Kids AgQuest Video Resources - Corn


Activities/Resources


  1. Planting Corn Seed:
    • Demonstration: Show students how to plant corn seeds. Explain each step: filling the pot with soil, planting the seed, covering it with soil, and watering it.
    • Hands-On Activity: Allow each student to plant their own corn seed in a pot. Label each pot with the student's name.
  2. The Life Cycle of a Corn Plant:
    • Visual Aid: Use a chart or a series of pictures to explain the life cycle of a corn plant: seed, germination, seedling, mature plant, flowering, and seed production.
    • Interactive Worksheet: Provide worksheets with the stages of corn growth. Have students color and cut out the stages, then paste them in the correct order on a separate sheet of paper.
  3. Growth Observation:
    • Daily Routine: Create a routine for watering and observing the corn. Have students measure their plants weekly and record their growth in a journal.
    • Observation Journal: Students can draw and write about the changes they observe in their corn over time.
  4. Research Project:
    • Group Research: Assign students to small groups to research different aspects of corn, such as their history, varieties, uses (oil, human consumption, ethanol, livestock feed), and significance in agriculture.
    • Presentation: Have each group create a poster or digital presentation to share their findings with the class.
  5. Exploring Corn Uses:
    • Lesson on Uses: Teach students about the various uses of corn, including corn oil, popcorn, sweet corn, ethanol, and livestock feed.
    • Hands-On Activity: Provide samples of corn products (e.g., popcorn, corn oil) for students to observe and taste. Discuss how these products are made.
  6. Math Integration:
    • Measurement and Data: Have students measure the height of their corn plant and record the data. Create a class chart to track the growth of each plant.
    • Graphing Activity: Use the collected data to create bar graphs showing the growth of the corn plants over time.
  7. Art Integration:
    • Creative Drawing: Ask students to draw a corn plant at different stages of its life cycle.
    • Craft Project: Have students create corn crafts using construction paper, paint, or other materials.
  8. Field Trip or Virtual Tour:
    • Field Trip: If possible, arrange a visit to a local farm or garden. Discuss the farming process and the importance of corn in agriculture.
    • Virtual Tour: Alternatively, find a virtual tour or online resources about corn farming. 


Snack Ideas

Popcorn

Corn nuts


Mini Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup flour
  • ½ cup cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • Nonstick pan spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  1. Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl including flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In a small bowl, crack the egg and mix quickly with a whisk or fork to break the yolk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients including honey, egg, milk, and oil. Mix wert ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  3. Using nonstick pan spray grease each section of the muffin pan well.
    • *If using a silicone pan you can skip this step.
  4. Fill muffin tins, evenly diving the batter among the muffin tin. Makes 12 mini muffins or 6 standard size muffins.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Using a toothpick, insert into the middle of the muffin. Muffins are done baking when the toothpick comes out clean without any batter clinging to the toothpick.