Harvest is the best time of year when it comes to growing corn because the farmer gets to see how successful they were at growing their crop. During unit 3 the students will learn about harvest, the process of getting the corn from the field to the elevator, ethanol plant or storage bins and how harvest is a fun time for the family. The students will also learn that there are over 3,500 uses for corn, many are in products we use every day but the main uses for field corn is for livestock feed and fuel.
45-1 hour
The amount of time will vary depending on the age group that is participating.
If the students have already read the entire “We Grow Corn!” book, this unit will focus on pages 12-21. On pages 12 the students will be able to see what the corn plant looks like in the spring, summer, and fall. Harvest happens in the fall when the corn plant is brown, and the kernels are dry. The students will also learn that a bushel of corn weighs about 56 pounds. On page 13 the students will see the steps it takes to harvest the corn crop. Pages 14-15 focus on family and how harvest is a very busy time, so the family members usually meet in the field or shop for meals to be able to spend time with their farmer.
On pages 16-17 the students will learn the difference between sweet corn and dent corn, also called field corn. Corn has over 3,500 uses; many products we use today like soft drinks, fireworks, hand sanitizer, etc. are examples of some of those products. What is cool to know is that corn started as a grassy plant called teosinte and over thousands of years has become the plant we know today. Pages 18-19 focus on how field corn is used for livestock feed. Pages 20-21 show how corn is used for making fuel, also known as ethanol, and for sending corn around the world through exports.
Kernels of Knowledge videos allow the students to dig deeper into the details related to harvest. The first video shows the students what harvest is like in eastern Kansas and where the grain is taken when it leaves the field. The second video shows the students what harvest is like in western Kansas. These videos provide a way for students to see inside and outside of a combine when it is cutting corn.
Kernels of Knowledge Video: Harvesting Corn in Northeast Kansas (3:59)
Kernels of Knowledge Video: Harvesting Corn in Southwest Kansas (3:26)
Using the coloring sheet, the students will be able to follow corn from the time of harvest to consumption. Have the students start with the farmer and follow the arrows. They can color each step as you explain the next step, or you may choose to explain all steps first and then have them color in order at their own pace. This coloring sheet serves as a good summary of what was discussed throughout the book.
Let’s Follow Some Corn Coloring Sheet
Almost all the field corn grown in Kansas is used to feed livestock or to make fuel. A small percentage of Kansas’s corn is used in many household products and as an ingredient in many food items. However, one product made from corn is very fun to play with, cornstarch! Cornstarch is a powder that comes from the starchy long sugars, known as carbohydrates, found in a corn kernel. When cornstarch and water are mixed in the right proportions, they create a substance called oobleck, named after the book by Dr. Seuss titled, Batholomew and the oobleck. This crazy substance is a liquid when you play with it slowly but will turn to a solid if you go too fast! Not only is it fun to play with, but we can use cornstarch to thicken our gravy to pour over our mashed potatoes. We also use it in all kinds of food we eat like sauces, soups and even desserts! Let’s make some oobleck and play with it!
Instructions
What to do with Oobleck
Explanation Water surrounds the starch molecules which allow them to slowly move freely, making it a liquid. But when moved too fast the water gets pushed out and the starch molecules collide with each other, forming a solid. Then when stopped, the water molecules move back in between the starch molecules to return to a liquid.
Let’s make more oobleck!
Make a large amount of it! Use a bowl or a cake pan or a kiddie swimming pool!
This challenge can be done as a large or small group. Each group will need an electronic device to access the online challenge. If done in a large group, project the challenge onto the screen and designate one person to enter in the guesses. The first time they do an online challenge it may seem difficult but the more challenges they complete the easier and more fun they will become.
Answer Key
We Grow Corn! – Harvest
We Grow Corn! – How is Corn Used?
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
Optional Online Breakout Box Challenge
If time allows there is an online challenge that goes with this activity.
Types of Corn Answer Key
Out the Door
On the way out the door, have the students tell you one thing about either dent or sweet corn.
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.
