The purpose of the study was to identify perceptions of Indiana 4-H livestock members enrolled in beef, sheep and swine projects regarding their ability to perform project skills and develop life skills. A questionnaire was mailed to a sample of 420 4-H beef, sheep, and swine members, with a response rate of 41.9%. Members were able to accomplish project skills in the areas of sportsmanship, safety, animal grooming, and animal selection. Respondents are not as confident in their abilities related to animal health care. Members who exhibited at the state fair have higher skill levels in the areas of animal health care, animal grooming and animal selection, than 4-H members who exhibited only at the county fair. Members use the responsibility skills they developed from raising 4-H animal projects to complete homework assignments, be on time at work, and care for younger siblings. These skills are benefiting youth in school, at home, and on the job to be more dependable, confident, and qualified individuals. Conceptual Framework John Dewey is regarded as the most influential educational theorist of the twentieth century (Kolb, 1984). According to Dewey (1938), "There is an intimate and necessary relation between the process of actual experience and education" (p. 19-20). William Heard Kilpatrick, an educational philosopher and a student of Dewey, believed that education becomes involved in teaching children how to live (Tate, 2001). Kilpatrick was responsible for coining the term "project method". He argued that learning should take place in settings outside of school. Leadership of the 4-H organization wants its members to receive more from their projects than ribbons, trophies, trips, and monetary gains. More importantly, the 4-H leadership wants its members to acquire project and life skills. Many 4-H alumni attribute their success in later life to the skills they gained through the 4-H program (Lang, 2000). 4-H members enrolled in animal projects typically develop project skills such as record keeping, health care, proper drug use, ration development, and marketing (Gamon, Laird, & Roe, 1992). According to Sawer (1987), acquiring knowledge and skill are the most important aspects of successfully raising an animal. Sawer identified animal science knowledge and life skills developed by Oregon 4-H beef, sheep, and swine members. Researchers determined that knowledge acquired and experience gained in the animal science projects were closely related. More than half of the respondents indicated they had learned about: training and grooming their animals, good sportsmanship, choosing proper equipment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a livestock ethics curriculum developed for high school students in Agricultural Education classes. The three hour curriculum was taught by Keli Brubaker to 305 students enrolled in eight Indiana High School Agriculture programs. Data were collected using a pre-test/post-test experimental design and both tests were administered by the researcher to ensure consistent and detailed instructions were given to students. The McNemar test in SPSS was used to evaluate pre-test/post-test responses. Participants increased their awareness and knowledge of the overall principles involved in making ethical choices when faced with decisions in youth livestock programs. Students improved their understanding of the consequences associated with making unethical choices when faced with decisions in the youth livestock program. Participants were better informed and thus, more likely to make an ethical choice when faced with a decision in the youth livestock program as a result of the case study analysis. The researchers concluded that a livestock ethics curriculum is beneficial for students in high school Agricultural Education classes. Additional research should be done to determine if students will make an ethical choice when faced with a decision in a real life situation.

Unethical occurrences at major livestock shows have spurred the need to raise ethical awareness to youngsters involved in agriculture. The authors devised and evaluated an ethics curriculum for high school agriculture students.

Prediction equations for pork carcass lean percentage are widely used in Extension, teaching, and research. Prediction equations using carcass or live animal measurements are used in carcass contests, live animal evaluation, and marketing. Fat–free lean gain is used to estimate the daily lysine requirements for pigs in swine nutrition guides. The use of inaccurate equations has substantial economic impact. Extension specialists must make the effort to confirm the accuracy of the equations they recommend for use. Standards of prediction accuracy and biases must be developed to assure that accurate equations are developed and recommended for industry use.

The purpose of this study was to test an educational swine curriculum geared toward fifth grade classrooms to measure the change in students' knowledge about the pork industry, pork as a nutritious protein source, and the value of byproducts derived from pork production. Objectives of this study were to evaluate overall change in students' knowledge of the pork industry and the effect of specific demographics on the change in students' knowledge following participation in an educational swine curriculum. Effectiveness of the curriculum was measured by a pretest/post-test survey of fifth grade students (n = 435), with classrooms divided into treatment and control groups. Findings indicated that participating in the educational swine curriculum increased the students' knowledge of the pork industry by 37.4%; demographics such as 4-H experience, farm experience, or prior experience with pigs had limited effect on knowledge gained.