Outstanding Fields of Corn

Geographic Alliance of Iowa

OUTSTANDING FIELDS OF CORN

Submitted by Andrea Liljegren

Overview:
Students will show knowledge of the five themes of Geography by creating a Diorama. This lesson allows the student to use their knowledge of corn, including both past and present information and apply it to the five themes.

Themes: Location, Place. Human Environment Interaction, Movement, Region

Essential Elements: Environment and Society

Standard #14 How human actions modify the physical environment
Agriculture has a great impact on the population. Human population is never static. Patterns emerge as people move, settle, develop cultures, create economic systems and interact with each other. Since the dawn of civilization, humans have searched for a safe, productive and satisfying niche on Earth.

Grade Range: 4^th to 7^th

Time: 1 to 2 class periods

Material/equipment: scissors, glue, construction paper, markers, square of heavy paper, magazine pictures (for students not want to drawing,)
large sheets of plain paper, tape, Almanacs, Atlas, Text Book.

Objectives:
Students will construct a diorama illustrating a selected geographic theme.
Students will write a short informational paragraph relating to the theme.
Students will include both elements of the past and present in their display.
Students will give evidence of basic knowledge agriculture.

Suggested procedure:

Discuss and review the 5 themes of Geography.
Brainstonn ways that the growing of corn relates to each theme. Include information on the past and present. (Record information on the board, overhead or large sheets of paper)
Divide students into groups of five. One member for each theme.
Construct a triangle (see Pattern)
Select a theme and construct a diorama, include a written paragraph on theme.
Each group will develop a plan to share their project with their classmates.

Evaluation:
Teacher will prepare a rubric to score the individual students work. The students will be given a copy of the rubric to use for self-evaluation. The rubric should be given at the start of the project.

Extension:
Students will construct a quiz to be given after their presentation.

Projects could be displayed in library with selected books about corn.

Adaptation:
Change the crop or the topic

Suggested Rubric:

Theme. Excellent understanding 5 or more attributes	Good understanding 3 to 5 attributes	limited understanding less than 3
Information. Excellent 5 or more facts	Good 3 to 5 facts	Limited less than 3
COPS* 0 to 2 errors	3 to 4 errors	more than 5
Neatness Excellent	Good	Limited
3 points	2 points	1 point

Triangle:

Cut paper into a square
Fold paper in half into a triangle, crease lightly
Open paper, fold again in a triangle the opposite way, crease lightly Mark the center with a small dot
Make one cut along a fold line to the dot.
Fold right side of cut portion over the left and glue-this forms the bottom

* C capitalization O over all appearance P punctuation S spelling
(this is used for the writing aspect of the project)