| National 4-H Curriculum |
You have many interesting and exciting activities ahead in this series. You'll learn about rabbit parts, breeds, costs of raising a rabbit, how to care for a rabbit and much, much more. If you don't have a rabbit, some of the activities will help you decide what kind of rabbit might be best for you. Don't be afraid to jump right in and don't give up if the activity doesn't work right the first time. You're still learning, right? The most important thing is trying.
Your project helper is on your team, supporting you and making learning more fun. This person may be a parent, project leader or advisor, a neighbor or an older friend who enjoys rabbits. The choice is yours. As you do the activities, you'll discuss what you did and learned with your helper. Sometimes your helper will need to work with you to find people, groups, events magazines and books to help complete an activity.
-The American Rabbit Breeders Association -ARBA Rabbit Breeds
-European Wild Rabbit
Helper's Guide
As you work with young people, it is important to take into account where they are in their stage of development. Not all people develop in the same way at the same age. But there are certain patterns within youth development that are commonly expressed by most youth. Understanding these characteristics will help you better reach and teach your audience.
As a helper for the rabbit project, one of your primary goals is to help youth gain knowledge about rabbits. However, it is equally important to emphasize the learning of "life skills.” These skills transfer beyond the actual activity. Life skills are critical in helping young people become self-directing, productive and contributing members of society. The Targeting Life Skills (TLS) Model (Hendricks, 1996), identifies and divides the major life skills targeted in 4-H youth development by the four H's from the 4-H clover that represent Head, Heart, Hands and Health. These four are further divided into categories and then into specific life skills as shown.
Youth activity guides are filled with fun, engaging experiences that cultivate abilities youth need for everyday living as they progressively gain knowledge about subjects that interest them.The National 4-H Reviewed and Recommended Seal signifies excellence in providing hands-on learning experiences for youth.State 4-H programs within the Cooperative Extension System, National 4-H Headquarters at USDA, and National 4-H Council provide leadership for the development of National 4-H Curriculum. This partnership provides the knowledge, resources and management necessary to develop and market quality youth curriculum.