Introduction to Animal Science

Student Qualifications

Students enrolling in ANSC 1101 must be juniors or seniors in high school and in the top 50 percent of their class, or have instructor approval, to participate. Ninth and tenth graders may apply if they are in the top 20 percent of their class.

Instructor Qualifications

Instructors apply and are selected by faculty in accordance with the U of M policy governing Academic Appointments with Teaching Functions. Once approved, an instructor is appointed as a Teaching Specialist 9754 (University Job Title and Code) in the College of Continuing and Professional Studies. Instructor qualifications are determined by the sponsoring University department.

View the Instructor Applicant Handbook for course-specific qualifications and application steps. 

Materials

Textbooks: Damron, W.S. Introduction to Animal Science: Global, Biological, Social, and Industry Perspectives, 6th Edition. ($180 on Amazon.com in 2021.) Textbooks can be used for at least five years. (published by Pearson) 

Course Packet and Exams: Schools will need to copy these resources for each student from master copies provided by the University. Course packets and exams cannot be reused. (Approximately 200 pages in each packet.)

Supplies for Labs: $7 per student, per year

Lab Equipment: Costs might vary greatly but most high school Voc-Ag departments will already have needed equipment on hand.

Please speak with co-coordinators Tony Seykora or Kyle Rozeboom for more specific information about content and cost of materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the texts and readings specified or mandated by the University of Minnesota? If not, what are some of the choices?
Animal science teachers offering U of M courses through College in the Schools use the same textbooks as their counterparts teaching on the U of M campus. Teachers have choices in supplementary materials.

Do teachers have a choice in assignments? Are there required assignments?
Teachers are required to cover the material, but they have flexibility in how they cover it. Individual teachers may choose to go into greater depth on some topics. There are required assignments from the text.

Who creates the exams?
Exams for the course are created by University faculty and will be posted on a secure website. Instructors can modify exams but there are some questions that are designated as required.

Is there a training and mentoring system for animal science teachers new to CIS?
Yes. When you begin teaching a U of M course through CIS you will be joining a group of high school teachers who share ideas and materials with each other through email and teacher workshops. New teachers also benefit from an orientation to College in the Schools that will familiarize them with the support available through CIS as well as prepare them for administrative tasks such as registering students and posting grades.

High school class schedules vary: can a teacher in the block system teach animal science?
All courses offered through CIS have the same minimum number of contact hours as the on-campus sections. Teachers adapt the University schedule to fit the schedules at their high schools.

What happens at typical teacher workshops?
Typical activities at CIS workshops include meeting University faculty and hearing about their recent research in the discipline; reviewing and/or developing student assessment tools; sharing instructional materials; discussing particular content, pedagogy, or assessment of the University course; and receiving updates on CIS program policies and practices.

What happens at typical student field days?
Student field days provide an opportunity for CIS students to meet their peers, practice skills they have learned in class, and explore the Twin Cities campus. Animal science student field days are also used to meet certain lab requirements of ANSC 1101.

Are field days required?
Although most courses available through CIS hold on-campus student field days, student and teacher participation is required for only a few. Animal Science field days are required when students must complete labs on campus that cannot be completed in their high schools.