Project GLAD · Web viewRemedios Caseros (Home Remedies): ww.mexgrocer.com How a Corn Plant Grows: IDEA PAGE 9 Australian Farms & Farming Communities: recreation.gov.au/articles/farms

Project GLADSalem-Keizer Public Schools - Oregon

CORN: AN IMPORTANT GRAIN AROUND THE WORLD(Level 2)

IDEA PAGESI. UNIT THEME:

Corn has been the staple food for numerous civilizations and cultures throughout centuries.

How humans affect the physical environment - the impact of agriculture on the environment

II. FOCUS/MOTIVATION Observation Charts Inquiry Charts Cognitive Content Dictionary with Signal Word Poetry and Chanting Teacher made Big Book Super Scientist Awards Field trips Experiments Realia Read Alouds

III. CLOSURE Processing all charts Songs, Poetry and Chants Home/School Connections Experiments Team Presentations Learning Logs Team Evaluation Sheets Letter to Parents Student made Big Book Personal explorations with rubric

IV. CONCEPTS The Corn Belt in USA The life cycle of plants Structures (parts) of plants and their functions History of corn use around the world Environmental impacts of farming practices Cultural significance of corn

Corn Around the World - Level 4 - OR 1Lizi Aguilar-Nelson, Aurora Cedillo, Lin Crimshaw, Mónica Takata (Project G.L.A.D. 09/07 JB)

IDEA PAGE 2

V. VOCABULARY:

Corn Seed coat Kernel Stomata

Global warming Life cycle Pollution Starch

Moisture Warmth Roots Fats

Stem Leaves Seeds Protein

Germination Pollination Corn Husk Oxygen

Photosynthesis Corn tortilla Pesticides Carbon Dioxide

Maiz Ethanol Nutrients Metate

Corn stalk Maturity Herbicides Masa

Corn Belt Popcorn Carbon dioxide Comal

Continents Oceans Sweet corn Agriculture

Water table Limestone Mexico Combine

Staple Pinole Sugar Harvester

Sweetener Tended Indigenous Satellite

Zea Mays Compass Rose Chlorophyll Technology

VI. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS CCG: Listen to, read and understand a wide variety of informational and

narrative text cross the subject areas.o Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of grade level informational and

narrative (story) text.o Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through

discussions.o Re-read sentences when meaning is not clear.o Read voluntarily for interest and own purposes


IDEA PAGE 3

CCG: Increase word knowledge through systematic vocabulary development; determine the meaning of new words by applying knowledge of word origins, word relationships, and context clues

o Know and explain common antonyms and synonyms.o Use context to identify simple multiple-meaning words.

CCG: Find, understand, and use specific information in a variety of texts across the subject areas to perform a task.

o Interpret information from diagrams, charts, and graphs CCG: Demonstrate general understanding of grade level informational text

across the subject areas.o Read informational texts for answers to specific questions or for specific

purposeso Recall facts and details in the text to clarify and organize ideas.

CCG: Demonstrate general understanding of grade level literary text.o Retell the sequence of the story.o Identify and describe the plot, setting, and character(s) in the story.

CCG: Pre-write, draft, revise, edit, and publish across the subject areaso Create a list of ideas for writing.o In addition to drafting and revising, begin to use (with guidance) additional

parts of the writing process such as conferencing.o With assistance, revise original drafts to improve sequence and provide more

descriptive detail.o With guidance, proofread one’s own writing, as well as that of others, using,

for example, an editing checklist or list of rules CCG: Communicate supported ideas across the subject areas, including

relevant examples, facts, anecdotes, and details appropriate to audience and purpose that engage reader interest.

o Group relevant ideas to maintain a consistent focuso Develop an idea with an introductory sentence, supporting sentence(s), and a

concluding sentence.o Use correct word order in written sentence.

CCG: Listen critically and respond appropriately across the subject areas.o Retell in own words information that has been shared orally by others.


IDEA PAGE 4

VII. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (ELD) STANDARDSDescribing People, Places and Things

Beginning Level:Use common nounsUse common adjectives

Early Intermediate Level:Use simple sentences with the verb to beUse common nouns and adjectives in sentences

Intermediate Level:Use elaborated sentencesUse of has/have/had with nouns and adjectivesUse of is/are/were with nouns and adjectives

Early Advanced Level:Use of compound sentencesUse of more content specific vocabulary

Advanced Level:Use of complex sentencesUse of precise vocabulary

Describing LocationBeginning Level:

Demonstrate comprehension through Total Physical ResponseDemonstrate comprehension of prepositions on, off, in, out, inside, outside

Early Intermediate Level:Use of simple sentences with prepositional phrases next to, beside, between, in back of, in the middle of, above, below, under

Intermediate Level:Use of sentences with more difficult prepositional phrases in front of, behind, next to, on the left/right

Early Advanced/Advanced Levels:Use of complex sentences with phrases using the prepositions beneath, within

Retelling/Relating Past EventsBeginning Level:

Use of single words in response to past tense questionsEarly Intermediate Level:

Use of simple sentences with past progressive verbs and pronounse.g. He/She/They was/were walking.

Intermediate Level:Use of simple sentences with regular and irregular past tense verbs, including use of pronouns, prepositional phrases or direct object: e.g. “On Monday she lost her keys”.

Early Advanced Level:Use of compound sentences with past tense verbs and adverbs


IDEA PAGE 5

Advanced Level:Use of present progressive/past perfect tenses with specialized prepositions: e.g. “I have been going to this school for five years”.

Comparing:Beginning Level:

Use of single words or short phrases in response to concrete comparison questions

Early Intermediate Level:Use of sentences with subject/verb/adjective to show similarities and differences

Intermediate Level:Use of sentence with subject/verb/adjective, but ______: e.g. “My apple is red, but Martha’s is green.”Use of adjectives with –er or –est

Early Advanced Level:Use of varied sentence structuresUse of specific comparative adjectives and phrases

Advanced Level:Use of complex sentence structureUse of specific comparative language

Explaining:Early Intermediate Level:

Explain main points in familiar idea with some precisionUse simple indicative verb forms in simple declarative sentences

Intermediate Level:Explain simple, straightforward information of immediate relevanceUse regular verbs and adverbs of mannerUse declarative and compound sentences

Early Advanced and Advanced Levels:Get across most important pointsUse declarative, compound, and complex sentencesUse regular and irregular verb forms and adverbs of manner

SequencingBeginning Level:

Use natural sequencing with simple subjectEarly Intermediate Level:

Use direct and indirect objects when sequencing eventsIntermediate Level:

Use prepositional object when sequencing events: e.g. “I found the book that John was talking about.”

Early Advanced and Advanced Levels:Use of the possessive: e.g. “I know the woman whose father is visiting.”Use of subordinate conjunctions


IDEA PAGE 6

VIII. MATH/SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

SCIENCE CCG: Understand the characteristics, structure, and functions of organisms.

o Describe basic plant structures and their functions CCG: Understand the transmission of traits in living things

o Describe the life cycle of an organism (plant) CCG: Formulate and express scientific questions or hypotheses to be

investigated.o Make observations. Ask questions or form hypotheses based on those

observations, which can be explored through scientific investigations. CCG: Conduct procedures to collect, organize, and display scientific data.

o Collect, organize, and summarize data from investigations.

MATH CCG: Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data

o Identify “most and least” from data sets that contain more than 10 items. CCG: Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect,

organize, and display relevant data to answer them.o Represent and interpret data using tally charts and pictographs

SOCIAL SCIENCES CCG: Understand the spatial concepts of location, distance, direction, scale,

movement, and region.o View and draw simple maps and pictures to locate, describe, and show

movement among places.o Identify the US states that form the corn belt

CCG: Understand how people and the environment are interrelatedo Understand how humans affect the physical environment

IX. RESOURCES AND MATERIALS - Fiction Tortillitas Para Mama And Other Nursery Rhymes , Margot Griego, Betsy Bucks,

Sharon Gilbert, Laurel Kimball The Popcorn Shop, Alice Low, Scholastic People of Corn A Mayan Story , Mary-Joan Gerson Too Many Tamales , Gary Soto, Ed Martinez Raccoons and Ripe Corn, Jim Arnosky Three Stalks of Corn, Leo Politi Magda’s Tortillas, B.C. Chairez


IDEA PAGE 7

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS – Non-fiction Corn is Maize the Gift of the Indians , Aliki The Popcorn Book , Tomie de Paola Tortilla Factory, Gary Paulsen I Like Corn, Robin Pickering Corn Belt Harvest, Raymond Bial From Kernel to Corn, Robin Nelson From Corn to Cereal, Roberta Basel Sweet Corn, Pam Robson Corn, Elaine Landau Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols,

Edna Barth Corn (Early-Reader Science Series), Ann L. Burckhardt Corn: Farm to Market, Jason Cooper Corn, Lisa Trumbauer

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS - Spanish

La Cosecha Sorpresiva , Anne o’Brien Un Regalo de Gracias , Julia Alvarez, Beatriz Vidal Una Semilla Nada Más, Alma Florada Yaci y Su Muñeca , C. Zendrera ¡Qué Montón de Tamales!, Gary Soto, Ed Martinez El Parque de Pedrín , Luís Raúl Mondríguez Maiz, Margaret Hall El Maíz: Por Dentro Y Por Fuera, Andrew Hipp

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS - Realia Metate Molcajete Tornillero Comal Nixtamal Pinole Corn husks Limestone Ears of corn (different colors) Rainstick Sun God – Tonatiu Quetzalcoatl figurine


IDEA PAGE 8

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS – Poetry The Growing Corn , Frederick J. Atwood King Corn, Art, Songs, Stories, Legends and Poetry about Corn, Purdue

University Extension Sweet Corn Poems , James Stevenson Corn Crush , Alysha Bhatti (age 8) Singing Into Your Eyes , Arnold Adoff

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS - Community E-Z Orchards 503-393-1506 Oregon State Department of Agriculture 503-986-4550 Marion County Extension Service, Agricultural Agents 503-588-5301

RESOURCES AND MATERIALS - Technology

The Story of Corn: www.campsilos.org/mod3/teachers/c_history.shtml

Quick Facts about Corn: www.campsilos.org/mod3/ students /index.shtml

Corn: www.coe.ilstu.edu/IGA/ corn lp1.htm

Corn - An Amazing Plant: www.michigan.gov/mda/html

NCGA - Corn Curriculum : www.ncga.com/education/main/index.html

Corn in the Classroom: www.ksgrains.com/ corn /CornClass04.pdf

The Great Corn adventure: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/corn/03static.html

www.cyberspaceag.com/cornhistory.html

www.ontariocorn.org/classroom/products

Early Journeys of Maize: www.nal.usda.gov/research/maize

www.iowacorn.org

Native American History of Corn: www.nativetech.org

Remedios Caseros (Home Remedies): ww.mexgrocer.com

How a Corn Plant Grows: www.maize.agron.iastate.edu


http://www.maize.agron.iastate.edu/

http://www.nativetech.org/

http://www.iowacorn.org/

http://www.nal.usda.gov/research/maize

http://www.ontariocorn.org/classroom/products

http://www.cyberspaceag.com/cornhistory.html

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/corn/03static.html

http://www.ksgrains.com/corn/CornClass04.pdf

http://www.ncga.com/education/main/index.html

http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=20&q=http://www.ncga.com/education/main/index.html&e=14905&ei=8B5ARNO-PML8iQH_p7TdBQ

http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/IGA/cornlp1.htm

http://www.campsilos.org/mod3/students/index.shtml

http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=3&q=http://www.campsilos.org/mod3/students/index.shtml&e=14905&ei=UxtARPLHNJreigHzuazmBQ

IDEA PAGE 9

Australian Farms & Farming Communities: www.cultureand recreation.gov.au/articles/farms

www.freshforkids.com.au/corn.htm

The Willamette Valley Past & Present: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu

Genetic Engineering: www.greenpeace.org/australia/resources/faqs/GE

Corn and the Maya: www.mayadiscouvery.com/ing/history/corn/htm

www.peacemagazine.org/archive/vlln3p24.htm

Kenya’s Agriculture: www.inmotionmagazine.com/global/jlml.html


http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/global/jlml.html

http://www.peacemagazine.org/archive/vlln3p24.htm

http://www.mayadiscouvery.com/ing/history/corn/htm

http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/resources/faqs/GE

http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/

http://www.freshforkids.com.au/corn.htm

http://www.cultureand/

CORN: AN IMPORTANT GRAIN AROUND THE WORLD(Level 2)

Unit Planning Pages

I. FOCUS/MOTIVATION Observation Charts Cognitive Content Dictionary with Signal Word Inquiry Charts Big Book: Corn Around the World Read Alouds: variety of sources Super Scientist Awards Field Trips Realia related to corn

II. INPUT Read Alouds Graphic Organizer - World Map – Corn, an Important Grain Around The World! Pictorial Input – Plant Life Cycle/Structures & Functions Pictorial Input – Corn in Mexico Narrative Input – Will’s Story: A History of the Willamette River Comparative Input – Making Tortillas Then & Now Primary Language: Preview/Review 10/2 lecture with primary language groups

III. GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE T-Graph for social skills: Cooperation Chants/Poetry

o Corn Sound-offo I can spell…Photosynthesiso Agronomist Bugalooo Farmers Here, Farmers There.o Yes, Ma’amo I’m a Little Kernelo I Known An Indigenous Woman

Science: Experiments/Explorationso Grow plants from seedso Experiment with light & watero Keep learning log

● Picture File Activities Exploration report Sentence Patterning Chart (Noun: Farmers) Process Grid Team Tasks Found Poetry Science: Direct Explorations


PLANNING PAGE 2

IV. READING/WRITINGA. TOTAL CLASS MODELING

Chants and Poetry Cooperative Strip Paragraph Story Map with Narrative Input Chart Poetry Frame Found Poetry Flip Chant

B. SMALL GROUP PRACTICE – Anything modeled whole class Focused Reading Team Tasks Expert Groups

o Corn in the USAo Corn in Chinao Corn in Kenyao Corn in Australia

Ear-To-Ear Reading Cooperative Strip Paragraph Flexible Reading Groups

o ELD Groupso Struggling/Emergent Readerso At or Above Grade Level Readers: Clunkers & Linkso Heterogeneous & Leveled

C. INDIVIDUAL USE Learning Logs Reading/Writing Choices Personal Cognitive Content Dictionary Interactive Journals All team tasks taken to individual tasks Listen & Sketch: Nixtamal (narrative)

D. WRITER’S WORKSHOP Mini-lesson Writing Author’s Chair Conferences Publishing


PLANNING PAGE 3

V. EXTENDED ACTIVITIES FOR INTEGRATION Plant your own corn seed Design your own container and eat popcorn Invite parents to share their expertise related to corn. Make tortillas in the classroom. Bring in your favorite food made from corn and write about it.

VI. CLOSURE/EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT Class Or Team Big Book Team Power-Point Presentations Team Evaluation Sheet Letter To Parents Group frames and learning logs Individual tasks Portfolio assessment: teacher and self-assessment Teacher and student made quizzes Focused Reading Process all charts


Project GLADCORN: An Important Grain Around the World

(Level 2)Salem-Keizer School District

SAMPLE DAILY LESSON PLANS

DAY ONE:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION Scientist Awards – 3 standards- zero noise signal Cognitive Content Dictionary with Signal Word Observation Charts Inquiry Chart Teacher Made Big Book: -Corn Around the World Portfolios Prediction/Reaction Guide

INPUT Graphic Organizer: World Map - Corn, an Important Grain around the World!

o 10/2 Lecture with primary language supporto Learning Logso ELD Review

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE T-Graph for social skills – Cooperation Picture File activity with Exploration Report Chant: I Can Spell

INPUT Pictorial Input Chart: Plant Life Cycle/Photosynthesis

o 10/2 Lectureo Learning Logso ELD Review

● Pictorial Input: Corn in Mexico

FOCUS/MOTIVATION ● Poetry: Farmers Here, Farmers There

READING/WRITING Writers’ Workshop

o Mini Lessono Writingo Author’s Chair


SAMPLE DAILY LESSON PLANSPage 2

CLOSURE Poetry Read Aloud Process charts and chants Interactive Journals Home-School Connection: Life Cycle Of A Plant

DAY TWO:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION Scientist Awards - 3 standards Cognitive Content Dictionary with Signal Word Process Home School Connections Read Aloud Review all inputs with word cards

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE Poetry and Chants: Highlight, Sketch, picture file cards

INPUT Narrative: Will’s Story: A History of the Willamette River

o Learning Logso ELD Review

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE Review T-Graph for Social Skills: Cooperation Expert Groups

o Team Tasks

READING/WRITING Writer’s workshop

o Mini Lessono Writeo Author’s Chair

CLOSURE Interactive Journals Home-School-Connection: Interview – Experiences with Corn



DAY THREE:

FOCUS/MOTIVATION 3 Standards/Awards Cognitive Content Dictionary with Signal Word Process Home-School Connection Review Narrative with word cards and conversation bubbles Chants: highlight, sketch, pictures

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE Chant: Agronomist Bugaloo Sentence Patterning Chart

o Reading/trading gameo Flip Chant

● Expert Groups o Team Tasks

Corn in Mexico Mind Map Process Grid

READING/WRITING Cooperative Strip Paragraph

o Respondo Reviseo Edit

Writer’s Workshopo Mini lessono Writeo Author’s chair

CLOSURE Home School Connection: Corn Hunt in the Grocery Store Interactive Journals Process Charts Poetry



DAY FOURFOCUS/MOTIVATION

3 Standards/Awards Cognitive Content Dictionary with stumper word / Student Selected Process Home-School Connection Story map from Narrative Input

GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE Chants Strip Book: Corn is as ____ as ____. or Corn is _____ but corn is not _____. Process T-Graph: Oral Evaluation

READING/WRITING Flexible Group Reading

o Group Frame from narrative input/ELD Story Retello SQ3R with Clunkers and Links (at or above grade level readers)o Team Tasks

CLOSURE Process Inquiry Chart Home/School Connection Chants Interactive Journal

DAY FIVE

FOCUS/MOTIVATION 3 Standards/Awards Cognitive Content Dictionary with stumper word Process Home-School Connection Review Teacher-Made Big Book Review Chants

READING/WRITING Flexible Group Reading

o Cooperative Strip Paragraph – Struggling/Emergent Readers● Listen & Sketch – Nixtamal (narrative) Ear-to-Ear Reading: Poetry Booklet● Team Tasks Read Aloud Found Poetry



GUIDED ORAL PRACTICE Team

o Written Evaluationo Presentation

WRITER’S WORKSHOP Mini-lesson Writing Author’s chair

READING/WRITING Focused Reading with personal Cognitive Content Dictionary

CLOSURE Letter Home Process the Week – What helped you learn? Process Inquiry Chart Team Big Book Presentations


Big Book TextCorn Around the World

Page 1I just thought you might like to know that corn has been a staple food for many cultures throughout history.

Corn originated in Mexico about 10,000 years ago. It was called Teosinte, “the mother of maize.” The kernels were small, and the cobs were about 2 inches long.

I just thought you might like to know that corn has been a staple food for many cultures throughout history.


Corn spread north from Mexico to the Southwestern United States. At the same time, it also moved south down the coast of South America to

Peru. About 1,000 years ago, Indian people migrated to the eastern woodlands of

North America, They brought corn with them. At the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the people would have eaten Indian corn.



Christopher Columbus and other European explorers found corn growing in the Americas in the 1400’s and 1500’s.

They took corn back to Europe and introduced it to the rest of the world. By the 1550’s corn was being grown in China.




Corn was brought to Africa by Portuguese traders in the mid 1550’s. By the early 1700’s corn farming had spread across the continent. Corn was loaded onto slave ships in the late 1700’s and 1800’s. It was a staple food for slaves during the journey from Africa to Europe and

the United States.



James Ruse was the first farmer in Australia. He was convicted of burglary in England and sent to Australia in 1788 for 7

years of indentured servitude. The governor of Australia gave him 1½ acres for experimental farming. He

successfully grew and harvested corn for food. When his seven year sentence ended, he was given 30 acres of land and

became a very successful farmer.



Corn originated in Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Indigenous people called it Teosinte, which means “the mother of maize”.



Background Information for World Map

Corn is an important grain around the world.

It is grown as food for both people and animals.

The oldest ears of corn were discovered in a bat cave in Tehuacán, Puebla, México in 1948. Called teosinte by indigenous peoples, the biggest ear of corn was 2 inches long. These popcorn ears were about 4,000 years old.

Later, corn spread throughout North and South America. Indigenous people used corn for food and trading.

In 1493, on the island we now called Cuba; Christopher Columbus found corn to take back to Spain. Columbus was looking for gold, and for sure he found it!

The Chinese were cultivating corn in the 1550’s.

Corn was brought to Africa in the late 1700’s to use as food on slave ships. The Corn Belt is a major agricultural region of the Midwestern United States. It is also

called the Feed Grains or Livestock Belt. 45% of the world’s corn is produced here. Corn has 3 major uses worldwide:

1. staple human food2. livestock feed3. industrial products

Corn was first cultivated in Australia in 1791.

20% of the world’s food calories come from corn.

Antarctica is the only continent where corn doesn’t grow.

The Corn Belt:

South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.

This land is perfect to grow corn. It is fertile, there is plenty of water and the summers are long, hot, and humid.

Because of its food value and all its uses, corn is the most important crop grown in the United States.

Iowa produces the largest corn crop of any state. Iowa grows three times as much corn as Argentina.

Nearly 60% of all the corn grown in the United States is used to feed livestock.



Background Information for Plant Life Cycle/Photosynthesis Input

1. All plants start as seeds.2. With heat from the sun and moisture from the clouds, seeds germinate. This means they

begin to grow.3. The roots grow down into the soil to anchor the plant and the stem grows up toward the

light of the sun.4. All plants produce flowers. On a corn plant, the tassel at the top of the plant is the

flower.5. In order for flowers to produce seeds to create new plants, pollination needs to occur.

There are many ways for the powdery pollen to move from one plant to another. Birds and bees carry pollen.

6. The kernels in a cob of corn are the seeds of the corn plant.7. How many of you have dogs, cats, fish? What do you need to give them? (food). Did

you know that you don’t need to give food to plants because they can make their own food? This process is called photosynthesis.

8. People and animals exhale (demonstrate by breathing out), carbon dioxide. The scientific symbol is CO2. Plants will use the carbon dioxide to help make food.

9. Plant leaves have tiny holes called stomata where the carbon dioxide enters the plant. Chlorophyll (the chemical that makes plants green) captures energy from the sun to help in the process. At the same time, the roots carry H2O and nutrients up into the plant

10. Now the plant is ready to make its food. It uses CO2 and H2O to create sugar (food for the plant) and oxygen.

11. The oxygen leaves the plant through the stomata and goes into the air. People and animals need to breathe oxygen to stay alive.

12. Animals and plants are interdependent because we need each other to stay alive. The plants need the carbon dioxide we exhale to help them make food, and we need oxygen to breathe.

Background Information for Photosynthesis

1. Photosynthesis is how a plant makes food for itself.2. Chlorophyll (what makes the plant green) captures energy from the sun.3. The plant uses this energy to absorb water and minerals through the roots. Carbon dioxide (exhaled by people and animals) enters the plant through tiny holes in the leaves called stomata.4. The plant converts carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen. The sugar becomes protein, fat, and starch. This is why many plants are a nutritious food source for people. The plant expels oxygen, which people and animals breathe.5. Plants and animals are interdependent. Plants use the carbon dioxide exhaled by animals and give off the oxygen people and animals need.



Background Information for Pictorial Input ChartMéxico

Farming MethodsMost farming families raise one crop a year of corn and some beans on steep up-terraced

slopes. Their land lies bare during the 6 months of the dry season. Soils are generally exhausted from over use of chemical fertilizers. In the spring after months of rainless weather, farmers burn the corn stalks to prepare for planting. This practice destroys organic matter further decomposing soil quality. Poor soils generate sickly plants that are more at risk of pest infestation. The farmers use chemicals to fight these pests. Rural people use their lands this way because they do not know of other alternatives.

Part of plant used Today, every part of the corn plant is still used in the same manner as the Indigenous

people. The kernels are used for making food such as masa for tamales and tortillas. The corn silk is boiled to make a medicinal tea to dissolve kidney and bladder stones. The stalks are used to feed animals such as cattle, pigs, chickens and sheep. The husks can be used fresh or dried. Normally the dried husks are soaked and used to wrap foods such as tamales. Local artisans in México use corn husks to produce beautiful corn husk dolls.

Environmental ImpactThe farming communities have been forced into using seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to

continue growing corn. Farmers have been told that chemical pesticides and fertilizers are important for farming, when this isn’t true. Chemical pesticides and fertilizers are poisons. They are harmful for the environment because they weaken the soil, kill plants and animals, pollute water, and are harmful for humans because they can be absorbed through the skin, or inhaled causing cancer and nerve damage.

Mexico is one of the centers of origin for maize. To lose a variety of maize in Mexico due to the use of chemicals and pesticides used today is to lose it throughout the planet.

Contamination of local varieties of maize with transgenic corn cannot be considered merely a national problem. Impacts on the genetic diversity of Mexican maize could have direct repercussions on the diversity of maize and ecosystems in all of North American and the rest of the world.

Cultural SignificanceMaize has significant cultural, symbolic and spiritual values for most Mexicans. For the

Indigenous in Mexico, maize came from the gods. It represents a connection to their land. Indigenous call themselves “people of maize”.

The god of corn was Centeotl. Corn was the Aztecs staple food and was regarded by the Indigenous people as “A gift of the gods”

Interesting FactsMexico is the original home of maize. The indigenous people of Mexico have farmed

corn for 10,000 years. There are hundreds of varieties. Teosinte is considered the “mother of maize”. Corn is as important today to mankind as it was in the beginning to native peoples.



Background Information for Tortillas Then and Now

Then Now

sun-dried kernels softened in limestone and

boiling water in clay pots over an open fire

ground kernels in a stone grinder called metate

Indigenous women kneaded dough and patted handfuls of dough into pancake-like tortillas

cooked on a clay griddle called comal heated by a small wood-burning fire in the kitchen

eaten immediately by the family

sun-dried kernels soften in limestone and

boiling water in huge aluminum vats

grind the kernels in huge grinding machines

knead and flatten dough into perfect disks called tortillas in noisy machines

cook on roller-belt gas stove and package in plastic bags

taken to stores for families to buy

eaten in the kitchen by families



Narrative Text from the Author’s of this unit (permission granted by them for use here)Will’s Story: A Tale of the Willamette River

Hi, I’m the Willamette River in Oregon. Just call me Will. From the time that Native Americans populated the valley that bears my name to the present, I have experienced many changes. Here’s my story.

6,000 years ago the Kalapuya, Chinook, and Clackamas peoples roamed my valley to gather seasonal foods. At that time, I was wild and free. I would cause massive floods in winter and spring, expanding across the entire valley. The land was covered with oak and conifer forests and open prairies.

These native peoples did not practice agriculture: Instead they were hunter-gatherers with a very sophisticated culture. They had techniques for harvesting and storing large quantities of food; a well-developed trading system; and large permanent winter homes.

In winter, from November to March, the people lived in permanent villages. In spring they would gather the tender new shoots of the camas plant. Then in summer, they would establish temporary camps to fish; hunt; and gather camas bulbs, acorns, nuts, and berries. When fall came, they set prairie fires to harvest tarweed seeds ( a type of wild sunflower) and also caught and dried salmon.

Because they lived in small groups of 10-80 people, called bands, they didn’t cause environmental harm. So things really stayed the same for most of the 6,000 years of indigenous settlement. But about 150 years ago, with the arrival of European-American settlers in the 1840’s, things REALLY started to change.

The first big change was that these people settled permanently in the grassland prairies that had been created when the Kalapuya’s set fires. They began to grow wheat. The settlers soon realized that my valley had very fertile soil. Soon they drained wetlands and cut down forests to create more farmland. Within a short time, they were growing oats, beans, peas, potatoes, and corn.

By the mid 1980’s, giant agribusinesses owned most of my fertile farmland. The major crops now grown are corn, hops, berries, and onions. They have used lots of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides. These toxins are carried into my waters by rain, causing many problems. The fertilizers provide food for algae, which spread across my surface, limiting oxygen and raising my temperature. This has caused significant declines in the number of fish swimming in my waters. The pesticides and herbicides accumulate in the bodies of the fish, causing death and deformities. People who eat the fish can also have major problems.

State and local governments have been working together since 1973 to improve the quality of my water. In 2004 Governor Kulongoski developed a plan called “The Willamette River Legacy” to clean up my waters. Although things are improving, there is still a lot of work to be done. I hope you will help with this most important project.


Narrative Background


FARMERS!

Farmers here, farmers there,Farmers, farmers everywhere.

Busy farmers planting,Hard-working farmers fertilizing,Industrious farmers irrigating,And exhausted farmers harvesting.

Farmers on tractors,Farmers in the cornrows,Farmers under the cultivator,And farmers behind the barn.

Farmers here, farmers there,Farmers, farmers everywhere.

FARMERS! FARMERS! FARMERS!Lizi Aguilar-Nelson, Aurora Cedillo, Lin Crimshaw, Mónica Takata


Agronomist Bugaloo

I’m an agronomist and I’m here to say“I research food plants almost every daySometimes I study pollen, sometimes I study seedsSometimes I propagate the plants the whole world needs.”

Soil, water, sunlight tooDoing the agronomist bugaloo

I hybridize plants – that’s well knownTo create specific crops for your climate zoneGrains that need less water can’t be beatIn a desert climate with scorching heat.

Soil, water, sunlight tooDoing the agronomist bugaloo

When people grow more food the world aroundLess malnutrition will be foundAs our work continues, it won’t be longUntil the children of the world grow healthy and strong.

Soil, water, sunlight tooDoing the agronomist bugalooLizi Aguilar-Nelson, Aurora Cedillo, Lin Crimshaw, Mónica Takata


CORN SOUND OFFLizi Aguilar-Nelson, Aurora Cedillo, Lin Crimshaw, Monica Takata

We all know ‘cause we’ve been toldCorn is more than 10,000 years oldIndigenous people made it an artThey learned to use every part

Sound-off, staple!Sound-off, food!Sound-off, 1-2-3-4 native peoples!

The three sisters had great renownPlanted by native people the world aroundThey tended fields of squash, corn & beansWhich gave them access to complete protein


Native Americans had a planTo grow & store corn with no harm to the landThey burned their fields and by doing thatIt enriched the soil for a healthy habitat.



I Can SpellLizi Aguilar-Nelson, Aurora Cedillo, Lin Crimshaw, Mónica Takata

I can spell seed s-e-e-dI can spell stem s-t-e-mI can spell root r-o-o-tBut, I can’t spell photosynthesis

I can spell flower f-l-o-w-e-r I can spell sprout s-p-r-o-u-t I can spell branch b-r-a-n-c-hBut, I can’t spell photosynthesis

I can spell germination g-e-r-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-nI can spell pollination p-o-l-l-i-n-a-t-i-o-nI can spell nourishment n-o-u-r-i-s-h-m-e-n-tBut, I can’t photosynthesis

Yes, I can! Yes, I can!Pho-to-syn-the-sisPHOTOSYNTHESIS!


I Know an Indigenous Woman

I know a woman,A wise, indigenous woman,Who prepares sacred corn foodsTo nurture the village children.

With a strong, honorable spirit,Representing her community,Working diligentlyTo pass on the sacred seed of life.

I know a woman,A proud, generous woman,Who sustains her entire familyThrough the food she prepares with creative hands.Aurora Cedillo, Lin Crimshaw, Mónica Takata


PLANTS? YES, MA’AMBy Susan Harms and Laura Curry

Well, is this a plant? Yes, ma’am!Well, is this a plant? Yes, ma’am!Well, how do you know? Its roots absorb water.How else do you know? It has a stem and leaves.

How does it reproduce? Most kinds reseed themselves.And how does that happen? A plant grows where a seed fell.Are there any other ways? Seeds can float to distant shores.What about the ferns and mosses? They reproduce by spreading spores.

What is a plant’s habitat? They live all over the world.Can you give me an example? Cacti in the desert.Can you tell me more than that? Bamboo in the tropics.What else can you tell me? Grass on the prairie.

Well, is this a plant? Yes, ma’am!Well, is this a plant? Yes, ma’am!

What do plants need? Water, light and CO2.And how do they use them? They photosynthesize their food.Why do animals need plants? They give us oxygen to breathe.Are there any other reasons? They give the nourishment we need.

So are plants important? Yes, ma’am!To the whole earth? Yes, ma’am!And are there many species? Yes, of course, quite a few!Are there really 75,000? Yes, ma’am, we thought you knew!





Enlace entre el Hogar y la Escuela Nº 1Hoy hemos estudiado el ciclo vital de la planta de maíz. Entrevista a un familiar, amigo o vecino de confianza para que te hablen de una planta que ellos sepan cultivar. Pregúntales cómo aprendieron a cultivarla y por qué les gusta hacerlo. Dibuja un boceto de la planta e incluye información importante sobre el cultivo de esta planta especial. Mi ____________________ habló sobre:

Firma de los padres o adulto responsable:________________________________Firma del estudiante:_________________________________


Enlace entre el Hogar y la Escuela Nº 2Hoy hemos aprendido que el maíz es un cereal importante en todo el mundo. Hemos aprendido que el maíz ha existido desde hace más de 10,000 años. Pide a tu padre, madre, un familiar o vecino de confianza que te cuente su primera experiencia con el maíz. ¿Cómo fue? ¿Qué edad tenía? ¿Con quién compartió esta experiencia? ¿Cómo se sintió acerca de ésta? Dibuja un boceto que ilustre la historia que te contaron y anota tu parte favorita de dicha historia.

Firma de los padres o adulto responsable:________________________________Firma del estudiante:__________________________________


Enlace entre el Hogar y la Escuela Nº 3Invita a uno de tus padres, un familiar, amigo de confianza o vecino a ir contigo a buscar maíz en la tienda, una frutería o la cocina. Observa las etiquetas de los productos alimenticios en las que aparece la palabra “maíz”. Sugerencia: Busca palabras como aceite de maíz, sirope de maíz, aceite de maíz hidrogenado o sirope de maíz rico en fructosa. Dibuja un boceto de diez productos que hayas encontrado y anota sus nombres. Traza un círculo alrededor del nombre y del boceto del producto alimenticio que contiene maíz que te haya sorprendido.

Firma de los padres o adulto responsable:________________________________Firma del estudiante:__________________________________


Expert Group: Corn in Kenya

Farming Methods:Fifty-one (51) % of the farms in Kenya are small family farms. People grow corn, beans, potatoes, and wheat for the family to eat. Natural plants and animal habitats are destroyed to create fields for these crops. Men and women plant, fertilize, hoe, and water these fields by hand. Sometimes droughts cause problems because many of these small family farms don’t have ways to irrigate.

Most of the large agribusiness farms are owned by Europeans. They use modern methods including irrigation, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many grow GMO (genetically modified) corn.

Parts of Plant Used: Family farmers have three (3) ways to use corn as livestock feed. Some farmers leave a portion of their cornfields unharvested so that animals (mostly goats) can eat what remains after the harvest. Others cut down all the cornstalks, leaving the stubble so the goats can graze. Another way is to thin the fields before harvesting. This means removing some entire corn plants so the remaining plants can get more nourishment. The plants that are removed are fed to the animals. Animals eat kernels, leaves, cobs, and stalks.

Large commercial farms use commercial livestock feed. The kernels are ground and processed to add to animal feed.

Environmental Impacts:Genetically modified maize (corn) requires a lot of fertilizer, spraying of pesticides, and a lot of water. The chemical run-off from the fields enters the water, causing health problems for fish, animals, and people. The GMO corn is stronger than native maize and is mixing with local corn. This hybrid corn will not be able to live through the droughts of Africa.

Subsistence farmers have cut down the native plants that hold moisture and nutrients in the soil. So the land is no longer fertile, which means a smaller harvest and the need for more fertilizers. Many people use manure from farm animals, which enters the water and makes it unsafe to drink.


Cultural Significance of Corn:Many people in Africa believe that they have nature within them. The great Earth Mother, ‘Ma’, is sometimes shown with one human leg and another with roots where toes would be. When people hoed the fields to get rid of weeds, they performed a ritual apology. They were saying they were sorry to pull them up to save the crops. At harvest time, some corn was left standing for the passing birds. This provided blessings for the people. Some cornfields were sacred. People could not enter them. They were sacred to the Earth Mother. During winter the fields were plowed and left until spring. Some people took their left-over food to bury in a special ceremony. This is called “feeding the grandmother”.

Interesting Facts:Entire families work together on farms. Some family members live in nearby cities and come to help with the work. Other families live together on the same farm. Families are made up of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and four or five children. The entire family survives on the food grown on the family farm.


Expert Group: Corn in Australia

Farming Methods:Australian farmers use modern farming methods including irrigation from the underground water table; modern fertilizers; and the use of drought-resistant crop strains. They are also using satellite technology to predict weather patterns. Modern farm machinery such as tractors and harvesters are commonly used.

Parts of Plant Used:Corn kernels are used by Kellogg to produce Corn Flakes in Australia. Sweet corn cobs are a common vegetable. Cobs, husks, and leaves are ground to use in livestock feed on large cattle feedlots.

Environmental Impact:Deforestation and soil degradation are major environmental issues in Australia. Farmers have cut down the majority of trees and shrubs that once provided shade and stored water in the soil. More and more land is becoming unproductive from erosion and increased salinity. The water table is dropping because of so much agricultural use for irrigation.


Cultural Significance of Corn:Australian farmers have a strong connection to the land that dates back to 1791. At that time corn provided sustenance for farmers in Eastern Australia. It represents independence and family pride in successful farming practices. Corn has no cultural importance for Australian Aboriginals. It is not a traditional food for these indigenous people.

Interesting Facts:About 60% of the land in Australia is used for agriculture. Most of the corn grown comes from the provinces of Queensland and New South Wales. Family farmers are beginning to replant trees to help stop erosion and to replenish nutrients and water in the soil. Genetically modified corn is commonly grown. It is found in foods such as bread, pastries, sauces, margarine, soft drinks, and sausage skins.


Expert Group: Corn in China

Farming Methods:Covering the soil with organic materials to retain moisture is broadly used in modern Chinese agriculture. This is because of scant rainfall in major rice growing regions. This technique is beneficial for water conservation on inclined farm-land in the hills. Extensive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers result in larger corn crops.

Parts of Plant Used:Corn is a major grain product in the north of China. Around 70% of the corn output in China is used as canned sweet corn. Corn seeds and corn stalks are important raw materials for the bio-based chemical industry. They can be processed into several hundred varieties of chemical products. Ethanol, which is added to gasoline to reduce air pollution, is one of its uses.

Environmental Impact:Recent investigations in China have shown that the number of birds dropped significantly in the last 25 years. This decrease has been caused by intensive growing of corn crops with the aid of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.


Cultural Significance:When corn was first introduced to China, it was a rare and treasured delicacy reserved only for the emperor and the royal family.

Interesting Facts:China is the second largest global corn exporter. People in China still utilize corn kernels in the same manner as their ancestors did. Corn kernels are ground and mixed with castor oil to provide temporary relief for minor skin irritations.


Expert Group: Corn in the USA

Farming Methods:Most corn in the USA is grown on large commercial farms. Airplanes, helicopters, trucks, and tractors are used to plant seeds, spray pesticides, and harvest corn. Genetic engineering has helped create corn that produces higher yields, is more disease resistant, and germinates faster. Modern irrigation methods allow farmers to grow corn in normally arid regions. Corn is harvested by giant combines that snap off the cobs and remove the kernels. A combine can harvest an acre of corn (an acre is the size of an American football field) in just a few minutes.

Parts of Plant Used:All parts of the corn plant are used in the USA. The kernels have many uses. They are processed in different ways to provide food products, cosmetics, ethanol (added to gasoline as fuel), livestock feed, and alcoholic beverages. The fiber in the stems is used for making paper and for packing material. Corn cobs can be made into charcoal. Even the leaves can be used for weaving mats. More than half of the corn grown in the USA is used for livestock feed, and about 12% is used to create ethanol to add to gasoline.

Environmental Impacts:Soil and water have become contaminated by the large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides that are used on commercial farms. Ecosystems have been changed by water pollution, changes in the level of water tables, and habitat destruction. This has harmed native plants and wildlife. Cross-pollination between genetically-modified corn and indigenous varieties are reducing the number of plant species. Farm workers have suffered increases in cancer and neurological problems from contact with pesticides.


Cultural Significance of Corn:There are many stories and ceremonies about corn told by native people in the USA. In the New England states, maize is described as a gift from the god associated with the southwestern direction. Kernels of maize and beans were delivered by a crow. Many native people participated in the Green Corn ceremony celebrating the first fruits of the season. There were also ceremonies for planting seeds to ensure healthy crops. Corn was considered one of the “3 sisters”, together with beans and squash.

Interesting Facts:Every year, one U.S. farmer provides enough corn to feed 129 people. Tire manufacturers are starting to use tiny droplets of corn starch as one of the ingredients in car and truck tires. These new tires weigh less and roll more efficiently, so they will reduce fuel consumption and noise. In 1870, half the U.S. population was employed in agriculture. As of 2006, less than 1% of the population is employed in agriculture.



Corn Around the WorldProcess Grid

Country Farming Methods

Part of Plant Used

Environmental Impact

Cultural Significance

Interesting Facts

Mexico

U.S.A

China

Kenya

Australia


Found Poetry from Textbook


Documents

Project GLAD · Web viewRemedios Caseros (Home Remedies): ww.mexgrocer.com How a Corn Plant Grows: IDEA PAGE 9 Australian Farms & Farming Communities: recreation.gov.au/articles/farms