Module II Section C Activities
Activities for Module II, Corn, Beans, and Burgers
Activities for Section C: Field Crops in the Agro-ecosystem
- Activity 1. Thinking about Soils
- Activity 2 : Resource or Pollutant?
- Activity 3: Hypoxia Hearings
- Activity 4: Diversity in Natural Habitats
- Activity 5: Is Ethanol Sustainable?
Agro-ecosystem Activity 1: Thinking about soils
Purpose: This activity is designed to get students observing and thinking about soil. Because soil is so complex and no two samples will be exactly alike, there are not “correct” outcomes.
Advance preparation: Collect materials: clear plastic cups or clear plastic bottles, soil-less planting medium. You can either collect the three different soil samples in advance, or have the students collect them. If the students will collect them, you will need a shovel and something to collect the soil in. This activity requires observation over a period of weeks. Instructors may wish to have students begin the activity two or more weeks before beginning this “Corn, Bean, and Burgers” module.
Estimated time: 15 minutes to one hour the first day; 3 to 5 minutes a day for two weeks.
Each student or small group of students will observe plants growing in three different types of soils. Suggested types for comparison are:
- Soil from a conventional crop field
- Good quality garden soil mixed half and half with mature compost
- Soilless planting medium such as sand, peatmoss, perlite, or vermiculite (may contain trace amounts of asbestos).
- Give each group three 10 or 12-oz clear plastic cups or have them make three bottle biology planters. Put drainage holes in bottom of each planter and fill with one soil type to within 1 inch of top. Have each student/group fill out worksheet describing each soil type. You can have the soil already collected for the class, or you can have the students collect the different soil types themselves Instructions for making bottle biology planters.
- Plant rapid-growing seed(s) in each planter. Suggested varieties: radishes, beans, annual ryegrass. (Use same variety for all 3 soil types, students may all plant same plants or may choose different types.)
- Have students water seeds regularly and observe growth over time.
- Discuss differences in growth among different soil types. Discuss how soils outdoors at field scale function differently than the small samples in cups. Discuss management differences (especially lack or cost of irrigation) and implications for different soil types.
Worksheet for Soils Activity (MS Word document)
Supplemental soil activities
There are excellent activities developed by the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California-Santa Cruz that introduces students to soil processes. These materials were developed for college students, but Soil Biology and Ecology Demonstrations 1 (Organic Matter Decomposition, part 2, p. 101) and 3 (Earthworm Populations, part 2, page 111) are suitable for high school classes as well.
Agro-ecosystem activity 2: Resource or Pollutant?
Purpose: Build understanding of agricultural pollution sources and the relationship between agricultural resources and pollutants.
Advance preparation: None
Estimated time: 10 minutes
Have students brainstorm a list of agricultural pollutants. Ask them to consider whether any of them can also be considered as resources. Discuss what determines whether the chemical is a resource or a pollutant and how it could be kept in the “resource” category. Describe the source and the sink for each pollutant.
Examples:
- Nitrates and nitrites: key plant nutrients in the soil, pollutants in drinking water and surface water
- Phosphorus: key plant nutrient in the soil, pollutant in surface water
- Manure: beneficial soil amendment at moderate levels, pollutant in surface water and potential source of nitrates, phosphorus, and bacteria in surface and ground water
- Pesticides: can provide a convenient and economical way to manage pests, pollutants for non-target species from humans to beneficial insects, birds, fish, etc.
- Pollen: necessary for growth of crops, GM pollen is a pollutant for non-GM crops, especially organic crops; can also be a pollutant for people suffering allergies
- Soil and harvested crops: critical resources, but can produce dust and sediment, causing air and water pollution
Agro-ecosystem activity 3: Hypoxia Hearings
Purpose: Students explore a real controversy about the impact and regulation of agricultural pollution to get an understanding of the different interests involved and the scientific uncertainties and political complexity of managing environmental problems.
Advance preparation: Either each group will need internet access, or the teacher will have to print out information for each group to use.
Estimated time: 1 to 2 hours
1) Have students conduct a role playing exercise to explore the issues surrounding hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico . Assign students the following roles:
- Congressional representatives
- Scientists from government agencies (National Marine Fisheries Service, US Dept. of Agriculture, US Geological Survey, etc.)
- Farmers or representatives of farmer organizations
- Environmental organization representative
- Representatives of commercial fishing organizations
- Industry representative(s)
- Municipal sewage treatment representative
The assignment for the class is to have the congressional representatives come up with a way to address the hypoxia problem (such as regulations on nitrogen discharges or fertilizer use, taxes on fertilizers, incentive or grant programs to support best management practices, more research and monitoring, or a combination of approaches).
2) Give students 30 minutes to 1 hour to research and prepare their positions. Then hold the hearing for 30 to 45 minutes. If time allows, have the class discuss how the hearing went after the role-playing is done.
Assignments by role:
- Congressional representatives: propose actions to address hypoxia, question other spokespeople to determine if proposals will work. (The representatives do not have to agree with each other.) One representative will have to facilitate the hearing.
- Scientists from government agencies: Answer technical questions.
- All other stakeholder roles: Prepare statements for or against the proposal(s) and answer congressional questions.
For information on hypoxia see Environmental Protection Agency https://www.epa.gov/ms-htf/hypoxia-101.
Agro-ecosystem activity 4: Diversity in natural habitats
Purpose: Students will get a sense of the biological diversity of natural habitats and compare it to the lack of above-ground diversity in most agricultural systems. Students will learn to identify some wild plants using field guides or keys.
Advance preparation: Get field guides or botanical keys to help students identify species they do not know. Locate a natural or semi-natural area students can easily visit. The area can be woodland or untended grassland on or near school property, it does not have to be a formal park or natural area. Check if it is permitted for students to collect plant samples. Print out species lists from one or more of the websites listed below.
Estimated time: 10 minutes to 1 hour
- Have the class make a poster or list of plant and/or wildlife species one might find in one acre of prairie or woodland. If possible, have students visit a natural area and identify as many of the plant and animal species there as possible. Have them count the number of species they cannot identify. Contrast with species one finds on one acre of cropland.
- Visit The Wisconsin Botanical Information System and The University of Iowa Herbarium for sample species lists for natural areas. Other useful websites include: The Warren County Conservation Board
The Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois
The Iowa Prairie Network
The University of Wisconsin Arboretum
Agro-ecosystem activity 5: is ethanol sustainable?
Purpose: Students explore the arguments for and against ethanol production. Students learn to get and evaluate information from the internet.
Advance preparation: Part 1: Print out and copy the biofuel sustainability worksheet. Students must have access to the web to do this activity. Part 2: Print out the How Much Corn Would it Take? worksheet and make copies. Students need to be familiar with nutrient flow and pollution issues in corn production before they do this activity.
Estimated time: Part 1: 50 minutes or more. Part 2: 10 minutes to read and complete the worksheet, plus 10 to 20 minutes for optional class discussion.
Part 1:
Have students do a web quest on ethanol production, to answer the question of how well ethanol production fits the 4 biofuel sustainability criteria developed by Amory and Hunter Lovins and Marty Bender:
Suggested articles and websites include:
The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center has a number of excellent biofuels educational resources, including an activity that focuses on carbon balance of biofuels http://www.greatlakesbioenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/279/2009/03/better_fuel.pdf
Is ethanol energy-efficient? from journeytoforever.org provides a pro-ethanol overview of the ethanol debate and links to other information sources.
Biofuels: Environmental Consequences and Interactions with Changing Land Use provides an overview of recent assessments of biofuels projects and impacts. The executive summary is a good starting point.
ethanol.org is one of the many ethanol industry websites
Ethanol’s Contrasting Carbon Footprints describes how different assumptions and measures can lead to very different conclusions and energy policies.
The article Ethanol: A “Green” Alternative? from the University of California Berkeley Research offers a brief summary of the arguments of one of ethanol’s biggest critics.
How Biomass Energy Works, an article from Union of Concerned Scientists provides a general overview of biomass energy.
The Hybrid Highway from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) provides a cautionary view on the efficiency and feasibility of hydrogen fuels in the next 20 years. ILSR also has articles on renewable energy sources.
Implications of Increased Ethanol Production for U.S. Agriculture from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri discusses potential economic impacts for farmers of increased ethanol production.
Cleaner-Burning Gasoline Without MTBE from the Department of California Environmental Protection Agency summarizes the role of ethanol in reducing air and groundwater pollution from gasoline.
Effects of Increased Biofuels on the U.S. Economy in 2022 discusses the uncertainties and possible economic consequences of increased use of biofuels.
The Renewable Fuel Standard — Where Do We Go From Here?discusses government policy and the status of biofuel production in 2014.
Students will also have to use their background knowledge about corn production, as well as knowledge gained from exploring the first three ecological questions in this section of the curriculum.
Part 1: Biofuel sustainability worksheet Key
Part 2:
Have students complete the How Much Corn Would it Take? worksheet, either on their own or in small groups.