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Get Popping!

Students discover how popcorn is grown and explore the phenomenon of how popcorn pops.

Grades
3 – 5
Estimated Time
2 hours
Updated
November 1, 2024
popped kernels attached to corn cob
Image: bonchan/iStock

Background

Lesson Activities

Credits

Author

Lynn Wallin | National Center for Agricultural Literacy (NCAL)

Acknowledgements

  • Storyline graphic from seedstorylines.org.
  • Phenomenon chart adapted from work by Susan German.
    German, S. (2017, December). Creating conceptual storylines. Science Scope, 41(4), 26-28.
    German, S. (2018, January). The steps of a conceptual storyline. Science Scope, 41(5), 32-34.
  • Activity 3 was created for Utah Agriculture in the Classroom by Lyndi Perry.

Sources

  1. http://www.popcorn.org/Facts-Fun/Corny-Facts
  2. https://specialcollections.nal.usda.gov/popcorn-exhibit#pop
  3. http://www.popcorn.org/Facts-Fun/History-of-Popcorn/Recent-Popcorn-History

Standards

National Content Area Standards

  • Science
    • 5-PS1: Matter and Its Interactions
      • 5-PS1-1: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
      • 5-PS1-3: Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.