Breakout Box

Show How You Grow

This breakout complements the "Growing Degree Days" lab or can be used as an introductory activity for any explore corn labs. Alternatively, this activity can serve as more of an assessment following the completion of Growing Degree Days. Two formats available, online and use of physical boxes.

Overview

As cities grow, many people move away from an understanding of agriculture, even though it is essential to their lives. Most people are unaware of how growing degree days, also known as growing degree units, are a vital part of agriculture. This breakout is designed to provide students basic knowledge of how temperature and time play a role in how corn grows.

Standards

Middle School Science

LS1-5. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

High School Science

ESS3-2. Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.

Learning Objectives

Students will understand how to calculate growing degree days/units.
Students will understand the ideal temperatures for growing corn.
Students will understand how to calculate the growing degree days for chosen areas.

Materials

Breakout Edu Tips

If this is your first time using a Breakout Edu box, you are in for a treat. Once you’ve done one breakout box your students will be ready for the next time.

You can use breakout boxes as a whole class, in addition to small groups.
You have the opportunity to give students hints. Every box comes with at least two hint cards. If you have a high performing group, you may want to challenge them with less hints, while a different hour may need more hints.
Having a visual timer for students while they are working is really helpful. It allows them to budget their time and when they may want to use their hints.
As the teacher, you have the discretion to hide things wherever in your room you deem best. Feel free to make adjustments. Just make sure the clues for the locks don’t change. Otherwise, students may not be able to get in.

Breakout Activity

Recommended Ages: K-Adult
Ideal Group Size: Can be used small group or whole class
Suggested Time: 30-40 minutes

Story

You’re sitting in class listening to your teacher speak about growing degree days during your agriculture unit. As you look around, you see that most of your classmates seem to be following right along while you are feeling a little lost. How is it possible that corn needs so many days to develop? You’re certain that you do not understanding correctly, so you stay after class to talk with your teacher. By the end of your conversation, you have a much stronger understanding of growing degree days. You’re about to leave when your teacher mentions you may complete the following breakout for extra credit on the next test. Good luck!

Lock Combinations

The following codes will open the locks on the box.

3-Digit Lock – 3 Numbers

5,6,6

4-Digit Lock – 4 Numbers

0,8,1,6

Color Lock
Blue, Orange, Red, Green, Purple

Shape Lock

star, circle, square, triangle, diamond

Lock Combinations

The following codes will open the locks on the box.

3-Digit Lock – 3 Numbers

5,6,6

4-Digit Lock – 4 Numbers

0,8,1,6

Color Lock
Blue, Orange, Red, Green, Magenta

Shape Lock

star, circle, square, triangle, diamond

Setup Instructions

Steps

Students will need the “Growing Degree Equations” cards to unlock the color lock on the hasp on main box. They will use the cards to build the equation to find the amount of growing degree days/units needed to grow corn. When the cards are arranged in the correct order, they will read them from left to right.
To solve the four-digit lock, students will need to use the image of Sedgwick County, Kansas, from the Corn Growing Degree Day Tool. The image asks students, “When will this corn be ready to harvest?” This clue should help them look for the maturity of the corn which is 118 days. They will use the day that corn is planted, 04-20, and move out 118 days from there leading them to August 16 or 0816. Place the lock on hasp on the large box.
Students will need the three “Growing Degree Day Problems” to get into the three-digit lock. These have been numbered 1-3 and separated into three problem cards. Students will need to solve the problems and supply the number needed in the empty box. Once they have all three, they will be able to open the lock. Place the lock on hasp on the large box.
Students will need to use the “Approximate Growing Degree Days” cards to unlock the five-digit shape lock. The stage cards have been printed in green and the amount of growing degree days (GDD) have been printed in dark yellow. Students will need to match the amount of GDD with the respective stage. It will be best if students put the stages of corn in order first and then the GDD second, as they will just need to be ordered from smallest to largest at that point. Once they have been placed in order, they will be able to enter the shapes and open the lock. Place the lock on hasp on the large box.
To remove the key lock, students will need to watch the “Farm Basics” growing degree day video available via the QR Code card. Somewhere in your room, you will need to have the number 100. This can be on a piece of paper, built out of Legos, or 100-like beans in a space, if you’re trying to be very challenging. In the video, students will learn about how many growing degree days it takes to see corn emerge, which is 100 days. The “Farm Basics Question” card can be placed next to the QR Code card. You could always write the question on the board and attach the QR code there, if you did not want to print the question card. They will then need to find where you have place the 100 in the room. You should hide the key near the location of your version of the 100.
This breakout does not require the small black box. You may place all locks on the hasp using the large black box.
It is also possible to include other supplies that would lead your students into completing other Seed to STEM labs.

Resources

This breakout goes well with the Growing Degree Days lab.

Growing Degree Days Lesson

Reflection and Conclusion

At the completion of this Breakout, your students should have a better understanding of soil types and textures, the difference between soil and dirt, and how to take soil measurements. Feel free to give students the following questions as an exit ticket or knowledge check at the end of the Breakout. If you have groups that do not breakout, it is always nice to go over the information and clues that would have led to the last locks coming off.

Questions
1. What are the three categories of soil? Answer: Clay, silt, and loam.
2. What are the main parts that make up soil? Answer: Water, air, organic material, inorganic material, and minerals.
3. How many soil texture variations are listed on the soil texture triangle? Answer: 12.
4. What are some sustainable practices farmers use to reduce soil erosion? Answer: Cover crops.
5. What three types of soil did you measure on the soil measurement cards? Answer: Sand, silt, and clay.

Disclaimer

Any educator electing to perform demonstrations is expected to follow NSTA Minimum Safety Practices and Regulations for Demonstrations, Experiments, and Workshops, which are available at https://static. nsta.org/pdfs/MinimumSafetyPracticesAndRegulations.pdf, as well as all school policies and rules and all state and federal laws, regulations, codes and professional standards. Educators are under a duty of care to make laboratories and demonstrations in and out of the classroom as safe as possible. If in doubt, do not perform the demonstrations.

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.