Teacher Resources

In this interactive lesson, students will learn about the growth, composition, history, and multiple uses of corn for humans and animals. Students will learn how corn can be transformed into various useful products.

This interactive lesson is aligned to:

Module Information

  • Grade Band: 6 - 8
  • Focus Standard: Structure and Properties of Matter, Human Impacts
  • Topic: Physical Science, Earth and Space Sciences
  • Completion Time: 30 - 40 minutes
  • Vocabulary: Visit the Glossary page for definitions of key vocabulary in this module.

 

Related Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

  • MS-PS1-3 Structure and Properties of Matter
    Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
  • MS-ESS3-4 Human Impacts
    Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

Maryland College and Career Ready (MCCR) Standards for Disciplinary Literacy

Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects:
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
  • MCCR Anchor Standard 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
    • RST.6-8.7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

Maryland Environmental Literacy Standard

(2) Human Dependence on Earth Systems and Natural Resources.
  • Environmentally literate students construct and apply understanding of the environmental impact of human activities on Earth’s systems and resources.

Teacher Tips

Additional Resources

References

Farm Progress
University of Iowa
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Iowa Corn Growers Association
National Center for Agricultural Literacy
North Dakota State University
Guinness World Records
U.S. Deparment of Agriculture

Using This Site

This lesson is built for use on classroom computers and tablets. If you have access to a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or an interactive whiteboard in your classroom, you may complete the lesson in your classroom. Otherwise, you will need to schedule time to use your school's computer lab. For technical specifications, see below.

Some activities on this site may include videos and narration, so you may want to have headphones available for students working at individual stations. For best results in viewing the videos and interactives, you should have a high-speed, stable Internet connection.

This lesson may contain PDFs for students to complete. They can print the PDFs and fill them out by hand, or download the files and fill them out on the computer. Most or all portions can be filled out online. Please check with your Instructional Technology Specialist for instructions on downloading the PDF. (Note that to complete the PDFs on the computer, you will need a viewer, such as Adobe Reader, that supports forms.)

Technology

This site is an Internet-based activity, and it was built to run on the following computer operating systems and browsers:

  • Windows 7 or Newer: IE 8, 9, 10, 11; Current version of Chrome; Current version of Firefox
  • Mac OS 10.7 or Newer: Current version of Safari
  • iPad2/iOS6 or Newer: Current version of Safari
  • Android 4.0 or Newer: Current version of Android browser
  • Chromebook: Current version of Chrome

Users running Internet Explorer 8 will not be able to use the highlighter tool. Instead, teachers should consider partnering students for a brief discussion.

Visit the Accessibility page for detailed information on the site's accessibility features.