive and Westward Expansion (agclassroom.org)
      • Research, Debate, and Persuade: Food Issues (iowaagliteracy.org)

2020 Winners

Elementary Division: Central Elementary School

Middle School Division: Mid-Iowa Youth Beef Team

High School Division: Mid-Iowa Youth Beef Team