Ag in the classroom teaches about popular commodity

[January 30, 2018] 

LINCOLN

For the 2017-18 school year, the Logan County Extension Ag in the Classroom program is off to a "popping good start." This year instructor Amy Hyde is visiting more than 60 Logan County Classrooms offering lessons on the agriculture industry to students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

In January, students learned all about field corn (also called 'dent corn'), popcorn and the many different types of corn!

At West Lincoln Broadwell, first grade classes learned about popcorn and what makes it pop. There is a little bit of water in every kernel of popcorn. When the kernel is heated, the water heats and builds up pressure. The pressure makes the water take up all the available space. When enough pressure builds up, the kernel pops and turns inside out!

The classroom made predictions of how many pieces of popped popcorn would fit into different size shapes and then actually measured their predictions with popcorn popped in the classroom. Once their measurements were completed, they enjoyed their popcorn!

Mrs. Bowlby’s 5th grade science class dissected and learned the four main parts of a corn kernel and what each part does. Field corn is soaked and milled so the germ, oil, starch, and hulls can be separated. Those parts of the kernel are then made into cornstarch, cooking oil, sweeteners, cereal, beverages and over 4,000 other products we use every day.

Logan County Ag in the Classroom is sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension Logan-Menard-Sangamon Unit, Logan County Farm Bureau, Sangamon County Farm Bureau and Menard County Farm Bureau.

[Amy Hyde - Program Coordinator, 4-H Youth Development, Ag Literacy & Master Gardeners]