Popcorn Folder Activities Grade Level 3-4 Learning Center Bulletin Board Name the Popcorn States Popping Popcorn Popcorn Unlimited Perfect Punctuation Popcorn
All About Popcorn Grade Level 3-4 Graphic Designer Tara Grell Published by Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture Issued by 5225 S. 16th St. P.O. Box 80299 Lincoln, NE 68501 Phone: 402-421-4400 www.agclassroom.org/ne For more information about popcorn visit www.popcorn.org. Printed: 2007 1
Creating the Learning Center All About Popcorn Procedure The following five pages may be used for a bulletin board display. The bucket of popcorn would be the eye-catcher or the attention-getter for this display. The popcorn kernels contain information as to the history of popcorn, what makes it pop, processing, where popcorn is grown, how much popcorn we eat and how nutritious popcorn is in our diets. The boxes filled with popcorn contain recipes, trivia, games and jokes. 2
All About 3
How Old Is Popcorn? The oldest ears of popcorn ever found are about 5,600 years old. When Columbus discovered the New World, the natives were selling necklaces made from popcorn. Popcorn was served for breakfast with sugar and cream in Colonial America. How Is Popcorn Made Ready For Market? 1. Ears of corn are harvested by a combine. 2. The kernels are dried to a specified moisture content. This ensures that the popcorn will pop. 3. The kernels are sorted by size. 4. The popcorn is then put into different sized packages. How Much Popcorn Do Americans Eat? Americans eat more popcorn than anyone else. We consume 54 quarts for every man, woman and child in one year. 4
Where Is Popcorn Grown? Nebraska Iowa Indiana Michigan Illinois Ohio Kansas Missouri Kentucky Popcorn is a special type of corn. Most of it is grown in the above states. What Makes Popcorn Pop? Native American folklore believed that a little devil lived inside the popcorn kernel. When the kernel was heated, he got hopping mad and it caused the kernel to pop. Popcorn really pops because the kernel has a soft spot near the middle. When the kernel is heated, the water inside turns to steam and makes the kernel explode. Soon there is enough power to make the outer parts explode. Kernels can pop up to 20 times their size! 5
How nutritious is popcorn? Popcorn is a whole grain food that contains energy producing carbohydrates. Popcorn is low in calories only 31-55 calories. Popcorn has no artificial additives or preservative, and is sugar-free. Popcorn is ideal for between meal snacking. It doesn t spoil an appetite. CRUNCHY POPCORN TRAIL MIX 5 cups popped popcorn 3 cups whole grain oat cereal 1/3 cup raisins 1/3 cup peanuts (or other nuts) 1/3 cup sunflower seeds 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine 6 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup * Stir together popcorn, cereal, raisins and nuts in large microwavable bowl; set aside. * Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in small saucepan. Heat until boiling; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occassionally. Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat evenly. * Microwave 3-4 minutes, stirring and scrapping bowl after each minute. Spread onto greased cookie sheet; cool. Break into pieces and store in airtight container. Yield: 9 servings POPCORN CEREAL BOWL Place popcorn in a bowl and add cold milk, just like any breakfast cereal. Add a teaspoon or two of sugar (or cinnamon sugar) and your choice of the following stir-ins: * dried fruit such as raisins, dates, apples and currants * nuts such as sliced almonds, toasted walnuts, pine nuts or pecan pieces * fresh fruit such as sliced bananas, strawberries or raspberries * tropical touches such as coconut flakes, dried papaya and pineapple pieces Mix and match stir-ins! 6
POPCORN TRIVIA National Popcorn Month is October. Of the six types of popcorn pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint and popcorn only popcorn pops. Popping popcorn is the number one use of microwave ovens. A popcorn kernel can pop up to three feet in the air. If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles you would need more than 352,028,160 popped kernels. Popcorn expands 40 to 42 times it s original size, some hybrids up to 45 times bigger. On average, two tablespoons of unpopped kernels produce a quart of popcorn for about $0.25. There are 1,600 popcorn kernels in one cup. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the world s largest popcorn ball weighed 2,000 pounds. POPCORN GAMES POPCORN JAR Pour a lot of popcorn kernels into a jar, then have everyone guess how many there are. Write down your answers on slips of paper, then turn them face down. Pour out the kernels and count them. Then have everyone show their answers. POPCORN RACE Give everyone a needle and thread. Set a timer for two minutes. See who can thread the most popped kernels before two minutes ends. POPCORN JOKES What did the salt say to the popcorn? Season s Greetings! What did the young popcorn kernel brag to the other young kernels? Betcha my Pop s bigger than yours! Why did the farmer stop telling secrets in the corn field? Because the corn was all ears. 7
Popcorn Folder Activity #1 Name The Popcorn States Nebraska State Standards Social Studies 4.11 Procedure 1. The following pages are the components for a file folder activity on naming the states that grow popcorn. The pages need to be colored and glued onto a file folder. 2. 3. 4. Duplicate one set of states on page 9 on heavy paper. Cut them apart and put in a sealed bag. The students will use these states for Activity A on the inside of the folder. Duplicate Activity B (page 12) for each student. Page 10 is to be glued onto the front of the folder. Activity A (page 11) is to be glued on the inner left side. Directions for Activity B, on page 9, are to be glued horizontally on the inner right side. Page 13 is the answer key for Activity A and B and can be glued to the back of the folder. 8
Michigan Missouri Kansas Indiana Illinois Ohio Activity A Nebraska Kentucky Iowa Directions for Activity B 1. Leave the state shapes on the map with Activity A. Study the map from Activity A. 2. Using your Activity B sheet, color each state the color listed below. Iowa (pink) Missouri (yellow) Michigan (blue) Nebraska (red) Illinois (gray) Indiana (purple) Kansas (orange) Kentucky (green) Ohio (brown) 3. Write the name of each state on the blanks on your Activity B sheet. 4. Check your map with the answer key on the back of the folder and make any corrections. 9
Name The Popcorn States 10
Activity A Name The Popcorn States Match the state shapes to the map above. The nine states show where popcorn is grown in the United States. 11
Activity B Name The Popcorn States NAME 12
Iowa Missouri Michigan Ohio Indiana Kentucky Name The Popcorn States Activity A and B Answer Sheet Nebraska Illinois Kansas 13
Popcorn Folder Activity #2 Popping Popcorn Nebraska State Standards Language Arts 3.1.5.a, 3.2.1.a, 4.1.5.a, 4.2.1.a Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. The following pages are the components for a complete file folder activity on story sequencing. The pages need to be colored and glued onto a file folder. Page 15 is to be glued onto the front of the folder. Page 16 is to be glued on the inner left side and page 17 is to be glued on the inner right side of the folder. The activity sheet, page 18, needs to be duplicated and given to each student. Page 19 (answer sheet) needs to be glued on the back of the folder. 14
Popping Popcorn Procedure Read the following story: Abby Gets Hungry. Remember details of the story. Number the sentences to re-tell Abby s story. 15
Abby Gets Hungry *Carefully read this story* Abby is hungry for a big bowl of popcorn. As she is searching for the things she will need, she can already smell the hot popcorn. She will need her mother to help with the microwave. First, Abby finds her mother to supervise the use of the microwave. Abby will read the directions on the microwave popcorn package. First place the unfolded bag in the center of the microwave. Pop on full power until the bag expands and popping slows to 1-2 seconds between pops. 16
Do not leave the microwave unattended. Normal popping time is 2-5 minutes. After the popping stops, Abby s mother carefully removes the bag from the microwave and opens the bag by pull- ing at the corners of the bag. She is very careful, as the popcorn and its steam are very hot. Abby pours the popcorn into a bowl and now they are ready to eat the fluffy white popcorn. Abby and her mother share the popcorn, but also enjoy reading a book together about popcorn. Abby found out it s the water in the kernel that expands which causes the kernel to pop. What other facts can you find about popcorn? 17
Popping Popcorn Activity Sheet Think about the story you just read. Read through these sentences about the story. Pop on full power. Find other facts about popcorn. Number the sentences 1-10 to re-cap how Abby made the popcorn. Check your answers with the key on the back of this activity folder. Mother helps supervise. Pour popcorn into a bowl. Abby is hungry for popcorn. Read the directions for microwave popcorn. Enjoy the popcorn. The bag expands and popping is 1 or 2 seconds between pops. Abby finds the things she needs to make popcorn. Carefully remove bag and open from the corners. 18
Answers For Popping Popcorn Activity #2 5 10 3 8 1 4 9 6 2 7 19
Popcorn Folder Activity #3 Popcorn Unlimited Nebraska State Standards Language Arts 3.1.5.c, 4.1.5.c Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. The following pages are the components for a file folder activity on alphabetical order. The pages need to be colored and glued onto a file folder. Page 21 is to be glued onto the front of the folder. The popcorn kernels on page 22 and 23 need to be cut out and glued on the inside of the folder. The activity sheet, page 24, needs to be duplicated for each student. The answer key, page 25, may be placed on the back of the folder. 20
Popcorn Unlimited On your paper, write the gourmet popcorn flavors in alphabetical order. The first one has been done for you. 21
butter Yummy Popcorn Flavors orange cherry pizza caramel mint watermelon raspberry 22
cheese Yummy Popcorn Flavors bacon taco nacho cheese grape plain honey sour cream and onion 23
Name Write the gourmet popcorn flavors in alphabetical order. The first one has been done for you. What s America s favorite treat? To find out, write the first letter of these flavors from your alphabetical listing. Check your answers with the key. 1. BACON 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 11 10 12 03 10 13 09 Activity Sheet #3 24
Activity Sheet #3 Answer Key Write the gourmet popcorn flavors in alphabetical order. 1. BACON 2. BUTTER 3. CARAMEL 4. CHEESE 5. CHERRY 6. GRAPE 7. HONEY 8. MINT 9. NACHO CHEESE 10. ORANGE 11. PIZZA 12. PLAIN 13. RASPBERRY 14. SOUR CREAM AND ONION 15. TACO 16. WATERMELON What s America s favorite treat? P O P C O R N 11 10 12 03 10 13 09 25
Popcorn Folder Activity #4 Perfect Punctuation Popcorn Nebraska State Standards Language Arts 3.1.5.c, 4.1.5.c, 3.2.1.e, 4.2.1.e Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. The following pages are the components for a file folder activity on punctuation. The pages need to be colored and glued on a file folder. Page 27 is to be glued onto the front of the folder. Page 28 is to be placed on the inner left side, and page 29 on the inner right side. Students will write both the telling and question sentences on a separate sheet of paper. The answer key, page 30, can be glued to the back of the file folder. 26
Perfect Punctuation Popcorn? 27
Perfect Punctuation Popcorn Perry Period s Perfect Popping Sentence On a sheet of paper, write each sentence. When finished, put the telling sentences in order to develop a story. Write the story on your paper and remember the periods. Quincy Question Mark s Quality Questions? On a sheet of paper, write each question with a question mark at the end. Then answer each question with a complete sentence. 28
Get some butter, popcorn, and salt Put some popcorn in a pan or popper and cover the pan What could you make using your leftover popcorn Perfect Popcorn Punctuation Pour melted butter over the popped corn and sprinkle with salt Why should you be careful while you are popping corn Do you eat popcorn at the movie theater Let the popcorn pop until the popping nearly stops The work is done and it is time to eat Can you name two flavors of popcorn What are some different ways to pop popcorn 29
Perfect Popcorn Punctuation Answer Key Below are the telling sentences in order so that they tell a story. Get some butter, popcorn, and salt. Put some popcorn in a pan or popper and cover the pan. Let the popcorn pop until the popping nearly stops. Pour melted butter over the popped corn, and sprinkle with salt. The work is done, and it s time to eat. Below are the asking sentences. Have a friend read your answers to check them. Can you name two flavors of popcorn? What are some different ways to pop popcorn? Why should you be careful while popping corn? What could you make using your leftover popcorn? Do you eat popcorn at the movie theater? 30