Notes to the Teacher:

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1 Table of Contents Notes to the Teacher:... 2 Educational Opportunities at the Maze... 3 Lesson 1a: Corn Products... 4 Lesson 1b: Corn Products... 8 Lesson 2a: Nuts about Math Lesson 2b: Pecan Pie Math Lesson 3a: Cow Literature Lesson 3b: Dairy Product Poetry Lesson 4a: Vegetable or Fruit? Lesson 4b: Fruit & Vegetable Life Cycles Lesson 5a&b: Watermelon Small Moments Resources

2 Notes to the Teacher: The overall goal of this curriculum is to familiarize students with a small selection of, within the vast array, of products grown in New Mexico. Common Core Standards, New Mexico Science Standards and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are correlated with each lesson. Many other standards will be covered dependent on the extensions you choose to utilize in your classroom. Multiple websites were used to compile these lessons. Specific websites can be found on most individual lessons. Lessons labeled 1a-5a are intended for grades Pre-K to 1 st grade. Lessons 1b-5b are intended for second grade and up. This curriculum was written and compiled by former Las Cruces Public Schools teacher, Joanna Salopek. Joanna has a bachelor s degree in Agri-science Education from Auburn University and is currently pursuing her master s degree in Secondary Education at the University of New Mexico. She taught Integrated Science and Biology at Centennial High School before joining the Mesilla Valley Maze team. 2

3 Educational Opportunities at the Maze Outdoor Classroom: Farm, Factory, or Store? What agriculture products are grown in New Mexico? Where do all of those products originate? Where do they end up? Join us for an interactive lesson to learn all about the multitude of New Mexico agricultural products and their derivatives in the Outdoor Classroom. Education Stations: Self-led Education Stations on pecan trees, the Organ Mountains, Crops of New Mexico, Wildlife of New Mexico, Windmills & Water Pumps, and the Solar System can also be found throughout the grounds at the maze. Reading Route: Read Good Night Farm (by Adam Gamble and Cooper Kelly) while going through the mini maze. Hayride: On your hayride out to the pumpkin patch, see how pumpkins are grown and learn the different parts of the pumpkin plant. 3

4 Lesson 1a: Corn Products Objective: Students will learn which common products contain corn and then, create their own corn product. New Mexico Standards: Social Studies K-4 Benchmark II-F; K-4 Science Benchmark I Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): Kinder b.2 1st b.2 Procedure: 1. Arrange a display of several products including, but not limited to: a. Corn oil h. Paper b. Corn starch i. Candy bar c. Corn syrup j. Cough syrup d. Popcorn k. Canned fruit e. Sample of livestock food l. Crayons f. Soda pop m. Aspirin g. Biodegradable packing peanuts 2. Label all products with a number (in case students don t know what to call each product). 3. Then, instruct students to pass by the display and write down the number of the products they think contain corn. 4. After students have made their guesses, discuss how each of the products actually contain corn. Explain that corn is used in a wide variety of products. 5. A corn products word search is provided below. 6. If time allows, you can then make a fun corn product in class: 4

5 newspaper measuring cups 1 cup of dry cornstarch large bowl or pan food coloring (if you want) 1/2 cup of water Play around with your Ooze! Put newspaper down on your counter or table top. Put the cornstarch into the bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring. (Use whatever colors you like.) Add water slowly, mixing the cornstarch and water with your fingers until all the powder is wet. Keep adding water until the Ooze feels like a liquid when you're mixing it slowly. Then try tapping on the surface with your finger or a spoon. When Ooze is just right, it won't splash--it will feel solid. If you Ooze is too powdery, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more cornstarch. Pick up a handful and squeeze it. Stop squeezing and it will drip through your fingers. Rest your fingers on the surface of the Ooze. Let them sink down to the bottom of the bowl. Then try to pull them out fast. What happens? Take a blob and roll it between your hands to make a ball. Then stop rolling. The Ooze will trickle away between your fingers. Put a small plastic toy on the surface. Does it stay there or does it sink? Ketchup, like Ooze, is a non-newtonian fluid. Physicists say that the best way to get ketchup to flow is to turn the bottle over and be patient. Smacking the bottom of the bottle actually slows the ketchup down! 5

6 Why does my Ooze act like that? Your Ooze is made up of tiny, solid particles of cornstarch suspended in water. Chemists call this type of mixture a colloid. As you found out when you experimented with your Ooze, this colloid behaves strangely. When you bang on it with a spoon or quickly squeeze a handful of Ooze, it freezes in place, acting like a solid. The harder you push, the thicker the Ooze becomes. But when you open your hand and let your Ooze ooze, it drips like a liquid. Try to stir the Ooze quickly with a finger, and it will resist your movement. Stir it slowly, and it will flow around your finger easily. Smack water with a spoon and it splashes. Smack Ooze with a spoon and it acts like a solid. Most liquids don't act like that. If you stir a cup of water with your finger, the water moves out of the way easily--and it doesn't matter whether you stir it quickly or slowly. Your finger is applying what a physicist would call a sideways shearing force to the water. In response, the water shears, or moves out of the way. The behavior of Ooze relates to its viscosity, or resistance to flow. Water's viscosity doesn't change when you apply a shearing force--but the viscosity of your Ooze does. Back in the 1700s, Isaac Newton identified the properties of an ideal liquid. Water and other liquids that have the properties that Newton identifies are call Newtonian fluids. Your Ooze doesn't act like Newton's ideal fluid. It's a non- Newtonian fluid. There are many non-newtonian fluids around. They don't all behave like your Ooze, but each one is weird in its own way. Ketchup, for example, is a non-newtonian fluid. (The scientific term for this type of non-newtonian fluid is thixotropic. That comes from the Greek words thixis, which means "the act of handling" and trope, meaning "change".) Quicksand is a non-newtonian fluid that acts more like your Ooze--it gets more viscous when you apply a shearing force. If you ever find yourself sinking in a pool of quicksand (or a vat of cornstarch and water), try swimming toward the shore very slowly. The slower you move, the less the quicksand or cornstarch will resist your movement. 6

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8 Lesson 1b: Corn Products Objective: Students will learn which common products contain corn, identify products in their homes that contain corn, and create their own corn product. New Mexico Standards: Social Studies 5-8 Benchmark II-F; 5-8 Science Benchmark I Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 2 nd -5 th b.1-2 Procedure: 1. Arrange a display of several products including, but not limited to: a. Corn oil b. Corn starch c. Corn syrup d. Popcorn e. Sample of livestock food f. Soda pop g. Biodegradable packing peanuts h. Paper i. Candy bar j. Cough syrup k. Canned fruit l. Crayons m. Aspirin 2. Then, instruct students to pass by the display and write down the products that they think contain corn. 3. After students have made their guesses, discuss how each of the products actually contain corn. Explain that corn is used in a wide variety of products. 4. Instruct the students to be Corn Detectives for homework. Their assignment is to look around their homes for products that contain some type of corn. (Hint: make sure to look in the kitchen and bathroom!) Have them make a list of what products and their brand name that contain a corn product or byproduct. Try to find at least 5 products. 5. Provide students with a list of corn byproducts that may help them in their search: a. Monosodium glutamate b. Xanthan gum c. Cornstarch d. Fructose e. Cornstarch f. Corn syrup g. Dextrose h. Maltodextrin i. Dextrin j. Sorbitol 6. Students may also complete the following Corn Product Worksheet. 7. Or, students can use corn to make their own biodegradable plastic! 8

9 Corn in the Classroom: Make your own bio-plastic! Background: Over 3,000 grocery store products are made with processed corn. A few corn derivatives include: monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum additives, cornstarch, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and maltodextrin. Which products did you find in your home? Materials: Ziploc bag Corn oil Cornstarch Food coloring (optional) Microwave Procedure: 1. Place a tablespoon of cornstarch into a plastic Ziploc bag. 2. Add two drops of corn oil to the cornstarch. 3. Add one tablespoon of water to the oil and cornstarch. 4. Mix the cornstarch, corn oil, and water in the plastic bag by rubbing the outside of the bag with your fingers. 5. Add two drops of food coloring and mix again. 6. Place your bag in the microwave on high for seconds. DO NOT completely seal the bag (it might explode). 7. Carefully take the bag out (its hot!) and observe. Observations: 1. What do you notice about your biodegradable plastic? 2. What could you make with this biodegradable plastic if you let it harden? Remember that it will dissolve eventually, so keep it in the plastic. 3. Form your plastic into a ball while it is still warm and describe what it does. 4. Compare your biodegradable plastic with the plastic of the Ziploc bag. Activity adapted from Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom. 9

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11 Lesson 2a: Nuts about Math Objective: Students will practice their counting skills using pecans, pistachios and peanuts. New Mexico Common Core Standards: K.CC.3-5, K.OA.1-5, 1.OA.1-8 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): Kinder b.2-3, 1 st b.3 Procedure: 1. Prepare one small bag of pecans, pistachios, and pinon nuts* per student. 2. Provide each student with a baggie of mixed nuts and the addition/subtraction printout provided. (Have students wash hands prior to lesson so that they may eat their math when finished!) 3. For a quick warm up, first have students practice their counting by totaling how many nuts they were provided. Then, have them make pairs or piles of a certain number of nuts, show you their age with the appropriate number of nuts, how many siblings they have, etc. 4. Once everyone has warmed up their counting skills, begin the class activity by writing an addition problem on the board, such as 1 + 5=. Instruct students to lay out how many nuts represent the numbers on each side of the addition sign, and then have them solve the problem by adding the appropriate number of nuts after the equal sign. 5. Do this as many times as needed before switching to subtraction. (For more advanced students, this activity can also be used for simple multiplication and division.) Students can also pair together and use both baggies of nuts for larger equations if need be. 6. After practicing their adding and subtracting skills, give them problems and then allow them to eat the nuts as they solve the problem until all nuts are gone. For example, have them solve 2 +3 and then allow them to eat their correct answer. *Please take note of any nut allergies before this lesson and only use certain nuts if necessary. 11

12 Did you Know? It takes 78 pecans for one pecan pie. It would take a line of over 10 billion pecans to reach the moon. There are about 1,000 different varieties, or kinds, of pecans! In China, pistachios are known as the happy nut because they look like they re smiling! A pistachio tree can live to be over 150 years old. Pistachios were once a food that only royalty, such as kings and queens, were allowed to eat. Pinon nuts get their name because of where they come from, pine cones! Pinon nuts are said to keep your eyes healthy by fighting off eye diseases. 12

13 Lesson 2b: Pecan Pie Math Objective: Students will practice adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions using pecan pies. New Mexico Common Core Standards: 2.G.3, 3.NF.1&3, 4.NF.1-4, 5.NF.1-6 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 2 nd b.3, 3 rd b.3, 4 th b.3. 5 th b.3 Procedure: 1. Obtain supplies needed: paper plates, light and dark brown craft paint (colored pencils or crayons can also be used), black marker, ruler, and scissors. 2. Before starting the lesson, ask students what kind of pie they like, and explain that some pies are made with ingredients that farmers grow in New Mexico and Texas, such as pecans. Then, ask them how they eat their pecan pie do they just dig in to the whole pie? Or maybe they cut it up in slices? But how many pieces do they cut their pie into? Explain that even when doing something as simple as eating pie, they have to use math, like fractions! 3. To make the pie fractions: a. Start by painting, or coloring, the ridged edges of the plate with light brown; this is your crust. b. Paint, or color, the middle section with the dark brown, this is your pecan filling. c. Once dry, use the ruler and black marker to divide the pie into fractions. Divide one pie in half, one in thirds, another in fourths and the last pie into eighths. d. Label each pie with the corresponding fraction using the permanent marker. e. Equivalent fractions or equivalent whole numbers using decimals can be added for advanced students. 4. Now that your pies are ready, they can be used to help with adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions, mix and matching fractions to create a whole, comparing equivalent fractions, word problems about selling pie, etc. dependent on age and skill sets. 5. Extension: a. Purchase pies and have students determine how many pieces each pie needs to be cut into to provide one piece per student. *Lesson was adapted from 13

14 Lesson 3a: Cow Literature Objective: Students will listen to a story, identify the main ideas and then write a short piece about the story. New Mexico Common Core Standards: K.RL.1&3, 1.RL.1,3,5, K.W.1-2, 1.W.1-2 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): Kinder b.6-7, 1 st b.6-7 Procedure: 1. Either obtain a copy of The Cow Went Oink by Bernard Most, or use the read aloud video found at 2. Begin by asking students if they have ever seen a dairy, or maybe even just some dairy cows. Have them explain what they see and smell when they come across cows. Then, ask them what noise cows make. Have they ever heard one oink before?? 3. Explain that some stories they read are fiction, or made up, like the one they are about to hear. Then, read or play The Cow Went Oink. After the story, ask them to explain who the main characters are, what was the problem in the story, and how did they solve the problem. 4. Then, provide them with the provided worksheet and have them write their opinion of the story, or have them answer a question you have written up on the board such as What was the main problem in this story? How did the pig and cow help each other? etc. 14

15 The Co w That Went Oink! Oin k, oinko in k! 15

16 Lesson 3b: Dairy Product Poetry Objective: Students will use creative writing skills to write poems about dairy cows and/or dairy products. New Mexico Common Core Standards: 2.RL.4, 2.W.5-6, 3.RL.2&5, 3.W.4-5, 4.RL.2&5, 4.W.4-5, 5.W.4-5, 5.RL.2&5 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 2 nd b.9&12, 3 rd b.9&12, 4 th b.11&12, 5 th b-11&12 Procedure: 1. To begin, ask students if they ve ever passed by a dairy. What did they see? What do they think comes from a dairy? Of course, they have cows and milk, but what else do we get from those two things? Make a list of all dairy products on the board and explain that these products are made in both New Mexico and Texas**! 2. Read students the included dairy poems. Explain that all types of poems are different, such as rhyming, free verse, haikus, acrostic, etc. 3. Tell students that today, they will be creating poems of their own* and can choose the style of poetry. It may be helpful to put guidelines on the board for each type of poem such as how many lines a rhyming poem needs to be, how many syllables a haiku requires (17), etc. 4. Have students work on rough drafts of their poems, using the dictionary, thesaurus, each other, and the teacher for help. For older students, have them peer edit their poems before getting final edits from the teacher. 5. Have students write their poems on construction paper and include an illustration. 6. Then, have students share their poems with the class and display them in the classroom. *Poem length, structure, vocabulary, and depth can be modified by grade level. **For all things dairy, 16

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19 My Mouse is Rather Fond of Cheese My mouse is rather fond of cheese from hereabouts or overseas like cheddars, parmesans and bries in brick or wheel or ball. He'll eat ricotta, feta too, plus gorgonzola, gouda, blue, in sandwiches or cheese fondue, my mouse will eat them all. He'll have havarti for a snack, a slice or two, and then a stack of mozarella, Swiss and jack, he thinks they're oh so nice. But though my mouse and I agree we both enjoy a tasty brie, I'll miss my mouse because, you see, my cat is fond of mice. --Kenn Nesbitt Copyright All Rights Reserved. Printed from: // 19

20 Lesson 4a: Vegetable or Fruit? Objective: Students will learn to identify the difference between fruits and vegetables. New Mexico Standards: Science Strand II Standard II K-4 Benchmark I & II Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): Kinder b.2&10, 1 st b.2&10 Procedure: 1. Begin by making a t-chart on the board with one side being vegetables and the other fruits. Ask students to give examples of each and write them on the side of the chart they say to. (Make sure to include examples of things grown in New Mexico and Texas, such as Chile, watermelon, lettuce, pumpkins) 2. After a good list has been compiled, ask them what the difference is between fruits and vegetables. Most obvious answers will be as such fruit is sweet we eat vegetables for dinner veggies are gross, etc. 3. Now explain the REAL difference between vegetables and fruits Fruits and vegetables both come from plants, but the secret is that they are different parts of the plant. Let s dive in and figure out the difference between fruits and vegetables Vegetables are any part of the plant that does not contain the seeds. So vegetables are the roots, stems, leaves, and even the unopened flower buds (like broccoli). Since vegetables are any part of the plant that does not contain the seed, fruits are any part of the plant that does contain the seed. This means that many things that we commonly consider vegetables like cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, avocados, and even peas, green beans, and nuts are technically fruits! (from 4. Provide samples of some of the fruits and vegetables and have students look for seeds in order to identify them as fruits, or if they have leaves, are roots or stems, as vegetables. 5. After examining the samples and explaining the difference between fruit and vegetables, return to your original t-chart and have them move the items to the appropriate side of the list after discussing which part of the plant each one is, and whether or not they have seeds. 6. Then, have students complete the following worksheet on veggies vs. fruits. 20

21 Fruits and Vegetables Name Directions: Color the fruits and vegetables, then cut and paste each fruit or vegetable in the correct bag. Fruit Veggies 21

22 Lesson 4b: Fruit & Vegetable Life Cycles Objective: Students will be able to differentiate between fruits and vegetables, explain the basic plant life cycle, and identify the needs of plants to grow. New Mexico Standards: Science Strand II: Standard II: K-4 Benchmark I & II, Science Strand II: Standard II: Grade 5: Benchmark I Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 2 nd b.9&10, 3 rd b.10, 4 th b.10, 5 th b.10 Procedure: 1. To begin, ask students to think of fruits and vegetables that are grown in New Mexico and Texas. Make a list on the board and then have them each create a small T-chart with vegetables on one side and fruits on the other. Instruct them to categorize all the items on the board as either fruit or vegetables. (Make sure you include NM fruits and vegetables like chile, watermelon, lettuce, cabbage, pumpkins, etc.) 2. Once they have completed this, create a large fruit vs. vegetables t-chart on the board and then explain the difference between fruits and veggies Fruits and vegetables both come from plants, but the secret is that they are different parts of the plant. Let s dive in and figure out the difference between fruits and vegetables Vegetables are any part of the plant that does not contain the seeds. So, vegetables are the roots, stems, leaves, and even the unopened flower buds (like broccoli). Since vegetables are any part of the plant that does not contain the seed, fruits are any part of the plant that does contain the seed. This means that many things that we commonly consider vegetables like cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, avocados, and even peas, green beans, and nuts are technically fruits! (from 3. As a class, correctly place each of the fruits and vegetables listed on the correct side of the t-chart on the board. 4. After the t-chart is completed, ask students how we get these fruits and vegetables in the first place. Even though fruits and vegetables are different in many ways, the basic growth of their plants is very similar. So, what is the life cycle of a plant? What is needed to grow a plant? 5. Discuss what is first necessary to grow a plant: a seed, soil, light, water, and sometimes fertilizer. 6. Now discuss the process in steps, first we have a seed that we plant in the soil. Then, with adequate sunlight and water, that seed is germinated and begins to grow roots. After the root system is developed, a small plant pushes thru the soil 22

23 and then grows into a mature plant which is later able to grow vegetables, fruits, and seeds. Explain that the seeds are then used to grow more plants, thus continuing the cycle of life. 7. Have students demonstrate knowledge of the plant life cycle by either drawing or writing the steps of the cycle on the provided handout. *For older students, include outside factors that affect a plants life cycle, such as oxygen/carbon dioxide, amount of sunlight, predators, etc. 23

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25 Lesson 5a&b: Watermelon Small Moments Objective: Students will use a watermelon and its seeds to understand main ideas and small moments of narratives and then write a personal narrative of their own. New Mexico Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.2, CCSS.ELA- Literacy.W.2.2&3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2&3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2&3, CCSS.ELA- Literacy.W.5.2&3 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): Kinder b.10-11, 1 st b.11-12, 2 nd b.11-12, 3 rd b.11-12, 4 th b.11-12, 5 th b Procedure: 1. Before the lesson, obtain a small watermelon (make sure it contains seeds!), paper plates, and a sharp knife. 2. To begin the lesson, ask students to describe everything they can about the watermelon you have. Ask them to describe how big it is, what it looked like, what they like about it, etc. Discuss how hard it would be to eat the watermelon when its whole like this. 3. Then, start to cut up the watermelon and talk to the students about how much more manageable it would be to eat the watermelon in smaller pieces. 4. Explain that a watermelon is much like a story. The entire watermelon is your main idea, while the slices are smaller topics within your main idea and the seeds are the small moments. 5. Before the lesson, make the anchor chart as shown below with the left side completed and then as a class, fill in the right side of the chart. You may use the examples given, or maybe use examples of things your students have experienced. 6. After students understand how small moments come from a larger topic, pass out the watermelon and allow them to eat while they try to fill out their own ideas on the worksheet provided. 25

26 7. For younger students, have them complete the small moments worksheet and then illustrate one of the moments. 8. For older students, instruct them to brainstorm multiple big topics that lead to small moments, choose one and write a short narrative* about their small moment using relevant details. *Make sure to include guidelines on grammar, length, narrative structure, etc. based on grade and level of students writing. 9. If needed, use checklist below for younger students. 26

27 Small Moment Planning Big Topics Name Smaller Topics Small Moments 27

28 Resources