Iowa Agriculture Trivia

Subject: Social Studies/Language Arts
Age Level: 3-4th grade
Length of Lesson: Two 30-minute lessons

Objectives

1. Youth will be able to identify significant people, cities and counties in Iowa and their contributions to agriculture.
2. Youth will be able to locate cities and counties in Iowa using an Iowa road map.

Standards/Benchmarks

• Knows the chronological order of major historical events that are part of the state's history, their significance and the impact on people then and now, and their relationship to the history of the nation. History Standards (3-4th grade)
• Understands how the ideas of significant people affected the history of the state. History Standards (3-4th grade)
• Knows the origin of the names of places, rivers, cities, and counties, and knows the various cultural influences within a particular region. History Standards (3-4th grade)
• 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)

Materials Needed

• Road map of Iowa
• Thumbtacks (1 to identify your town + 2 per trivia question for the game)
• Colored marker
• Computer with Internet access (or attached trivia questions)
• Index cards (3 per student)
• String or yarn (one piece per trivia question)
• Scissors

Introduction

Show students a road map of Iowa and post it within the classroom. Explain to the students that they are going to learn more about people, cities and counties in Iowa and how they connect to agriculture. Using the Iowa map, ask the following questions:

• Who can show me where our school is located on this map? Invite a student to come up and place a thumbtack on the map to show where the school is located.
• Who can name the county where we live? Invite a student to come to the map and identify the name of the county. Outline the county with a colored marker. Draw around the county with a colored marker.

Explain that many important things related to agriculture have happened in Iowa over the years. Today's lesson will help us take a closer look at those things.

Activity #1 - Trivia Scavenger Hunt

1. Explain to the students that they are going on a trivia scavenger hunt to learn fun facts about Iowa agriculture, people and places. Distribute three index cards to each student.
2. Instruct students to visit the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation kids' web site at www.farmbureaukids.com where they will find Iowa trivia within the "Homework Helper" link on the front page. The trivia is divided into various regions of the state. Assign each student a district (there are 9 districts) to help avoid duplication of questions. If computer access is limited, print the trivia, photocopy and distribute to the students.
3. Instruct the students to create trivia questions with the information they gather. Write a couple of sample questions on the board at the front of the classroom to show the desired format (e.g. True/False questions, multiple choice). Ask students to write one trivia question on each of their index cards.

Note: If time does not allow for students to create their own trivia questions, please refer to the trivia cards provided with this lesson and use them for activity #2.

Activity #2 - Iowa Trivia Game

1. Gather the trivia cards from the students. Review them and discard any duplicates. Divide the class into two teams. Ask them to identify names for their teams.
2. Take turns allowing each team to answer trivia questions about Iowa agriculture. After each question, give a member of the team the index card (with the trivia question) along with a piece of string or yarn and two thumbtacks. Instruct the students to find the city or county mentioned in the trivia question. Place the index card on the bulletin board next to the map. Tack one end of the string onto the index card and tack the other end of the string to the city or county on the map.
3. Continue the game until all questions have been attempted and all index cards are on the bulletin board. Title the bulletin board the "Iowa Agriculture Trivia Challenge".

Conclusion

Lead a discussion with the students after the game. Ask them the following questions:

• What did you like best about making and playing the trivia game?
• Was it easier to write the questions or answer the questions?
• Was it tougher to find the cities or the counties? What did you use to help find the cities/counties?
• Why is it important to know more about Iowa people, cities and counties?

Evaluation

Check the trivia questions the students write to verify that they are accurate and complete. Make sure each student has the opportunity to place one of the index cards on the map during the trivia game. Evaluate to see if they correctly identify the city or county.

For Extended Learning

Option #1
Turn the trivia game into a Jeopardy-style game with various categories. Categories might include: Famous Iowans, Famous Iowa Foods, Famous Iowa Cities, and Famous Iowa Counties. Post the index cards under the corresponding category and tack another index card on top labeled with a dollar amount (i.e. $100, $200, $300). When a player chooses the category and dollar amount, remove the cards and ask the trivia question. If answered correctly keep the card listing the dollar amount in a pile so it can be tallied at the end of the game.

Option #2
Adapt the trivia game into an independent learning exercise. Attach an envelope to the trivia bulletin board and label it "Put Your Trivia Knowledge To The Test!" Make trivia flashcards to place in the envelope. Write questions on one side of index cards and the answers on the back. Invite students to use them during independent work time to test their knowledge.

Iowa Agriculture Trivia

(For use in Activity #2, if time does not permit students to complete questions in Activity #1)

Correct answers are in bold

Which of the following is the state's oldest city?

a. Sioux City

b. Dubuque

Which of the following famous Iowans from Marion County invented the large round hay baler?

a. Gary J. Vermeer

b. Terry Branstad

Which of the following words originated in Charles City?

a. Soybean

b. Tractor

Jesse Hiatt of Madison County discovered the following type of apple, which was originally called the "Hawkeye" apple?

a. Granny Smith

b. Red delicious

Which of the following Iowa counties is the largest according to land area?

a. Kossuth

b. Polk

Earl May Seed Company, one of the largest seed and nursery companies in the nation, was started in what city by Earl E. May?

a. Shenandoah

b. Ames

Which of the following lakes is the largest glacier-created lake in the state?

a. Clear Lake

b. Spirit Lake

Which of the following foods was devised by a Clarinda restaurant owner and named by his chef who was from Germany?

a. Hamburger

b. Onion rings

Harrison County has the highest acreage of which of the following crops?

a. Apple orchards

b. Pumpkin patches

What famous Iowan from Greenfield served under Franklin Roosevelt as vice president of the US and formed Pioneer Hi-bred Corn Company, the first company to produce and distribute hybrid seed?

a. Charles Grassley

b. Henry A. Wallace

What famous Iowan who attended Iowa State University in Ames discovered 325 products from peanuts?

a. Johnny Orr

b. George Washington Carver

Feather-Lite Trailers, the nation's leading builder of aluminum livestock, horse and utility trailers, is located in what northeast Iowa city?

a. Cresco

b. Dubuque

What city is home to the world's largest strawberry?

a. Washington

b. Strawberry Point

Ruth Sukow from Earlville was a writer who also enjoyed taking care of which of these?

a. Cows

b. Bees

Iowa's first capitol was located in what city?

a. Iowa City

b. Mason City

Dr. Norman Borlaug from Howard County is the only agriculturalist to win this?

a. An Academy Award

b. Nobel Peace Prize

What famous Iowan invented the two-wheeled plow, which was adopted by 80% of plowing manufacturers? (Hint - His name is one of the Quad-Cities in eastern Iowa).

a. Fred Burlington

b. William Bettendorf

Former Governor Terry Branstad was born on a farm near what Iowa city?

a. Leland

b. Council Bluffs

Don Radda of Washington grew the world's tallest corn stalk in 1946. How tall was it?

a. 31 feet, 3 inches

b. 13 feet, 1 inch

The highest point in Iowa is located where?

a. On a Sibley farmyard in northwest Iowa

b. On the Iowa/Missouri border near Centerville