McCord Snider, Kimberly Lippert, Claire Schmitt and Morgan Hicks

EDCI 270

College Mentors for Kids!

Pop Up Popcorn

Overview- In this lesson we will describe the process of how corn plants grow, the parts of a
corn plant, why corn is important, what it is used for, as well as how it becomes different
products. We will also be providing students with facts about Orville Redenbacher (former
Boilermaker).
Description of Learners- Students are in fifth grade and from different schools around the
Lafayette community. Students are also at-risk youth. The ratio of boys and girls is even. We
also have to keep in mind that the students have been in school already all day. Students may
be hungry so at the end of the lesson, snacks will be provided.
Learning Environment- The environment is a standard classroom with desks. The classroom
also has technology such as a projector and projector screen, computer, and E-board.
Intended Learning Goals- Students will be able to identify certain aspects of corn production
and its relation to creating popcorn. Also, students will be able to explain how planting corn for
consumption benefits human products. At the end students will remember various parts of corn
anatomy as well as the technologies used to help plant growth.
Lesson ContentObjectives:
1) Given a picture of corn, students will correctly identify the various parts and anatomy of corn.
2) Given examples of raw materials, students will explain the process of how raw materials are
used for human consumption.

McCord Snider, Kimberly Lippert, Claire Schmitt and Morgan Hicks

EDCI 270
3) Given pictures of machines used in Purdue Greenhouses, students will explain how each
machine is used in plant growth
Materials- Greenhouse, Horticulture Classroom with computer access, SlideShow, corn for
popping, microwave access, video, E-board, paper and tape

Procedure:
First we will start the class off with an interesting fact about popcorn.
If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need more than
352,028,160 popped kernels!
Next, we will ask the students for ideas of how a kernel of corn germinates into something that
is an American favorite snack, popcorn.
Explain that the parts of the corn plant are what helps a kernel of corn to germinate to eventually
become popcorn
Identify and label the parts of the corn plant
After naming each part of the corn plant, have students get up and write the labels, choose
many different volunteers
Explain how each part is important to plant growth, reproduction/germination, and what part
humans eat or use
have students play a game practicing identifying what each part of the corn plant does/is used
for
Use pieces of paper taped to different walls in the classroom. Each piece of paper would have a
name of a part of the corn plant, and the students would run to the correct label after seeing a
picture of that part of the corn plant projected on the E-board. Do this for the different parts of
the corn plant.
Identify and explain the raw materials used for human consumption
Give examples of different breeds of corn, explain how they are used and why
Explain that corn for human consumption is different from corn for animal consumption, and
from corn used for popcorn, etc.
Explain that technologies help corn plants, propagate, grow better, stronger, faster, healthier
etc.
Detail why we use these technologies to grow corn plants in these ways
Give numbers of how much is consumed, grown, etc.
Give numbers of how much is needed
We will then do a virtual tour with the students of a greenhouse and show them the technologies
that are provided to help the growing stages of corn.
Review how the technologies help each stage with a question and answer session
Have students specify which parts of the corn plant are used, and the technology that aids these
parts, in each stage of growth using a corn-plant-stages diagram on the E-board
students will draw lines connecting pictures of the technology to pictures of the stage it is used
in
have students act out what each machine does (if it is a light-source for example, act out being
the sun by wiggling fingers)
Explain the relevance of corn to our future and how we are going to feed the estimated
population of over nine billion people by the year 2050
Standards- Taken from Indiana Department of Education

McCord Snider, Kimberly Lippert, Claire Schmitt and Morgan Hicks

EDCI 270
HS-6.2

Demonstrate sowing techniques and provide favorable conditions for seed

germination

HS-6.6

Develop a schedule for plant propagation to meet seasonal production demands

HS-6.7

Explain modern plant propagation techniques and how they are applied to
different plant groups (IvT-AGRI 116)

HS-6.8

Describe the fundamentals of plant breeding and how it applies to ornamental

plants (IvT-AGRI 116)

McCord Snider, Kimberly Lippert, Claire Schmitt and Morgan Hicks

EDCI 270

AssessmentParticipation for Each Activity

Activity

Discussions
Labeling activities
Identifying Game
Virtual Tour
Connecting Pictures

Low/No
Participation
1
(Student is quiet, not
watching or talking, or
active in group
activities)

Some Participation
2
(Student is watching
and contributes a
little to the
discussions, is
sometimes active in
group activities)

High Participation
3
(Student is watching,
contributes a lot to
the discussions, is
active in every group
activity)

McCord Snider, Kimberly Lippert, Claire Schmitt and Morgan Hicks

EDCI 270
Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IbGq44URk0
References:
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/cte-agriculture/cf-ag-horticulturalscience_7-814.pdf
http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/PopcornPoppinMonth/FunPopcornFacts/tabid/118/Default.asp
x
Journal Articles:

Smith, K. A., Douglas, T. C. and Cox, M. F. (2009), Supportive teaching and learning strategies
in STEM education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2009: 1932. doi:
10.1002/tl.341
In the article, Supportive Teaching and Learning Strategies in STEM Education, there is a
discussion on how students have three basic learning styles and how they relate to overcoming
the obstacles in STEM education. These three learning styles include; learner centered,
assessment centered, and knowledge centered. It goes further to discuss that proportionally
incorporating each aspects of these learning styles leads to a better understanding of course
materials and dynamics. This relates to our topic by giving us ideas on how to develope our
lesson plan. It helped to incorporate the different learning styles into our topic so students are
more involved.
Spellman, Z., Jones, M., & Katsioloudis, P. (2014). Outreach partnerships to Encourage or
Increase Stem Literacy in the Classroom. EBSCO Host, 74(3), 30-33
In the article, Outreach Partnerships to Encourage or Increase STEM Literacy in the
Classroom, it discusses how math and science are already core subjects for students to learn, but
if engineering and technology are integrated in those core subjects, the students will have to
skills to evaluate problems in the real world. The areas of STEM are crucial for students to learn
because they can help create problem-solving skills for the real world. This article relates to our
lesson plan by showing us how technologies are impacting science based lessons. We decided to
choose something that could show many different fields in STEM Education.