Agriculture Byproducts

Subject: Science/Language Arts/Life Skills
Age Level: 3-4th grade
Length of Lesson: 30-minutes

Objectives

1. Youth will be able to work together in a group to identify Iowa agricultural byproducts.
2. Youth will be able to read a food label to identify byproduct ingredients.

Standards/Benchmarks

• Uses electronic media to gather information (e.g., databases, Internet, CD-ROM, television shows, cassette recordings, videos, pull-down menus, word searches). Language Arts Standards (3-5th grade)
• Makes, confirms, and revises simple predictions about what will be found in a text (e.g., uses prior knowledge and ideas presented in text, illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing clues). Language Arts Standards (3-5th grade)
• Knows that the mass of a material remains constant whether it is together, in parts, or in a different state. Science (3-5th grade)
• Demonstrates respect for others in the group. Life Skills (K-12 grades)
• Uses nonverbal communication such as eye contact, body position, voice tone effectively. Life skills (K-12 grades)

Materials Needed

• 1 page notebook paper (per student)
• Small bags/containers to hold slips of paper for charades
• Boxes of granola bars (one for each group of 4-5 students)
• Copies of the "Agriculture Product Scramble" (found in the kids' section of this site)

Introduction

Collect a bag of various Iowa agriculture byproducts commonly found around the house or classroom. Begin the lesson by removing the items from the bag and asking the students what they have in common.

Explain that each item is an agriculture byproduct. Ask if the students know the meaning of the word "byproduct"? If not, instruct the students to look it up in the dictionary. The definition of byproduct is "something produced in addition to the main product." For example, when a product like corn is grown, it is used in many different forms (other than on the ear) to create a variety of byproducts. Explain that this lesson will focus on byproducts.

Activity #1 Agriculture Products Charades

1. Instruct students to visit the Iowa Farm Bureau website at www.farmbureaukids.com
   and link to the "Homework Helper". Ask students to gather the names of at least six
   agriculture byproducts and write them on small individual pieces of paper (notebook
   paper cut into 6 rectangles). To avoid duplication, you may want to assign a specific
   type of byproducts to each student (i.e. sheep, cattle, corn, soybeans).
2. Gather the names of the byproducts and review them for any errors. Break the
   students into groups of 4-5. Divide the byproduct names evenly so each group of
   students have the same number. (Note: If time is needed to sort through the slips of
   paper, start students on Activity #2. Once Activity #2 is complete, continue with the
   remainder of Activity #1). Give each group a small bag/container filled with an
   equal number of byproduct names. Invite the students to take turns drawing a by-
   product name out of the bag and trying to act out the word like a game of charades.
   For example, cornflakes can be acted out by pretending to pour a box of cereal for
   breakfast. See which group identifies all of their words first.

Activity #2 - Read The Label

1. Explain to the students that some packaged foods contain more than one Iowa
   agriculture byproduct as an ingredient. Display a box of granola bars and ask the
   students to guess what ingredients might be agriculture byproducts. Distribute a box
   of granola bars to each group (as grouped in Activity #1). Ask the students to review
   the ingredient list and identify Iowa agriculture products. Give the students a few
   minutes to make a list of the agriculture products they find. Remind them to look
   closely. (Some examples of granola bar products are listed below for your reference.)

Sunbelt Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars

• Corn syrup - corn
• Honey - bees
• Soybean oil - soybeans
• Nonfat dry milk - dairy cows
• Egg whites - chickens that lay eggs

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (S'mores)

• Soybean oil, soy lecithin - soybeans
• Honey, honey graham cracker crumbs - bees
• Cultured whey - dairy cows
• Corn syrup, sorbitol - corn
• Dehydrated marshmallows, glycerin - cattle/pigs/sheep

2. Ask students to share their list of byproducts with the rest of the class.

Conclusion

Once the activities are complete, lead a brief discussion by asking the following questions:

• What was one thing you learned from today's lesson?
• What agriculture byproduct surprised you the most?
• Why do you think agriculture products are used to make so many different foods, household goods, etc? (Taking advantage of the versatility of agriculture products, avoiding waste, researching new markets for agriculture products to add value for the farmer).

Evaluation

Invite students to have one of the granola bars from Activity #2 as a snack. Instruct them to complete the "Agriculture Product Scramble" found within the kids' section of the Iowa Farm Bureau website. Collect the scrambles and review to make sure they were completed correctly.