“We Grow Corn! Raising Corn on a Kansas Family Farm” takes readers through the yearlong process of growing corn and highlights agriculture’s important role in our lives. This activity guide was created to expand learning about agriculture through activities and resources that go along with the book.
These six activities use materials that are easy to find in your home or classroom. The teacher guides provide instructions, links to videos and additional resources to expand the learning for each topic.
Materials Needed:
99% of the corn grown in Kansas and the U.S. is dent corn (field corn). Many people think sweet corn is the main type of corn. After this activity, students will learn there are many types of corn, and they will specifically be able to name the differences between dent corn and sweet corn.
Activity
Out the Door On the way out the door, have the students tell you one thing about either dent or sweet corn.
Extension Activities
Materials Needed
Overview Do farmers plant their seeds by hand like we do in our garden? After this activity, students will be able to tell how far apart corn kernels are planted in the field and how farmers use equipment to plant thousands of seeds in a short amount of time.
Out the Door On the way out the door, ask the students how many kernels they were able to plant and if they had to plant 10,000 seeds would they want to do this by hand or with a planter?
Extension Activity
Overview What role does corn play in our food? It is important for students to know where their food comes from. After completing this activity, students will be able to identify food that was made with corn.
Out the Door On the way out the door, have the students tell you one thing they know is made of corn. Also encourage them to find items at home that contain corn.
Materials to make a plant such a yarn, tissue paper, construction paper, etc. Paper and pencil or crayons.
Overview How many of the students have seen a corn plant? Help them identify and learn about each part of the plant and its function.
Take the Quiz Watch the “Quiz on Corn Plant Parts” video. Pause it throughout so children can answer.
Out the Door On the way out the door, students will need to tell you one part of the corn plant, using the correct terms discussed today.
Overview Let’s challenge the students and see what they have learned about corn by using the glossary. After this activity, the students will know where a glossary is located in a book, the order the words go in, why a glossary is helpful and be able to define the key words found in the book.
Overview
It’s difficult to comprehend how much grain is produced in a field or how farmers measure their grain. In this activity, students will visualize what a bushel is, the history of a bushel and follow a bushel of corn on the farm.
Out The Door
On the way out the door, students will need to tell you one thing they learned about a bushel. Or they can tell you one thing they learned about harvest.
This lesson is the work product of the Kansas Corn Commission. Our lessons are written in collaboration with Kansas teachers for use in the classroom. Teachers may copy and share this curriculum. Use of this product for commercial or promotional use is prohibited without express permission of Kansas Corn.
As the need to produce more food with less resources grows, it is important that future generations have a better understanding of agriculture and how corn farming and agriculture fit into our daily lives. That’s why the Kansas Corn STEM program provides lessons to teach science through the lens of corn. We are committed to providing free materials and training to support educators.
