Theme Fun: Corn - A Unit Study

Here's a great theme for Fall or the Thanksgiving holiday!

History and Science Lesson Plan Ideas:

Corn is a plant native to North and South America. Native Americans grew many varieties of corn, including sweet corn, popcorn and corn for grinding into meal thousands of years before European explorers first arrived. In the 17th century, corn was introduced to European farmers. Most of the corn grown in the United States since the early 19th century has been used to feed animals.

Watch and learn how corn grows.

Growing corn can be both a history lesson and a science project for your students. Check out this awesome lesson plan for growing corn!

For High School level students - Corn, Monsanto and Genetic Modification of Corn DNA - View this amazing extended PBS clip of the documentary "King Corn" on YouTube. (The full movie may be available on Netflix or at your local library - it is 1 hour and 40 minutes.) Research and debate this controversial topic. Find recent news articles about family farms which are threatened with extinction.


Suggested Reading for Younger Children:

The Corn Grows Ripe
Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols
Corn Is Maize: The Gift of the Indians by Aliki
Raccoons and Ripe Corn by Jim Arnosky
Corn Belt Harvest by Raymond Bial


Home Ec - Cooking with Corn:

Preserving Corn
Johnny Cake
Indian Maize Pancakes
Hominy


Craft Ideas:

We get many good things from corn: corn on the cob, popcorn, sweetener, starch, even ethanol to power engines. Native American and pioneer children also got fun from corn. They made dolls from corn husks. You can too!

Make a Corn Husk Doll

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/collage.html
http://familycrafts.about.com/library/projects/blindcorncr.htm


Printables:

Color an Ear of Corn
Natural Indian Corn Coloring Page

Games:

Pass the Corn-on-the-Cob Game
Cornhole (or Corn Toss)
More About Cornhole and How to Make Your Own Game


More Links:

Tips on Growing Your Own Popcorn

[Hint: Hold down arrow buttons to turn carousel.]

Search the pages of our EasyFunSchool.com website
and the entire FamilyClassroom Network with the box below!