Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to understand what corn is used for.
• Students will have knowledge of the targeted vocabulary words.
• Students will be able to explain why plastic products are bad for the Earth.

Student Worksheet

• Optional: A follow along worksheet is available for students to fill in while they learn or can be used as an assessment tool
• Ethanol in the Classroom Follow Along Worksheet
• Ethanol in the Classroom Answer Key
• Seesaw Activity

Vocabulary Words

• Bushel: a measurement for dry goods
• Livestock: farm animals that are raised for their product
  • example: cows raised for milk, pigs raised for pork, chickens raised for eggs
• Absorbent: able to soak up liquid
• Biodegradable: able to be decomposed by bacteria and other living organisms
• Ingredients: one of the substances that make up a mixture
• Harvested: process of gathering crops
  • example: gathering corn after it has dried out in the field

Activity
Introduce these words before you begin reading. Ask students if they have heard or recognize the words before. Then, read the definitions and talk about them as a class. Do more of the students recognize the words now? See if students can use the vocabulary words in sentences.

Front Cover

Allow time for students to share their thoughts on the question that was asked. Teachers can write down their ideas on the board so it can be revisited after reading.

Inside

• When you come to a vocabulary word, take the time to stop and redefine the word.
• After reading the content revisit what students brainstormed from the front cover’s question.
  • Were any of their ideas mentioned in the reading?
  • How did the students know that corn was found in those products?
• After reading about how corn is used to make ethanol, you can extend student learning by using the Ethanol in the Classroom website. This is an interactive website where students listen to information and then answer questions as they read. This would be a good resource to use for a whole class discussion.
• Ethanol in the Classroom Provided by RFA
• Ethanol in the Classroom Worksheet

Back Cover

After watching the video, you can conduct the experiment as a whole class or in small groups. Alternative to conducting this activity would be to have students draw pictures of what they can do to cut down on the amount of plastic they use. Brainstorm first as a class and then students can work on their own.

Materials

• 2 clear cups
• acetone
• styrofoam cup
• water

You will need one clear cup of water and one clear cup of acetone.

• Place the styrofoam cup in the water. What happens to the styrofoam?
• Place the styrofoam cup in the acetone. What happens to the styrofoam?

This experiment shows that when plastic is in landfills, water will not break it down. Once plastic is in the landfill it is there for a very long time. However, using corn products to make these items make them biodegradable because water will break them down.

Ask the students: What other products can you think of that could be made from corn to help with biodegradation?

Writing Activity

Grade 2-3: Write about what would happen to a landfill if more and more plastic products continue to end up in the landfill. How does this affect our environment?

Grade 4-5: Write about what would happen to a landfill if more plastic products were changed to corn products that are biodegradable. How can this change to more biodegradable products happen in Kansas? What changes can you make at your school to help the landfills?