A-maize-ing popcorn: serve up science learning with these corn-popping activities

Popcorn isn't just for cinema studies--its unique properties make it explosive fodder for a variety of science-related classroom activities!

Pop-Up Fact: Popcorn kernels are seeds. You can sprout kernels, then put them in soil to grow a popcorn plant!

What Makes Popcorn Pop?

Explain to students that popcorn is a maize (or corn) product that grows much like corn. Pass around both an uncooked kernel and a cooked puff of popcorn for children to examine. Ask them to share their ideas on how a kernel becomes a piece of popcorn. Write student responses on chart paper and discuss. Afterward, explain that the secret to turning a kernel into popcorn is found in the kernel's center. A popcorn kernel has a hard outer covering, called a hull, which surrounds a layer of starch. In the center of the kernel is a tiny amount of water. When the kernel is heated, the water inside also heats up. Before long the water boils, then turns to steam. The pressure from the steam builds inside the kernel until it finally causes the hull to break open. When this happens the starch packed inside the hull bursts. Popcorn!

Pop-Up Fact: A puff of popcorn takes up more space (volume) than a kernel, but it weighs the same amount.

Popcorn Predictions

Have children ever found uncooked kernels (known as "old maids") at the bottom of a bag of popped popcorn? After sharing their experiences, ask them to predict how many popcorn kernels out of 100 will successfully pop into edible puffs. Have them write their names and guesses on sticky notes to attach to a large popcorn cutout. Then help students count out and cook 100 kernels. Sort the cooked puffs from the uncooked kernels. Then count the puffs and compare the results with students' predictions. Did anyone predict accurately? Why do some kernels fail to pop? (They don't contain enough water to make the hull burst open.)

Pap-Up Fact: One measuring cup will hold about 1,600 uncooked kernels.

"Popcorn-ament" Feeders

People aren't the only fans of popcorn! Birds and other animals also enjoy it. To share these tasty puffs with animals, have children create peanut-butter-and-popcorn-covered ornaments to use as outdoor feeders. To make one, ask each student (or small group of students) to tie a piece of string near the top of a large pinecone. Next, have them spread a layer of popped popcorn onto a sheet of waxed paper. Then they should coat the pinecone with a thick layer of creamy peanut butter, rolling the covered pinecone over the popcorn so that the puffs stick, and adding more puffs by hand to fill in any uncovered spaces on the cone. Finally, students can hang the popcorn-ament from a nearby tree and wait for animals to come by and feast. As children observe animals feeding on the popcorn, encourage them to write down their observations to share with the class later.

Pop-Up Fact: Learn more about popcorn by visiting www.popcorn.org

RELATED ARTICLE: Popcorn Poetry

Invite children to turn their popcorn knowledge into poetry. First, tell students that they will write a haiku about popcorn. A haiku is a Japanese verse composed of three lines and a title. The first and third lines contain live syllables each, and the middle line has seven syllables. Write a sample haiku on the board to demonstrate. Then have children create their own verses, drawing on what they have learned about popcorn. Ask them to write their haikus on white or yellow construction paper and then cut their pages into popcorn shapes. To display, attach a cutout of a large pot to your bulletin board. Add the popcorn cutouts so that they appear to fill and overflow the pot. You might also attach some popcorn pieces so that they appear to be airborne. You can title your display "Popcorn Poetry."

Looking at Labels

Even though popcorn is considered a snack food, it packs some nutritious value. To find out how these tasty puffs compare to other snack favorites, bring in packages of potato chips, pretzels, cheese curls, and plain popcorn. Have groups examine the nutrition information on each of the packages. Instruct the groups to create charts that compare the nutritional values of each snack to that of plain popcorn. Afterward, have the groups share their findings with the class. How does popcorn stack up?

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