News: Teacher stories

After covering photosynthesis, Rebecca Scott of Field High School took her students through cellular respiration, including the corn fermentation in a bag activity. The activities and supplies were provided from Ohio Corn & Wheat-sponsored Feed the World workshop. Scott said, “First and foremost, the breathalyzer sure captured their interest! I would like to think that we had accurate results; one of our readings was .9!” Since the bags weren’t inflating quickly, …

Recently the 10th grade biology students at Fort Jennings High School worked on the Corn Fermentation in a Bag lab experiment. Teacher Jeff Jostpille, a Feed the World alumni educator, first reviewed cellular respiration and organic molecules. Next, he talked about commercial ethanol production, reminding students about the two local ethanol facilities. He explains the fermentation activity: “Students could choose from a variety of feedstocks, including sugar, honey, blue agave, …

The water cycle and erosion are part of Ohio’s fourth grade science standards. Julia Moncrief’s students at Meigs Intermediate School in southeastern Ohio did chemical water tests for dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrate, and phosphates of the water in the local stream behind the school. She expanded the activity to the garden club to include students from other classrooms. These students live in an area where there has been a history …

Did you know that water quality can be assessed by the number and type of organisms in the water? The Ohio Corn & Wheat-sponsored Feed the World workshops include great hands-on lessons and also provide teachers with the supplies needed to share the lessons with students. Kecia Slob-Stewart of River Valley High School attended the summer workshop and took advantage of the great fall weather to do the lessons with …

Wendy Baker teaches a water quality unit to her 4th graders at Grover Hill Elementary each year, including Ohio Corn & Wheat sponsored-Feed The World water quality lessons in that unit. To begin, Patrick Troyer from the Paulding County Soil and Water Conservation District came to Baker’s class to talk about macroinvertebrates. She said, “We walk to the stream where he uses swoop nets to bring some out for the …

The National FFA convention offers lots of opportunities for learning in the teacher workshop strand. This year, Courtney Bockbrader, Whitney Short, and Meredith Wolfe led a session on bringing hands-on, science-based labs to life in a variety of classes. Approximately 30 people attended the session. Presenters covered water quality and led the group through several activities including a stream simulation with biotic sampling and water quality testing of temperature, pH, dissolved …

Natural water sources’ health can be affected by many things. Killbuck Creek runs along the River View High School school property, so the environmental science class has been able to monitor a range of chemical and biological indicators of water quality. Students learned about water quality, macroinvertebrates, and methods for testing water quality through the Feed The World curriculum. Instructor Allyssa McMullen attended the Ohio Corn & Wheat-sponsored FTW workshop …

Farmers need to know if their soil will hold onto nutrients or wash away easily. Valerie Karhoff, Agricultural Education and FFA Advisor at Lakota High School, presented the Feed the World soil texture lessons so her students would become familiar with the three major textures and understand the various sizes of sand, silt, and clay particles. These sediments are weathered from surface rocks or eroded by water or wind and …