Adapting Hands-On Activities for Children in Elementary, Middle and High Schools.

Students at all grade levels enjoy taking part in science activities; in fact they learn more from doing science than from reading science.  Eighteen years ago a hands-on education program for elementary students from suburban areas was developed to introduce them to plant science and show them the importance of plant science in every day life using corn as an example.  “How Much Corn Have You Eaten Today?” used starch/agar gels, iodine and field corn seeds to introduce students to plants, nutrients, digestion, and enzyme activity.  A pictorial walk through a grocery store examining product contents illustrated the diversity of corn products.  Today this outreach program has been adapted for use at all grade levels.  Kindergarten, 1^st and 2^nd graders see how indicators change colors and play "Hide and Seek", assisting iodine to find starch in cereals, breads and noodles.  Students in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grades search for starch in the food pyramid, using iodine to indicate its presence in grains, vegetables and fruits, identify differences in starch content among crops, and create "Smiling Faces" while discussing plant anatomy, nutrition and digestion.  Middle school students are introduced to the concept of enzymes using time-course and volume experiments with a-amylase and saliva.   Students compare levels of starch and total enzyme activity in field, sweet, Indian, and pop corn seed, as well as other grains and legumes.  High school students undertake enzyme assays using starch/agar gels and various corn seed incubated for 2, 3, 5, and 7 days to measure total and specific enzyme activities incorporating algebra, geometry and graphing into their lessons.  Altering experiments in small ways, while maintaining a central theme adapted to various grade levels, meets specific learning objectives and prepares students for standardized year-end exams.